Jesus Deserves the Best, and so do You
In the self-help world, you will regularly hear people saying, 'You deserve the best!'
I appreciate the heart behind this statement. The goal is to help people break free from shame and to stop limiting themselves.
I want people to live shame-free and to be able to enjoy the best that life has to offer, but I think there is a better way.
Telling people they deserve the best for no reason whatsoever is a lie, and deep down, we all know it.
The truth is we don’t deserve the best. We deserve punished for our sins.
The Good News
The good news is that although all human beings deserve punished for sinning, Jesus paid the price for everyone.
On the cross, Jesus got what the human race deserved.
Unlike being told we deserve the best for no reason, the human conscience responds favourably to the gospel message.
Our conscience knows we have sinned and regularly tells us so. If we disagree, we feel like frauds and imposters. But if we agree, we feel liberated and at rest because we are partnering with truth.
A normal conscience will never accept that we deserve the best for no reason. But it can agree with the fact we deserve punished, and because Jesus was punished in our place, we can go free.
Why You Deserve the Best
This is the whole message of grace: Jesus got what our sins deserved, and we get what Jesus deserves.
In my opinion, this statement is far more satisfying to the human heart than being told we deserve the best for no reason at all.
1. We don't deserve the best.
2. We have to lie to ourselves to believe we do.
3. It doesn’t solve our guilt regarding evil behaviour.
In contrast to the hollow 'you-deserve-the-best-for-no-reason' message, the gospel message is full of truth. It can say to the worst of people, 'You don't deserve the best!'
But it doesn't end there.
The gospel continues: 'Although you have sinned and deserve punished, God sent Jesus to be punished in your place because He loves you so much. Not only did God give Jesus what you deserved, but He wants to give you what Jesus deserves!'
What a powerful message!
As a believer, I hope you are going through your day expecting what Jesus deserves, not what your performance merits. If you do, your faith will have no ceiling restricting it. You can open your heart to receive God's greatest blessings, because if Jesus deserves the best, so do you!
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21