The List That Levels Us All
OPENING PRAYER:
Holy Spirit, strip away my tendency to compare myself to others and help me see myself as I truly am—desperately loved and completely forgiven. Let that truth humble and embolden me.
"When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Paul wrote this letter to churches in Galatia who were being influenced by teachers insisting that following Jewish law was necessary for salvation. In this passage, Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit, showing that our sinful nature produces death while God's Spirit produces life. The list isn't exhaustive—notice "and other sins like these"—but it's comprehensive enough to implicate everyone.
Galatians 5:19-21 (NLT)
REFLECT:
Pastor Rodney Elliott didn't soften this passage. He read through Paul's list slowly, letting each word land, and then admitted something raw: "I was trying to find the one I hadn't done." Not the one he hadn't been tempted by—the one he hadn't actually done. And his honest assessment? "Did that, tempted to do it, kind of done it." This is the Apostle Paul's own assessment of himself too. Earlier in the message, we heard Paul cry out, "What a wretched man am I!"—not as false humility, but as honest recognition of his ongoing struggle with sin.
This is where the message confronts our tendency to grade on a curve. We look at that list and think, "Well, I'm not as bad as that person," or "At least I haven't done the really big ones." But the Scripture doesn't give us that option. Paul says the results are "very clear" and ends with a sobering statement: anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of God. Pastor Rodney Elliott called it a "mic drop scripture"—there's no wiggle room, no curve, no partial credit. We've all trespassed. We've all crossed boundaries. We've all fallen short.
But here's what makes this devastating truth also liberating: it levels the playing field completely. Pastor Rodney Elliott emphasized that when we stand before a holy God, there are no good people and bad people—there are only forgiven people and unforgiven people. The person sitting next to you in church isn't there because they're better than someone outside the church. They're there because they know they're not. They've stopped trying to be good enough and started trusting in Someone who is.
The message stressed that this is why Jesus taught us to pray "forgive us our trespasses" without qualification. He doesn't say "forgive us if we've sinned" or "forgive us our small mistakes." He assumes we've crossed the line, and He provides the way back. Pastor Rodney Elliott reminded us that when Jesus taught this prayer, He was laying the groundwork for the cross. He knew what it would cost Him to make "forgive us" a reality. And He paid it anyway—not because we deserved it, but because He loved us. That list in Galatians that implicates all of us? Jesus looked at it, looked at us, and said, "I'll take care of it."
I WILL STATEMENT:
I will pray the Lord's Prayer every day this week. Remember: This isn't about perfection; it's about direction. If you miss a day, just start again. Choose a consistent time and place, use the prayer guide in the app, check out the guided prayer time on Facebook, or attend a live 6 am prayer meeting at one of the campuses.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank You for not grading on a curve. Thank You for seeing me exactly as I am and loving me anyway. Help me live in the freedom of knowing I'm forgiven, not because I'm good, but because You are. In Jesus name, Amen.