“I’ve never done anything wrong!” - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from, you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:6-8 & 10.

"I've never done anything wrong!"
A man came up to our Bible stand at a market. During our conversation I said to him, "Do you know that God forgives everyone who confesses his sins?" - "I've never done anything wrong!" he replied. - "Never lied, stolen, hated, or cheated?" - "Never!" - "Fine, you must be proud of never having sinned!" - "Oh yes, indeed I am very proud." - "Well that's your first sin: pride!" My opposite number started to laugh.

Now pride is not a peccadillo. It was Adam's and Eve's transgression: they wanted to be like God. And before them it was also Satan's sin, that angel of light who wanted to be like his Creator and be adored (cf. Isaiah 14:12-15).

It is hard to admit that pride is an insuperable obstacle to entering into a relationship with God. "Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD" (Proverbs 16:5).

However, God will pardon us only if we recognise our pride. If His Word states that we are such, it is not to make us guilty, but rather to help us to understand our basic problem, which is: "There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God" (Romans 3:10.11).

It also helps us to find the means by which He can grant us total forgiveness: He "gives grace to the humble".

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2; 8).

Today's reading: Lamentations 3:25-51 · Psalms 44:18-26