[visually_augmented]

“There are many in this world who have a better testimony without Christ in their lives than many of the Christians that I have met.”

Of course that is an observation from your own human perspective. God sees each of us with a much clearer view - into our very heart. What often appears foolishness to man is of utmost importance to God.

If Christ’s blood has not been spilled out on behalf of your sins, God sees you as filthy and abhorrent. Worse yet, you are not only an object of repulsiveness to God (without Christ) but also an object of His wrath!

When you compare humans to humans, you are merely comparing different shades of darkness. As the author indicates, you need to attempt to see sin from the perspective of a completey righteous and holy God.

And you must also understand the ONLY thing that can blot out the cancer of sin is Christ.

[John 6.66=Mark of the Beast?]

I am totally aware that without Christ we are lost. But the total derivative doctrine in my opinion is not valid. I know that our own righteousness before God is as filthy rags. Yet concerning the answer to prayer Paul remarks that a father when asked for a fish does not give you a snake and when ask for bread does not give a stone. So as your earthly father know good so does your heavenly Father. This is a paraphrase of the statement.