As we look back over the last few weeks there are many things that the pandemic has brought out. Today, without minimizing the incredible loss of life and the devastating worldwide economic impact, I’d like to focus on the human behavior effects of the pandemic. On the one hand it’s brought out the best in some people, there are all sorts of acts of kindness going on. And that’s a good thing. But why can’t we always be kind to each other? On the other hand, domestic violence is on the rise and some are even taking advantage of this tragedy, from big corporations to individuals in our communities, to enrich themselves. The truth is that this pandemic has not shaped our behaviors it’s simply revealing who we are.

Perhaps the best word to describe who we are is inconsistent. Some days we’re at our best, some days we’re at our worst. One day we promise, I’ll never do this or that and we truly mean it, but days, weeks, or months later we’re back to our same old ways. Some days we recognize our inconsistencies others days we excuse them. The truth is that we cannot consistently be the person we know we ought to be. We can’t consistently control our behavior; we do and say things we wish we had not done and said. And there’s this dichotomy in us, we want to do and say what’s right but we can’t, at least not consistently.  

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. – Matthew 5:6 NIV

At the Sermon on the Mountain Jesus addressed a large crowd of men and women living under the rule of the Roman Empire, who for the most part knew that their circumstances had been a direct result of their inconsistency towards God. And Jesus looked at them and said; you’re so fortunate because God, the same God you’ve been inconsistent with, is about to do for you what you’ve not been able to do for yourself. He’s going to erase your inconsistency and give you a right standing with Him. 

The Apostle Paul put it this way when he wrote in Romans 3:22-25 NIV: 

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

For everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.