Sinners in need of a Savior, Any Way you Look at it

I've started to read Jerry Bridges' "Discipline of Grace", and have already stumbled across some important gems. As he sets up the book, he talks about the difference between a pharisee and a tax collector. The pharisee has mostly "good" days and thinks that because of his faithfulness, he has somehow earned God's favor. The tax collector has mostly "bad" days and thinks that because he feels guilty, he can't be blessed or used by God. But in fact, both are in the same situation - both are sinners, deserving death, in need of God's mercy. Both can come to God with a repentant, humble heart, and expect forgiveness and possibly even blessing - this is the beauty of the gospel, that "Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace."

The gospel message frees us to be honest about our sin with ourselves and God. "We can call sin exactly what it is, regardless of how ugly and shameful it may be, because we know that Jesus bore that sin in His body on the cross. With the assurance of total forgiveness through Christ, we have no reason to hide from our sins anymore"! This helps both the pharisee and the tax collector, by humbling us in our pride, and showing grace to us in our weakness. Hallelujah that I can freely say, "I am a sinner" and yet at the same time, "I am forgiven"!