One-minute read.
Paul’s Jewish audience agrees about the wickedness of Gentiles, thinking themselves morally superior to them. Unfortunately, the listener doesn’t understand their guilt and can’t see the plank in their eye.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
Romans 3:23
Metanoia, the original Greek word for repentance means, change of mind…the state of changing any or all of the elements composing one’s life: attitude, thoughts, and behaviors concerning the demands of God for right living; note that this state can refer to the foundational salvation event in Christ, or to on-going repentance in the Christian life.1
All have fallen short of the glory of God and need to repent. Ignoring the Lord’s kindness shows contempt for the Savior and our need for salvation. We miss the plank in our eyes and focus on the splinter in someone else’s.
A repentant heart acknowledges their shortcomings, accepting that they have no right to judge the sins of others without admitting their own. Accepting Christ into our hearts allows us to receive His grace, as well as extend it to others. Because of Jesus’s kindness, we can receive and share His mercy.
Journal Question:
When have you deemed someone unworthy of God’s grace?
Random Act of Kindness:
Who can your kindness help today?
- NIV Exhaustive Concordance Dictionary. Copyright © 2015 by Zondervan. ↩︎
