Tous ont péché

Cette parole est certaine et digne d’être pleinement reçue : le Christ Jésus est venu dans le monde pour sauver les pécheurs. 1 Timothée 1. 15

(Jésus a dit :) Je ne suis pas venu appeler des justes, mais des pécheurs à la repentance. Luc 5. 32

De nombreuses personnes ont de la peine à accepter l’affirmation biblique : “Il n’y a pas de différence, car tous ont péché” (Romains 3. 22, 23). Pourtant, envie, colère, mensonge, violence parfois… sont-ils absents de nos pensées, de nos actions ? Nous pouvons essayer de leur trouver des excuses, mais ils sont bien là.
Dieu place tous les humains sur le même plan. Il ne les compare pas entre eux, il affirme que tous sont pécheurs, sans excuse, et méritent la condamnation divine, quelles que soient leur origine, leur position sociale… Car Dieu est saint, il ne peut supporter le mal.

Mais pour Dieu cette constatation n’est pas sans issue. Jésus, son Fils, est venu ôter le péché de ceux qui se reconnaissent pécheurs. Son affirmation : “Je ne suis pas venu appeler des justes, mais des pécheurs” est rapportée dans trois évangiles (Matthieu 9. 13 ; Marc 2. 17 ; Luc 5. 32). Il n’y a donc de Sauveur que pour des pécheurs !

De sorte que si quelqu’un pense n’avoir rien à se reprocher devant Dieu, il passe à côté du salut que Dieu propose. S’il n’a pas besoin de pardon, il n’y a pas non plus de Sauveur pour lui. Mais attention ! La Bible dit aussi : “Comment échapperons-nous, si nous négligeons un si grand salut ?” (Hébreux 2. 3).

Le Dieu qui nous a créés nous aime et “veut que tous les hommes soient sauvés” (1 Timothée 2. 4). Voulons-nous de ce salut ? Si nous n’en voulons pas, que pouvons-nous espérer ?

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Resting Secure in God

Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long. Deuteronomy 33:12

Loving Father, You created me and You hold me close. Let my identity as Your child permeate my thoughts and actions.

Today's Scripture & Insight : Deuteronomy 33:1–5, 12

I wrote a letter to our children as each became a teenager. In one I talked about our identity in Christ, remembering that when I was a teenager, I felt unsure of myself, lacking confidence. I had to learn that I was God’s beloved—His child. I said in the letter, “Knowing who you are comes down to knowing Whose you are.” For when we understand that God has created us and we commit to following Him, we can be at peace with who He’s made us to be. And we also know that He changes us to be more like Him each day.

A foundational passage from Scripture about our identity as God’s children is Deuteronomy 33:12: “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.” Just before Moses died, he proclaimed this blessing over the tribe of Benjamin as God’s people prepared to enter the land He’d promised them. God wanted them to always remember that they were His beloved and to rest secure in their identity as His children.

Knowing our identity as God’s children is equally important for everyone—teenagers, those in the middle of life, and those who have lived a long time. When we understand that God created us and watches over us, we can find security, hope, and love.   

By:  Amy Boucher Pye

Reflect & Pray
How does knowing that you can “rest between his shoulders” increase your love for God? How does this deepen your understanding of who you are?