…rather than being a perfect portrait that assures people that the gospel is true, you and I are called to be windows through which people look and see the glory of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. It is our weakness that demonstrates both the essentiality and power of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only His ever-present and powerful grace could enable a person, who still needs to be transformed himself, to be used as an instrument of His transforming grace in the lives of others. This frees us from pretending that we are what we are not. It frees us from boasting about what we could never have produced on our own, and it frees the people we serve from putting us on a messianic pedestal that should be reserved for Jesus only. We must preach to ourselves a gospel of ongoing weakness and sufficient grace.
–Paul David Tripp
Yesterday, I commented that we must show people who Jesus is, but we must remember that we are not a perfect reflection. We are not messiahs. Only Jesus is. Therefore, get rid of all the dirt, grime, and filth that could make it difficult to see through you; become as clear a window as you possibly can so they can look through you to see Jesus.