Pop Quiz - Are You Worthy of Death?
In a world where subjective morality is ever-increasing, most people look around themselves and think they’re “pretty good” or at least not as bad as “that guy over there.” The Apostle Paul tells us that those who compare themselves, among themselves, are not wise (2Co 10:12).
The problem with this common practice lies with the underlying measure of what is good. What defines good? What if what I believe is good, causes you harm or infringes upon what you believe is good? There must be an objective measure!
Fortunately, we have a perfectly good, perfectly loving, and perfectly just God who has declared to us what things are good and what things are worthy of death. There is no “kind of good” or “kind of bad” with God’s standard of righteousness: it is not a spectrum and it is not subjective.
We learn from the Bible that none are righteous and that if you offend one point of the law, you’re guilty of offending all of them (Rom 3:10, Jas 2:10). The wages and judgment of sin is death (Rom 6:20-23). Therefore, we would all be guilty and worthy of the judgment and wrath of God!
Not convinced yet? Let’s take a pop quiz just to double-check.
Romans 1:26-32 lays out the history of man’s decline, but simultaneously lists a multitude of things worthy of death. Consider these questions derived from that list and see how you score:
Have you ever not retained God in your knowledge?
Have you ever done something unrighteous?
Have you ever committed fornication (idolatry, adultery with your heart or body, unfaithfulness, sexual sin)?
Have you ever done something wicked (evil, crooked)?
Have you ever been covetous (strong desire to obtain an ungodly thing)?
Have you ever displayed maliciousness (extreme enmity or disposition to injure)?
Have you ever been envious?
Have you ever murdered (seeking to kill, quick to judge death, hated a brother)?
Have you ever debated? Not just a discussion, but a quarrel for the sake of victory?
Have you ever acted deceitfully (white lies, manipulation, omitted truth, mislead)?
Have you ever maligned someone (hated, desired to destroy)?
Have you ever gossiped or slandered someone?
Have you ever hated God (or rebelled against Him)?
Have you ever been despiteful (disrespected or defied a rightful authority)?
Have you ever been proud, selfish, or arrogant?
Have you ever boasted or puffed yourself up?
Have you ever had an evil invention/wicked imagination?
Have you ever been disobedient to your parents?
Have you ever been ignorant of something and not had understanding?
Have you ever broken a covenant or agreement with someone?
Have you ever had a sexually immoral thought or action, including toward someone of the same gender?
Have you ever been discontent or unable to be appeased or satisfied?
Have you ever been unmerciful?
Have you ever had pleasure in, celebrated, or promoted any of the sins above?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, you are a guilty sinner worthy of death. If we’re truly honest with ourselves, we have committed every single one of these sins. God’s judgment includes the heart’s disposition, and not just the act itself (1Sa 16:7). From the self-righteous, religious church-goer as well as the apathetic, licentious, subjectively-moral atheist, everyone is guilty before a just and holy God.
Oftentimes we skim over these kinds of passages that declare a list of sinful acts and forget to realize we do all of those things too. It’s not a list of what “those kinds of people” commit, but a mirror to the wicked nature of our sinful hearts.
We’re not better than any other person and God is an impartial judge (Rom 2:11). When we look at our sinful flesh and try to compare it to other’s sinful flesh around us, we’re essentially comparing two massive piles of dung (Php 3:8). At the end of the day, if yours is taller, it is still worthless (and stinks).
As humans, we must come to a recognition of our own sin. Only then, when we see the reality of what we deserve, do we see our need for a Savior. Even though there’s nothing good in us no matter how hard we try to perform (Rom 7:8), Christ still willingly died the death we deserve and resurrected to give us eternal life.
“[8] But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. [10] For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. [11] And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” – Romans 5:8-11
“[3] For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. [4] But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, [5] Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;[6] Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; [7] That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” – Titus 3:3-7
Even though our sin abounds in the light of God’s righteous standard, His grace abounds over all sin (Rom 5:20-21). We are saved by His grace through faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection to pay for our sins (Eph 2:8-9; 1Co 15:1-4). Despite our own shortcomings and terrible scores on the “worthy of death” quiz, if we trust in Christ’s grace, God freely gives us forgiveness, reconciliation, mercy, love, and eternal life!
