That’s a good reminder for when you feel so self-important because you were smart enough to choose Jesus. You weren’t. I definitely wasn’t. I’m not about to go all five-point Calvinist on you, but I do believe that we choose God because He chose us first. That’s biblical.

I also know that any good in me at all is Jesus. It’s not my righteousness. It’s completely His. That’s the truth that keeps me grounded when people tell me how great I am. More like how great God is. Though sometimes I forget and think it’s all about me.

The Bible says that Jesus became sin for me. Any sin that Jesus carried was mine. Yours. Anyone in the world who has ever sinned? That sin was laid on Jesus. He carried the weight of the world’s sin up to Calvary.

And if that weren’t amazing enough, He gave us His own perfect sinless righteousness. Now when God sees us, He doesn’t see every impure thought and mixed motive. He doesn’t see our selfishness and laziness. He sees the absolute perfection of Jesus who never sinned and who obeyed the Law 100%.

That’s a good reason to give thanks during this Thanksgiving season, even if there’s nothing else to be grateful for. Spoiler alert: there is.

Thank You, Lord, for taking our sin that we could never have paid for in a million lifetimes and giving us Your righteousness that we never could have earned in a million tries. Amen.