If going to the cross was contingent upon man’s expressed appreciation for Jesus’ sacrifice, our confusion and lack of appreciation would have prevented it.
Human beings are not very good at calculating the cost of their sins. Even when it dawns on us that they separate us from God and cause destruction in our lives, we are still prone to making it all about ourselves.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are many good Christians doing many good things. They live lives that obviously “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33); they are indeed wonders to behold.
However, as perfect as we are in our best moments, it remains that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and neither are our ways His ways (Isaiah 55:8). God and His ways are perfect. We, by contrast, are imperfect and struggle to walk in His ways.
Isaiah speaks to the believers who sinned against God’s ways, but continued to act out their faith as if they were doing what God wanted of them. In graphic terms Isaiah writes:
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6).
It is easy to get ahead of ourselves. The temptation to interpret the progress and praise for our good deeds as proof of being a superior servant is strong. There is little worse than a Christian thinking they have made it as a servant of Christ. So, for the sake of our souls, Jesus calls us to a sober view of our status as servants of God:
“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” (Luke 17:10).
John Staiger