This post is a semi-continuation of yesterday’s post. I reckon I have this trouble with people making demands on people on what is right/wrong according to their own rules and regulations. These people sort of remind me of the Pharisees from Jesus’ day who tried to impose their will and beliefs on the people whom they perceived were below them.
The issue was not isolated to Jesus’ day either. The ugliness of a judgmental attitude was as prevalent in the 1st century church as it is today. Read this passage for proof. Plain and simple: you sin when you fall short of God’s holy standard or go beyond the limits of his law.
We all know people who try to justify their sin by comparing it to the sin of others. “I might be guilty of this but at least I am not guilty of that.” “I may guilty of gossip, but at least I am faithful to my spouse.” A “little white lie” is not as bad as “a big whopper.” “I may cheat (i.e. fudge) a little on my taxes, but at least I don’t rob banks.” See the fallacy of that?
Some people categorize sin. Others see God’s laws as “the more I keep the more credit I can get.” The truth is that neither one of them is right. Both are misrepresentations of God’s way.
Although all sins are not equally heinous or damaging, from God’s perspective all sin violates His standard. When you break one law, James says, you break them all. That sure kicks the “holier-than-thou” in the teeth doesn’t it? Does that excuse any sin? Of course not. Am I saying it is okay to participate in sin knowing all sin is equally judged? No.
All sin needs to be repented of and forsaken. God’s holiness is the standard and it speaks loud and clear about the consequences of our sin. So we need to stop trying to justify or hide it, as well as trying to negate it by our good works.
I’d like to hear your thoughts.
Sin is not a word in my vocabulary and maybe I should skip this one.
But I am not going to.
I make no apologies for who I am, what I do, or any missteps along the way. I repent of nothing, ask no one or anything for forgiveness of the missteps(and I don’t hide it or try to justify it), nor particularly plan on changing my ways. I have no fear of a bogeyman that is going to get me in the end and live my life to the fullest.
I think what you are describing are the reasons people like me find theists by and large hypocritical.
Glad you didn’t skip it Jeff. I have to admit this hurts my heart, especially calling God a bogeyman, but least you are honest in your thoughts. As for the hypocrisy: you are 100% right. We do tend to judge others harshly while often overlooking our own sin.
Lately, when I get judgmental thoughts, God turns it on me. He often points out that the very thing I’m judging in someone else is a fault of my own. Humbling, to say the least!
I need to measure myself by God, not Bill Clinton or any other Bill. Anything else leads to self-delusion.
Very true.
I think you might be surprised that there are many sins that we commit that we are totally blind to. This is not an excuse, but I think when folks tend to see themselves as overall pretty good people, they think that they have nothing to apologize for.
You are 100% correct Daniel. Self-delusion is real.
Very well said, preacher. You summed that up like a rodeo bull roper.
Hmmm…ride ’em cowboy. 🙂 Oh…and thanks.
Good preaching brother…A Holy God is the standard and we all fall short..praise God Jesus did and still does not fall short. It is the Word of God that tears down the wall of self righteousness and leads one into the righteousness of Christ. There is power in the words, all have sinned. it takes courage to see ourselves in that little word “all”. Good post.
Thanks Betty. Seeing myself as a sinner is essential. No sense in hiding or lying to myself or others.
Comparing ourselves to others is like trying to see the stars in the day time. At night time we see the brightness of the stars because of the black back ground. This is the way it is with us. When we see how sinful we really are to a holy…righteous God…..then.. we begin to see how glorious He really is.
The Christian life is a life of continued confession and repentance.
Not a word to argue with here Ike. What you say is spot on.
I completely agree with you – even if the temptation to “minimize” the sins is always present.
That is so true Zee. We are tempted to minimize the sin.