Being Arrested is Nothing

At the local continuation school, many students were surprised to hear that I have never taken drugs, never been to jail. I make it a point not brag about such things, though, because I do not work this grace in myself. God through Christ's work at the course, and with the indwelling Holy Spirit, works out all grace that I need not commit sin (cf 1 Corinthians 15:10)

There are people all over the world have been arrested, interrogated, incarcerated for speaking out against unjust governments. People are also falsely accused, sometimes through mistaken identity, sometimes do to deliberate misconduct.

Still, the status of "not being arrested" shocked some of the students.

I wanted to tell them that no one is good, that we are not made righteous by anything that we do. In fact, to God our righteous works are but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), empty efforts that not only fail to clean us but actually make us more dirty, for:

"The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." (1 Corinthians 15:56)

The more we struggle to keep the law on our own, with our own efforts, the deeper we sink into the sin-unrighteousness that plagues all mankind. (cf Romans 7)

Only Christ's atoning work sets us free:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

So, being arrested in itself is nothing; I do not strive to keep neither God's nor man's law, but His grace working in me keeps me from the lusts of the flesh.