I am a sinner saved by Grace

 I am a sinner and do not want to confess the sins of anyone else. Do NOT take this as convicting you of your sins. This is merely how I view sin.

Jesus said  “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Mat. 7:3-5.

In 1 John 1:8 we are told: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

This is in no way to condemn anyone but me. I try to remember that even if it has been a week since, for example, I cursed my heart is still wicked. The very act of thinking I am better than someone else because I do not sin the way they do is, in fact, a sin. This is illustrated by Jesus in The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector:

 “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”Luke 18:9-14

I do NOT want to be like the people that beat themselves up over the fact that people sin. The people that get bent out of shape that for example, someone is working on the Sabbath are exactly the ones that killed Jesus. When I became a Christian and began to read the Bible I learned how far away from God's laws I am. The ten commandments are a good starting point. A lot of folks say “I never murdered” or something to justify their righteousness. The Jewish religion is all about atoning for sin, that is to make a sacrifice to pay for their sins and get right with God. They have over 613 rules in the Law, most of which I have broken. I found one that says don't eat a goat that is cooked in it's mother's milk. I finally found one that I had not broken. It gets worse when I read about the standard that Jesus wants. If I thought about a woman in lust, or was angry with my neighbor in my heart then I was guilty. The Jews had rituals to cleanse themselves from the separation between them and God. They even had specific rituals that address unintentional sins. That is part of the Gospel. With all the rules even the most religious and strict followers of the Law were constantly having to cleanse themselves.

The religious leaders of the day were angry that Jesus worked on the Sabbath healing people and performing miracles. That was one of the charges that they used to condemn him to death. The good news is that although he was without sin and died, his death served as atonement for our sins. I do not have to slaughter a goat, a bull or make a grain offering to pay for my sin. I am saved by Grace. God sent his one and only Son to earth to die on a cross and atone for the sins of the world. I did not, and can not do anything to earn my way into heaven. If I stack up all my good works against all my bad works I will certainly go to Hell. That is not to say I am an unrepentant sinner. I recognize that I sin every day. I do NOT love my neighbor as myself, I am angry, greedy, jealous, selfish and mean. I am learning how to NOT act on my evil nature. I AM trying hard everyday to make my words, deeds and thoughts bring glory to God. I suck. I know it. God forgives me.

The sins of commission, that is doing the wrong thing include cursing, gossiping, lust, pride, jealousy and anger. Sins of omission, that is NOT doing the right thing include laziness, not forgiving people and not loving my neighbor. Recognizing that I think bad thoughts, say and things is the first step to repentance. I am not Catholic so I have never been to confession. I freely confess my sins to God, and anyone who would care to listen. I do not get hung up on it. I think God wants us to be joyfully thankful.