Not the Righteous

For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Matthew 9:13

I'll be quoting J. C. Ryle often on this blog, so be prepared for that. I'll have to restrain myself from writing something he's said too often. His commentary on this verse of Scripture is classic for him:

Finally, if by the grace of God we really understand the glorious truth that sinners are those whom Christ came to call, let us take heed that we never forget it. Let us not dream that true Christians can ever attain such a state of perfection in this world, as not to need the mediation and intercession of Jesus. Sinners we are in the day we first come to Christ. Poor needy sinners we continue to be so long as we live, drawing all the grace we have every hour out of Christ's fullness. Sinners we shall find ourselves in the hour of our death, and shall die as much indebted to Christ's blood, as in the day when we first believed. ~~ J. C. Ryle

"Poor needy sinners we continue to be so long as we live." I am reminded of that every day. I hope I never cease to marvel at the love of a Savior who came to sinners. Not those who are righteous, but sinners. And since there are none righteous anyway, He only could come to sinners. Along with all the saints, I can only praise Him for not having left us in that state.