A Sinner Like Me

      I was in my late teens and early twenties when my perception of sin began to change. I will forever be grateful to God for that. Before then I was the epitome of a Pharisee; self righteous, willfully ignorant, and a hypocrite. I was walking around in a state of spiritual ignorance, unintentionally voiding the cross that I so proudly spoke of. I was aware of my faults but somehow felt that they were not great enough to be considered sin. I had been lost in the comparison of myself to others, focusing on the things they had done and the things I hadn’t. Never taking time to examine my heart for my actual truth. Never acknowledging the scriptures that would so easily expose me.  Also, never making Christ my standard of measure. There were a lot of fundamental wrongs being committed. 

        During my sin epiphany period, I began to realize that although I hadn’t openly or physically committed the sins that others had, I was committing those same sins in my heart. I was walking around with a heart filled with lust, jealousy, judgement, and a lack of compassion. Just to name a few things. Outwardly I had an appearance of being spiritually on track but internally I was missing the mark. Most importantly, I realized that if I believed I was without sin than I was ultimately saying  Jesus had not died for me, I was perfect, and I should be the standard for everyone else. I was the exception to Romans 3:23.

Romans 3:23 (NLT)                                                                                                                                                       

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

Ha! This is laughable, but the sad truth is that so many of us live our lives in a way that can only proclaim we are not in need of the cross. That the blood of Christ was not shed for us.

       I am currently a proud sinner. Not in an “I celebrate sin way” but in an “I acknowledge my sin because it acknowledges the cross way.” Through the acknowledgment of my sin I am simply saying that Christ came in this world to save me, a sinner. Thank you Lord for saving a sinner like me.

1 Timothy 1:15 (NLT)                                                                                                                                             

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.”

XO,

Courtney