One of the Puritans observed that the only contribution you make to your salvation is sin, which makes it necessary. So, on the grand scale, what you bring this morning is your idolatries, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, for starters. The Westminster Larger Catechism says that sin “is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, any law of God” (WLC 24).
In sum, what you bring to your salvation is filthy transgressions, corrupt thoughts, wildly unrestrained imagination, and theological leprosy times a thousand. So, this would be a good time to really mean your confession; this would be a good time to pledge to God that you will go forth and strive to improve your baptism, that you will live a life of faith before your children, friends, and church.
Who is sufficient to cover that many transgressions? Who is sufficient to conform you to holiness? Who is sufficient to make the law of God desirable? Who is sufficient to cleanse your unrighteousness?
Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God’s own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same;
and he must win the battle.
