As I am writing this, the winter Olympics are in full swing. I’ve noticed that the winners are quick to thank those who helped make their victory possible. But there is one inescapable reality to the games: the winner gets the glory. Sure, the silver medalist can say that she is better than 99% of the competitors. But she can’t say that she is the best. Only the gold medalist can say that.


If we earned our entrance into heaven, we would get to take credit for it and keep the glory. But we can’t. Romans 3:23 makes clear that we all fall short of what it takes to be victorious. We are like the figure skater who falls during the final program. Based on our performance, our score ought to be a zero. But God has given us a 10.0. Why? Is He an incompetent judge? Is He a crooked judge, accepting bribes to overlook flaws? No. Rather than let us fail, God rescued us, as He promised He would. Jesus received a 10.0 for His perfect obedience. In love He took our zero and gave us His ten. The glory goes to Him!