One observer once said of Paul the Apostle that what he said was "hard" (2 Peter 3:13-16) because he challenged people to conduct themselves in a manner "worthy of the Lord" (Colossians 1: 9-10a). But, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was Paul's inspiration and model for a life wholly consecrated to obeying the will of God. The very things that Jesus taught and the precepts He instructed His disciples to follow, revealed how inept they were to understand, let alone implement, in their lives. Their false confidence that they could "earn" their salvation had to be shaken to collapse and destroyed or they would not truly realize their hopeless condition and cry out for a Savior and Deliverer. What Jesus said, as recorded in Scripture, shows us clearly what failures we are at justifying ourselves,saving ourselves and living for God. The good news, then, becomes "a pearl of great price" to us. God, while we were yet sinners, sent His Son to die for us, to atone for our sins, so we could have the life He had planned for us and find true success. Think about it.