A story is told of a manufacturing company that began ordering source parts from a new company. When they placed their first order they stipulated that their quality control standard was "1.5% defective parts."
The new source company shipped the order in two separate containers--one large and one small. The smaller container arrived with the following note: "We don't know why you want 1.5% defective parts, but for your convenience, we've packed them separately."
We might not expect perfection, but God does. His quality standard is 100%, and he makes no allowance for "defective" parts. It's a good thing that "He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness 100% right! of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Illustration Exchange
'Bean Boozled' jelly beans, by the Jelly Belly Company, are flavored jelly beans with weird and wild flavors. They ask on their website, "Are YOU ready to be beanboozled?"
Jelly Belly's wildest collection dares you to compare some of our tastiest, most popular flavors with our craziest ones. But here's the catch - you won't know which ones are which!
The black Licorice bean looks exactly like the Skunk Spray bean! Sweet, luscious Caramel Corn might also be Moldy Cheese. You may think you're tasting our world-famous Buttered Popcorn bean, but what you'll be biting into could actually be Rotten Egg. The only way to find out what beans you're getting is to eat them!
The Jelly Belly BeanBoozled® collection currently contains 10 colors of beans, and 20 flavors (10 "real" ones and 10...well...different ones). You can make a fun, and somewhat hair-raising, game out of it by giving your friends beans of the same color and seeing which flavors they get. But don't be a chicken - you have to participate too. Just try not to get BeanBoozled®!
A package of these tricky treats comes with the following caution: "These jelly beans may look alike but they could not taste more different from each other. Think you can tell them apart? We dare you!"
Likewise, we must be careful not to be beanboozled by life. The ways of the world promise to satisfy us, but in the end they only leave a nasty taste. Not so with God. There is nothing in Him that would make us want to screw up our face or vomit. He is 100% good, and He invites us to do the taste test. God promises that we won't be disappointed.
"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him" (Psalm 34:8).
"If 99.9 percent is good enough, then . . .
•22, 000 checks will be deducted from the wrong bank accounts in the next 60 minutes.
•Two million documents will be lost be the IRS this tax season.
•20, 000 incorrect drug prescriptions will be written this year
•12 new born babies will be given to the wrong parents today."
If 99.9 percent isn't good enough for your bank, your hospital, your drug store or the IRS, then what makes you think it's good enough for God? It isn't. The fact that God is holy means that He demands 100 percent moral compliance from us! Of course, that's not possible. At least, not by our own efforts. It's this realization that opens our hearts and minds to our own need for God's grace.