God doesn't owe me anything.

I’m going to start by simply saying this:

God is not Santa Claus.  He does not owe me anything.

Actually, scratch the latter.  He owes me something, but it certainly isn’t presents or blessings.  He owes me His wrath.  I have sinned against Him more times than I’m even able to count.

I was listening to a message from Tim Chaddick (Pastor of Reality LA) entitled “Boasting or Believing” (you can get it on iTunes and I really encourage you to do so!)  He was talking about how we feel entitled to receive something from God and that so many people demand their wages from Him.  But it is by God’s grace that He does NOT give us our wages.  The Bible says the wages of sin is DEATH (Romans 6:23).

Not only does God not give us that which we deserve, but He blesses us.  At the end of the day, God does not bless us because we deserve it, He blesses us because of His love and grace and mercy through Jesus Christ.  God help us if we ever attribute it to our own goodness.  Our righteousness is as filthy rags compared to the holiness of God (Isaiah 64:6).  It is only because of Jesus that I’m even worthy to come before Him.  It’s not because of who I am, but because of who Jesus is and the price He paid on the cross.  And because of His sacrifice and His great love, God owes me nothing because He’s already given me everything in Christ.  And it only feels right that I now give Him everything I am (Romans 12:1).