In computers, errors are a constant source of problems. Almost every part of a computer tries to detect and even fix errors as they occur. Your hard-drive stores a value called a checksum on every 4K byte sector and whenever that sector is read, a checksum is computed and compared to the value stored. If there is a mismatch, the computer might try to re-read the sector again to fix the error. Your computer memory can have Error-Code-Correcting bits stored to not only detect a bit flip (0 becomes 1 or a 1 becomes 0) it can actually determine which bit is wrong and fix it on the fly. When your computer sends or receives data over the internet, its data is checked and re-checked along the way to make sure it arrives unchanged from the source.
But there is one place in a computer where errors are hard to detect and fix. That place is the microprocessor. Often referred to as the "brains" of the computer it can't see where it's going wrong. If it adds 1+1 and gets 3, then it will always add and get the same number. The only way for it to detect a fault is to compare itself to another CPU running the same code in parallel with the idea that having two-heads is better than one. But even if it does see a mismatch with the other CPU, it can't determine who is wrong and who is right.
We as humans are like these microprocessors. We know we are not perfect and we look to find someone to compare our lives to in order to stay on track. It might be a sports figure like Tom Brady or a Hollywood actor like John Wayne. But these people are as faulty as we are and we are always disappointed in the end.
In Psalm 19:12, King David writes:
"Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults"
I remember when a friend of mine suffered a mental breakdown from the struggles of life. I had not seen him in many years and he came back to our company to work with us. We could tell something was wrong with him and at first just ignored it. After a few weeks though it became very apparent to all that he was not right in his head. He was sending out long winded emails to various people about things that had nothing to do with work. He wasn't coming into work but was working from home. My boss sent me to go talk to him and see what was wrong. I went to his place and it was like a scene out of the movies "A Beautiful Mind". The walls of his apartment were covered with newspaper and magazine articles and the floor was cluttered with empty bottles of Coke and boxes of pizza and Chinese food. I tried to get through to him that he needed help but he was convinced he was fine and in need of no help. He was sure that everything was going to be fine once he solved this problem he was working on for our company.
Our brains, like my friends, are so fouled up with sin we cannot even see our own faults. We may even think that certain qualities we have are "good" when in fact they are "bad" for us. We have hidden our faults so well we can't even see them anymore. But God does see them and he has pity on us.
Jesus said to the crowds below him as he hung on the cross
"Father! Forgive them for they know not what they are doing!"
He was not just saying that to the Pharisees that had come to witness his death, but also about us as well. We think we know so much these days and are convinced that it's GOD that has it all wrong and not us. We are fine and everything will be better once we fix these few problems we have.
So where are we left? Who do we compare ourselves to? How do we make sure we don't go too far away from where we should be?
Jesus has the answer:
"I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.
No one comes to the Father except by me"
I highlight the word TRUTH here because he is who we are supposed to be. He is the benchmark. Of course we can never measure up and he knows that. That is why he credits our lives with his righteousness and atones for us.
