Illustration of an Arminian Truth

Isaiah 64:6 "...all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Psalm 103:14 "He knows our frame; He remembers that we are but dust." A little boy sees his dad working outside in a hot day. He sees his dad perspiring, and wiping perspiration from his face. The little boy decides to take his dad a glass of water. So he pushes a chair up to the sink, climbs up, and grabs a dirty glass off the counter, smudging it in his dirty hands. He fills the glass with tap water, and spills part of it as he climbs down off the chair. He spills more of it on his way out the door. Once outside, he gives the dirty, half-filled glass of water to his dad. His dad looks at the glass. Does this reach the standard of what he wants as a refreshing drink? No, it falls far short. He looks at his child. The little boy is looking at him with adoring eyes. Does the dad condemn the boy for falling short? No, he accepts the glass of water from the child, drinks it, then takes him inside for a glass of ice cold lemonade. We are the boy, and his dad is God. If sin is falling short of the glory of God, was his gift sin? Was he guilty? No. All of our gifts and actions are like that glass of water in the eyes of God. We always will fall short. That's why we need a Savior. God looks at the heart. He desires heart purity. If we focus on the heart, our actions will fall in line eventually. But if we focus on our actions, we create a very oppressive system of bondage