A Meeting Place for Those Who Aren't Afraid of the Border

Over the years, I’ve developed, borrowed, stolen and/or unconsciously sublimated a number of different truth-conveying illustrations. I thought I’d share one with you today. I call it the “Cornfield Fallacy.”

The Context: You’re having a conversation with someone about the reality of eternal punishment and/or the idea that our “good deeds” aren’t enough to save us.

The Illustration: Look, part of the problem here is that you’re comparing your “good deeds” to those of people around you. When you look at yourself, or someone you consider “good,” in comparison to other people, you’ll be able to say, “This person is better than that person.” But that’s not how God sees our good deeds. In fact, Scripture says that all our good deeds are like filthy rags when compared to God’s perfect holiness.

It’s kind of like a cornfield. When you walk down a row, it’s easy to see that some stalks are taller than others. Some are less productive than others. Some are more green, some more brown. But if you were standing on a 25-foot platform, the differences would become less apparent and important. If you were orbiting in the International Space Station, the question of corn-stalk height becomes irrelevant.

When we look at ourselves in light of God’s incredible perfection, we find our relative standards are absolutely inadequate. When we stand bare before him, we realize what holiness is and how sinful we are. The issue isn’t who we are in comparison with other people, it’s who we are in comparison to God’s standards and God himself.

Like every illustration, it has its flaws and limits. But…I’ve found it useful.