"Why Me?"

 "Why Me?"


Usually, when we hear (or think of) the question, "Why me?", we are expecting someone to be bemoaning their situation or condition in life.  This expression does not always evidence a case of self-pity, but oftentimes it does. . . . For all fallen human persons (sinners), but especially for those who are born again to a living hope in Jesus Christ through and via God's gospel of grace, the query, "Why me?", should be directed to the further inquiry, "Why has God been so good to me?"

 

The reason I even include all fallen human sinners, is because none of us deserve anything good from God.  In fact, with regard to our "deserts," we all--even simply because of our Fall in Adam--"deserve" condemnation, hell, misery, wrath, and suffering.  But this is not the universally-experienced estate of even unregenerate people as they live in this world (before their deaths and the Judgment Day).  As our Lord Jesus taught us: God "sends [His] rain on the just and the unjust," (Matt. 5:45c).

 

But the much greater question is, "Why is God so good to some sinners, in giving them Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the gospel of grace, forgiveness of sins, total justification in Christ's atonement, eternal life (even here and now), all hope for all good things, the full measure of the love of a Heavenly Father, and all other wonderful, heavenly, and gracious gifts and blessings in the Redeemer and His church?"  And our answer can only be, "I do not know. I have no idea. The only explanation must necessarily lie outside myself; and it must be because God loved me--even before the creation of the world--and that this love had nothing to do with anything worthy or good in me."

 

This last point, "nothing worthy or good in me," is an important one.  God did not set His love on any of His churched elect in His Son Jesus Christ, because of anything commendable about us.  In fact, if anything, everything about us, in view of our Fall into sin in Adam, was condemnable, not commendable.  This makes the glory of the gospel and the love of God all the more amazing, spectacular, and inscrutable. . . . "Why does God love some sinners in this way, and not others?"  This question we simply cannot answer.  Even throughout all eternity in heaven, this mystery will not be revealed to us.  But, there is a reason for it.  This is not some arbitrary decision on God's part, that has no basis in His perfect sovereign design, knowledge, and will.  BUT, what we can (and must) say, without question or qualification, is that God's choice of the members of His elect church had nothing inherently to do with the individual sinner/saints that He did indeed choose and redeem in Jesus' blood.  This we know indubitably and unqualifiedly.  In fact, while we were in our sin, separated from Christ, we were not "neutral," or even simply obnoxious to Him--we were His sworn enemies, (cf. Rom. 5:10).

 

We might be tempted to think and say, sometimes, "Oh, I can see why God may have chosen that person, or this person; but certainly not me."  But even this sentiment is only accurate in the last clause.  There are no sinners who are worthy of being chosen for salvation; and none of us, as we are constituted as sinners in Adam, are any better than anyone else.

 

Being chosen in Christ for salvation does not make for an easier life.  In reality, the true saints suffer more in this world than the reprobate do; but our suffering has purpose and meaning, and it does us good--in that it conforms us more and more into the image of Jesus our beloved Lord.

 

So, if you are a true saint of God, a sincere believer in Christ Jesus and His gospel of grace, a faithful member of His visible (and Spirit-led) church, then you should be asking, "Why me?"  And you should be glad that you can honestly ask this question. . . . The Apostle Paul himself marveled at this; and made this remarkable comment about God's grace and he himself, in 1 Tim. 1:15, where we read these words: "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost," (ESV).

 

Rev. Mark J. Henninger

Treatise #133

10 September 2026

 

https://theologicaltreatisesinretirement.blogspot.com

https://henningerdevotions.blogspot.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Movie Review: "A Great Awakening"

  Movie Review: "A Great Awakening" Lesley and I just returned home from seeing the premier showing of the movie, "A Great Awakening."  It was really good--one of the best movies she or I have ever seen.  The casting is outstanding; the acting is fantastic; and the plot line is wonderful.  I do not know who produced this movie--but they should be congratulated on doing excellent work; and; more than that, for being unashamed of the gospel of grace.   The way the producers weave the themes of the American Constitutional Convention (held years after the end of the American Revolution), with savory effects of The Great Awakening, is masterful.  The man who plays Benjamin Franklin is so well-cast, that you could almost imagine this being the original Benjamin Franklin.   George Whitefield is the main character in the movie; and he is also spectacularly-cast.  His voice, his demeanor, and his ways are completely convincing; and...
Read more

How Do we Know we Are Right?

  How Do we Know we Are Right? Have you ever asked yourself this question?  What gives  us --and, for sake of clarity, I will mean by  "us"  (particularly) those convinced and convicted members of the Reformed expression of the Christian religion-- both  the  "right"  and the  "confidence"  to boldly state that we  are,  with regard to religious debate,  "in the right"?   This is actually a very good, and important question.  I would like to forthrightly  answer  the query; and then seek to work out some of the details (that I am quite certain may be on many people's minds). . . .   The  true regenerated  saints of Christ's church--and in this case, we will include those who are members of any number of orthodox Christian communions (denominations)--know that they are "in the right" because of the  internal witness of the Holy Spirit within them,  (cf. for now Rom...
Read more

Women In Worship

  Women In Worship The church's Christian women are to be treated with the  highest  levels of respect, dignity, honor, and deference.  They are to be given the  loftiest  places in the church; and they are to be regarded, in one sense, as being "above" men.  Adam was made of the dust; Eve was formed from Adam's rib.   And though it is true, that God constituted men in such a way that  they  are to lovingly  shepherd  His church--this "difference" does not make men better, or higher, or more important than women, (the women that belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, in particular).   The fact that uniquely-called and -qualified men are to do the preaching of the gospel in the church's convocated Sunday (Sabbath) Worship Services, does not make them superior to women.  The same may be said of the administration of the sacraments of the church; and the leading in her (the church's) prayers and confessions of f...
Read more