Begging is something that is repulsive to the proud nature of man. When a person is reduced to begging physically, we don't even like to look at him. There is a shamefulness associated with it that we dread and avoid. My flesh fears this condition even worse than death. Being unable to work, having nothing, and being dependent upon the mercy of others is unthinkable.
Spiritual begging is something to which sinful man is even more opposed. Inability, bankruptcy and utter dependence upon another, spiritually speaking, is absolutely unthinkable, especially to religious people. When our father Adam rebelled against God, he gained an insidiously evil attribute that we are all born with PRIDE! In this spiritual pride, we fear and despise worse than anything, the idea of being unable to please God and being utterly dependent upon His mercy. Pride deludes us and tells us that we are quite capable of taking care of ourselves. Me and "the man upstairs" have an understanding. Sure, I've sinned like everybody else, but I'm doing the best I can. I'm not a religious fanatic or anything you know, but I blah, blah, blah...
However much we deny and avoid the fact, our true position before God is that we are dirty, shameful, worthless, miserable BEGGARS! Like the bum on the street, we are unable to work. Whatever we do to earn favor with God only puts us deeper in debt. We also have nothing to our account. We inherited nothing but debt and have never been able to do anything of any merit. We are utterly dependent upon MERCY!
I have heard this objection to this truth: You don't have to beg God to save you; He is ready to pardon: I agree that God is willing, ready and delights to show mercy, but He has never done so to anyone but a beggar. God is not so anxious to clothe that He will not first strip. He is not so ready to lift up that He will not first bring low. No sinner has ever been shown his condition who has not flown to the Mercy Seat, the Lord Jesus Christ, and pleaded for forgiveness and favor and obtained what he needed.
Chris Cunningham