Listen

That’s not true for the wicked! They are like dust that the wind blows away. And that’s why the wicked will have no standing in the court of justice— neither will sinners in the assembly of the righteous. The Lord is intimately acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is destroyed.

Psalm 1:4-6

Think

I would feel a lot better if I could neatly divide people into two groups: good and bad, or wicked and righteous. I would feel better still if I could be confident that I would always be in the righteous group. In real life? Well, I’m not so sure.

Like everyone else, I’m not just wicked or righteous, but a complicated mix of both. Sometimes I do the right thing for the wrong reasons; sometimes I do what I think is the right thing for the right reasons and only later realize that I hurt someone by accident. If it’s true that “the wicked will have no standing in the court of justice,” I’m not so sure I like my odds in that court.

The good news is that Jesus sees our faults and failings and loves us anyway. In his sinlessness, he frees us from our sins; in his worthiness, he makes us worthy to stand before God. I know that I’m not perfect. But I’m very grateful that Jesus is.

Catherine Healy

Pray

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for freeing me from sin and death. Lead me in the way of righteousness, and guide me away from evil, for the sake of your holy name. Amen.

Go

Jesus promises to pray for all of us. How is he praying for you right now?