One definition of "sin" is that it is an attitude
in which we see ourselves as the ultimate authority, replacing God.
The real God and His law become secondary in our lives.
Probably we are not consistently sinful all the time, but we know that from
time to time we place first our pride and well-being, even if others may
sacrifice because of us, Are any of us not sinners some times ?
My church is a place full of sinners. Indeed in order
to be a Christian a person must admit that he or she is a sinner. It is
not really a surprise that Christians sin, that there is an inconsistency
between what they say and what they do. The Bible explains again and
again that people's hearts are drawn toward selfishness and pride. The
Bible says "this is how you should live if you believe this."
But it also says, "you can't and you won't," and it provides a
solution to that problem --- in Jesus. Christianity, unlike other
religions or self-help programs acknowledges that it cannot be followed
perfectly.
Religion scholar R. C. Sproul writes: "The
Christian church is one of the few organizations in the world that requires a
public acknowledgement of sinfulness as a condition for membership. In one
sense, the church has fewer hypocrites than any other institution because by
definition the church looks for sinners and is a haven for them. If the
church claimed to be an organization of perfect people, then her claim would be
hypocritical. But no such claim is made by the church. There is no
slander in the charge that the church is full of sinners. Such a
statement actually gives a compliment to the church for fulfilling her divinely
appointed task."
Christianity is often equated with "obeying the
rules," thereby making us think we just need to appear to be a morally
superior person. Actually, most religions operate on the
principle:"If I live as I ought, I will be accepted by God." But
Christianity has a completely different operating principle ---- "I
am already accepted by God as a gift demonstrated through what
Jesus did for us on the Cross. Therefore, out of gratitude, I will try to
live as I ought." Christians are people who understand that they
will always fail to live entirely as they should. Therefore, that they
need forgiveness and God's freely given grace.
The prerequisite to becoming a Christian is admitting that
we have this problem, and that we need God's help. So, continual
repentance should be the mark of a Christian life.
Jesus criticized people who do "religious" things
just to feel superior to others. Jesus understood the danger from a kind
of religious moralism in which a person or a community feels they have earned
God's favor. This can lead them to feeling that they deserve special
deference and respect from all other folks ---- it produces an unfortunate and
unwarranted ego trip. Jesus used the parable of the Pharisee and the tax
collector, praying side by side in the Temple, to make his point. It was
not that the Pharisee and the tax collector were not trying to obey God ----
they actually were. However the Pharisee was doing it only
self-righteously, so as to feel superior to other people. The tax
collector won Jesus' praise because his approach to God was one of
repentance. Humility was totally absent from the Pharisee's prayers.
Jesus himself sacrificed his life so that his followers
could be reconciled to God, making their pride and self-interest secondary.
Christians follow someone (Jesus) who sacrificed everything (all of his pride
and self-interest) to redeem and renew the world. At the heart of the
Christian faith is a man who died a victim of injustice, but who called for the
forgiveness of his enemies. Jesus is the example we sinners are trying to
follow.
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These thoughts are brought to you by CPC's Adult
Spiritual Development Team, hoping to encourage you to pursue some spiritual
growth this Spring at CPC.
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