Like many of you, I have just learned of the death of Larry Flynt, founder of Hustler magazine. My first thought was that whatever he thought about God in life is probably very different than his thoughts now. I mentioned this to my wife and she wondered aloud if Mr. Flynt ever became a Christian.
I don’t know of any repentance of his sins. I don’t know if he believed in Christ alone for his salvation. I just don’t know.
This isn’t a post warning you against the products or living the lifestyle of a pornographer though. It’s a post warning you against a different temptation we all share. You see, I can compare myself to Larry Flynt or Hugh Heffner all day long and feel really good about myself.
But these men aren’t the standard. They never were the standard. The standard has always been perfect righteousness. God is thrice holy and will not, can not, must not accept any less.
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48 ESV
All of a sudden I’m not thinking about how great I am when I compare myself to Larry Flynt. There is an unbridgeable gap between me and the standard that I continue to fail on a constant basis. My only hope is to have that perfection given to me. I have fallen short and desperately need to be justified.
I am not the standard. Jesus is. I require His perfect righteousness and nothing less. So do you.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/obituaries/larry-flynt-hustler-magazine-founder-dies-78-n1257383
