We'd like to believe the devil is the only antagonist in the story of Christ's life and we are the less offensive sheep. To our detriment we don't understand that we play the role of antagonist deserving only death and separation from God. That's hard to receive when you think you are generally a good person. Here's what I've learned.
In Watchman Nee's The Life That Wins I was blown away by the author's explanation of Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ that liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God.”
Nee asks a question. “Why did we need to be crucified with Christ?” He explains, "The cross is God's verdict of us...we must accept His assessment." God the Father decided death is what men/women deserve. We are like a computer over taken by a serious virus. Everything has been compromised, the computer is useless.
So it is for salt without Christ... good for nothing but to be cast down and trodden under the foot of men. When I thought about myself this way I have to admit there was a bit of resistance. I didn't want to accept that I am useless and incapable of being good.(Rom. 7:18b).
Despite God's verdict of us proclaimed by the cross men will disagree with the Father's assessment, strive to be good, make resolutions secretly believing "they aren't that bad" because there is a way that seems right to a man but we know how that ends.
All along these are the folks the Word speaks of in Luke 13:22-28 who will be called evildoers. Even though they were a part of the church they'll be thrown out of the kingdom of God. Our only recourse is to accept God's verdict, and get hidden in Christ otherwise we will be statistics of the prophesy...and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Nee, Watchman. (1986). The Life That Wins. How to enter into the life that wins (pp 47-62). Richmond, VA: Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc.
