Tiger Woods Needs Jesus!

“Only on the footing of free grace can the most experienced and most honored of the saints approach their God. The best of men are conscious above all others that they are men at best.” – C.H. Spurgeon

I love making Top 10 lists. For instance, if I had to name the Top 10 greatest players in Major League Baseball history, they would be (in order): Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, and Joe DiMaggio. Honorable mention goes to Jimmie Foxx and Tris Speaker (can you tell that I’m “old school”?)

As for the Ten Best Pitchers Ever, I’d take Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Warren Spahn, Lefty Grove, Greg Maddux, Tom Seaver, Cy Young, Eddie Plank, and Ed Walsh. Mostly old-timers again.

How about the 10 Greatest Golfers? Jack Nicklaus tops my personal list, followed by Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Byron Nelson, Harry Vardon, and a 10th place tie between Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen. My apologies to Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Billy Casper, and Old Tom Morris.

When it comes to Bible characters, David, Caleb, and Nehemiah are my three favorites; and as far as more modern-day Christian heroes, I love both Charles Spurgeon and George Whitefield.

But guess what all those great athletes – and all those great men of God – have in common? They were (or in the case of Nicklaus, Woods, Player, and Maddux, still are) mere mortals, which means that they were born sinners and remained as such throughout their earthly lives. Despite their many accolades and accomplishments, they needed Jesus and His saving grace as much as the rest of us.

As Charles Spurgeon put it…

“Empty boats float high, but heavily laden vessels are low in the water; mere professors can boast, but true children of God cry for mercy upon their unprofitableness. We need the Lord to have mercy upon our good works, our prayers, our preaching, our offerings, and our living sacrifices. The blood was not only sprinkled on the doorposts of Israel’s houses, but upon the sanctuary, the mercy-seat, and the altar, because as sin intrudes upon our holiest things, the blood of Jesus is needed to purify them from defilement. If mercy is needed to be exercised toward our duties, what will be said of our sins?”

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 (NKJV)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President