Former Sinner or Chief Repenter?
This post is from the archives of Dan Masshardt's reflective blog CHOOSE TODAY (a blog often filled with provocative questions). This topic is worth reflection as you prepare to preach and teach -- as you presume to preach or teach. - Steve
Which are you?
Most of the time our sins and shortcomings are evident to everyone else, yet we are still reluctant to confess them to others.
As Christians, and Christian leaders and pastors in particular, we need to confess sin – not everything to everybody, but probably everything to somebody and something to almost everybody. (Did you catch that? :-)
People need to know that we too have temptations and weaknesses. They can become sin.
I’m not very sensitive to others feelings. Sometimes I am selfish and want my own way or I just want to do what I want to do (not activities that are sinful, but the attitude is).
I’m tempted to want to impress people, to compare myself to others. Sometimes (this is bad) I don’t mind when other people fail.
Sometimes I’m amazed at how sinful I can be. As time goes on, we realize that sin goes deeper than we thought. Not only our outward actions, but our thoughts and motivations.
My point? I’m in radical need of God’s grace, not just yesterday but today and tomorrow.
That’s confession. But we also need repentance. Do you want to change? Do you hate your sin? I hate my sin – and God is working on me and in me.
Maybe what’s preventing you from the intimacy with God that you seek is a failure to acknowledge your own sin.
So, do you portray yourself as a ‘former sinner’ or lead by example in being chief repenter?
