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2/9 Reading Portions: Genesis 42; Mark 12; Job 8; Romans 12
Genesis 42:11
“We are honest men.”
HONEST
These men who betrayed their own brother and sold him into slavery were not honest men years before; moreover, they lied to their father about Joseph’s death. Nevertheless, it seems that they had been saved by grace. The chapters following will bear this out. Twenty years had passed since they had seen their younger brother, and “they did not recognize him” (Gen 42:8). Nevertheless, they testified that they were honest men. They may have done wrong in their past; however, they were new creations by grace through faith. And they were begging the Egyptian governor to allow them to buy grain. Holiness, in its simplest, rawest form is nothing more than honesty. One of the distinguishing attributes of Jesus was His holiness; however, what made Him holy was His brutal honesty. He was fully God and fully Man, and…
He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13
Although, as Christians, we are not deity; nevertheless, as new creations in Christ, we should be honest before God and men about who we are. Augustus Toplady published a poem in 1776, two years before his death. It was titled, “A Living a Dying Prayer for the Holiest Believer in the World.” We know it as the hymn, “Rock of Ages.” I wondered about the original title for many years. Who is the holiest believer in the world? Why, it’s every one of us who are honest with ourselves: that we are wretched sinners saved by God’s grace. We are new creatures, yet we still live in these bodies of corrupt flesh. Listen to this honesty:
“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.”
And this:
“Not the labours of my hands can fulfill Thy law’s demands.”
Holiness is simply devout honesty that provokes us to trust in Christ alone… since we are never holier than when we stand, not upon our own righteousness, but upon Christ’s righteousness placed upon our account. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.“Rock of Ages” by Augustus Toplady
