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I Am A Sinner – 1Tim. 1:15
I Am A Sinner – 1Tim. 1:15
Hi. I am Hugh. I am a sinner. That would be how I introduced myself at a Sinners Anonymous meeting. I would not be lonely for I would have plenty of company - if people would admit their problem. Much like other personal problems is the fact that people either minimize their problems or deny them. Not Paul. He wrote: "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim. 1:15).
- All have sinned (Rom. 3:23).
- The soul that sins shall die (Ezek. 18:20).
- The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).
- Your sins and iniquities have separated you from God (Isa. 59:1-2).
Fools make a mock of sin (Prov. 14:9NASB). In assessing the ‘evilness’ of our sins, most people compare themselves with other sinners. Depending upon whom you choose for your measuring stick, you can actually come out looking pretty good. If however you use God’s righteousness as your standard, you fail miserably. God has given us HIS WORD to be our mirror (cp. James 2 ).
God takes sin seriously: God is HOLY and righteous as well as loving and kind. God will not dwell with those who practice sin. God’s wrath is revealed against ALL ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. YET, God loves each of us to the degree that He provided the remedy for our sins - the death of Jesus, the Son of God. Through Jesus we can be forgiven of our sins. Through Jesus, we that were separated from God are reconciled and brought back to a right relationship.
Why do we not take this more seriously? Why does Jesus become a ‘side issue’ in our lives? At least part of the answer is that we have minimized the very nature of sin in our lives. With the understanding of what Jesus did for us, and the acknowledging of the predicament we were in because of our sins, comes a profound thankfulness. Such does not end in despair but in hope, faith, and love. Jesus thus becomes ‘all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all’. We sing the song, let us live the faith.
Hugh DeLong
From the well-known hymn, Jesus Is All The World To Me
