A Perfect Score

Matthew 5:48, Hebrews 12:14, 2 Corinthians 5:21

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Do you know what a perfect score is in golf? It would be 18. Right? There’s 18 holes and if you got a hole-in-one on every shot, a perfect score would be 18. Can you imagine that?

I remember one time I got a hole-in-one in disc golf and I remember it was amazing. It was about 200 feet out on a par 3. And I threw the disc and it kind of found its way between the trees and all of a sudden [ching]. I couldn’t believe it. I could have thrown that shot thousands of times and not made it. It was amazing. It was impossible.

You know what the Guinness Book of World Records record is for the lowest golf score ever? It’s a 55. That is an incredibly low golf score, but it’s nothing compared to 18. Right?

Quite often we think of God’s standard for his law, what he requires of us, is simply trying our best, doing our hardest, being good enough. But is that truly God’s standard? In Matthew chapter 5 Jesus says

So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

and in Hebrews chapter 12 it tells us

Pursue peace with everyone and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

You see God’s standard isn’t to “do your best” or “try your hardest” but to get a perfect score. A hole-in-one every time. Be perfect and holy just as he is perfect and holy. That’s impossible, right? How can God hold us to such a high standard? Doesn’t he realize were human beings after all?

God can hold us to the standard because he himself is perfect and holy in every way. This is why we need Jesus. Jesus did the impossible in every thought word and deed he never sinned once. He perfectly loved God and perfectly loved his neighbor as himself, yet God tells us something incredible in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 where he writes

God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

This describes a great exchange. That Jesus who is perfect and holy in every way, took our sin and was punished for him and in exchange he gave us his holiness, his righteousness, his perfection. This occurred on the cross and the benefits of it become ours by faith in him.

Will you ever get a hole-in-one in golf or even disc golf? Maybe not, but we can be sure that God views us as perfect and holy in his sight because of his Son, Jesus Christ, and what he has done for us. Amen.