Watching the US Open last weekend was painful.
It seemed to me that the gold course had been set up in such a way that unless golfers hit the perfect shot they were going to be in trouble.
Again and again, one pro after another would hit an iron onto the green only to watch it slide off into a sand trap or roll backward 20 or 40 or 100 yards or more from the pin.
It must have been frustrating for the best golfers in the world to hit a great shot and get nothing or even be penalized for it.
At the US Open the participants had to be perfect.
I'm glad God doesn't expect such perfection.
It was our imperfection, our sin, that caused God the Father to send His only begotten Son to save us.
The writer to the Hebrews puts it like this: "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all...For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (10:10,14)
Jesus' one time, perfect sacrifice paid the penalty for all our sins. But by that one sacrifice Christ has made us perfect, those being sanctified or made holy by the work of the Spirit.
What we are unable to accomplish, our gracious God does for us.
Rather than demanding perfection, the Father clothes us in the perfect righteousness of Jesus.
I'm glad God is more forgiving, more gracious than the USGA.
