Welcome to The Daily Redemption Bible Blast Bulletins for 8 May 2026Today we confront the dangerous shift where humility becomes an excuse, and “I’m only human” transforms from a confession of weakness into a crutch that prevents growth.
Featured Scripture and Commentary
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
At what point do we have to look at the man in the mirror and realize that he is not the man we wanted to see at this time in our life and in our faith walk with Jesus? Where is the happy place between what Tom Waits says in “Jesus Gonna Be Here” which delivers…” I gotta be faithful/And you know that I’ve been so good / Except for drinking / But he knew that I would” and Matthew 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”?
Well let’s start with this. We all have a desire to be in our comfort zone. Only problem is that unless your comfort zone is eminently Godly and genuinely conspicuous in its virtuosity then there is precious little spiritual growth to be had there in your comfort zone. Is that you? Me neither. So we have these two extremes – the Tom Waits song where he claims great goodness upon himself but can’t give up the bottle. Well here are my thoughts on that… “traded in the bottle for the Bible/oh what a trade I made/I let go of sin for salvation/the best hand I ever played/from a world of sin and delusions/of heartbreak, frustration and pain/I surrendered nothing of value/for the love of God I proclaim/traded in the bottle for the Bible/out of darkness into the bright/freed from the grasp of the Devil/now walking in God’s heavenly light/now all that used to disrupt me/leave me tired, confounded, disturbed/and lead me into the bottle/foresaken for peace of God’s Word/traded in the bottle for the Bible/and I make this offer to you/put down the bottle surrender to Jesus/He is waiting to welcome-rescue you.” Which is not to say one can’t have a drink on occasion, even hard liquor. Just know one’s limitations. I had a friend and we were at a bar (where I sing about Jesus and I don’t drink) and he said he was trying to figure out if he needed another drink. I told him “if you need another drink then the answer is no”. If you want a drink and you feel fine then go ahead. Addictions and Jesus cannot coexist. Jesus came to salvage us from worldly afflictions including addiction. Do we get to say “yeah-but, I’m only human/just a sinner”? Sure but not if we are serious about making Jesus the center of our lives, living our life from the inside out where what is inside is the Holy Spirit giving us our direction and even our marching orders.
Now what about the quote from Matthew? Well Jesus knew we were sinners when He died for our salvation. He knows it is beyond our fallen humanity to be perfect as the Father is perfect. But what is your response when you read the red letters where He said that? Right exactly! “I can’t do that. You know, Lord, that I can’t do that. I know I am a new creature in you but I still have a sin nature. I have been baptized in the fullness of Galations 2:20. All I can say is – I can’t do that and I will never be able to but I can narrow the breach – I can do what I can to be more like you, Lord, every day in every way.” Here is the thing though – that does not allow for justifying and minimizing that promise and explaining it away by saying – “I’m only human. I’m still a sinner”. Nope, that is just a crutch which you have chosen instead of your spiritual growth in your walk with Jesus.
CORROBORATING SCRIPTURE
Philippians 3:13–14, Romans 6:1–2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:22–24, Titus 2:11–12, 1 Peter 1:15–16, Colossians 3:9–10, Matthew 5:48
Philippians 3:13–14 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:1–2 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Ephesians 4:22–24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Titus 2:11–12 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
1 Peter 1:15–16 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Colossians 3:9–10 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
TODAY’S BIBLICAL DOSE OF REALITY:
There is a healthy humility in saying, “I am only human.” It acknowledges our frailty, our limits, and our need for grace. But there is a dangerous complacency in staying there.
When does “I’m just a sinner” become a crutch?
When It Replaces Repentance: If you use your humanity as a shield against conviction, you aren’t being humble; you’re being stubborn. Grace isn’t a license to stay broken; it’s the power to be healed.
When It Limits Expectations: “I’ve always been angry,” or “I’m just bad with money.” These statements assume God cannot change you. But Paul says, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). A new creation doesn’t act like the old one forever.
When It Becomes an Identity: You are not just a sinner. You are a saint who sins. You are a child of God who stumbles. If you define yourself solely by your failures, you deny the work of the Cross. The Cross didn’t just forgive your past; it empowered your future.
When It Halts Growth: Hebrews 12:1 commands us to “throw off… the sin that so easily entangles.” You can’t run the race if you’re dragging your old nature behind you like a security blanket.
God’s grace is not a cushion for comfort; it’s a catalyst for change. Titus 2:12 says grace “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness.” Notice: It teaches us to change, not to accept.
Stop using your humanity as an excuse to avoid divinity. You are called to be holy (1 Peter 1:15). Not perfect instantly, but moving forward. Press on.
PRAYER FOR WHOMSOEVERS
Lord, forgive me for using my weakness as an excuse. Help me to distinguish between humility and complacency. Give me the courage to throw off the old self and press toward the new. I am not defined by my past sins, but by Your future purpose. Make me new. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
