Sinners All

Hey, guess what? You...are a sinner.

Don't be offended, I'm not singling you out. I'm just restating what the Bible has been telling us for centuries.

"...all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

We're all...sinners.


While that's not something we should ever be comfortable with, it is something we need to be aware of and something we need to come to terms with.

That might sound like apathy. Under NO circumstances should it be taken that way. Sin is a terrible thing. It separates us from God and goes against everything He has ordained for us. It is never okay. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), and that is not something for you to EVER take lightly. I am certainly not saying that you should.

What I am saying, is that we need to accept that we're not perfect. It's important for us to admit that we mess up. In order for us to be reconciled with God and allow Him to work in us, we have to acknowledge that there's work to do.


Failure to accept and acknowledge that you are not perfect will inevitably result in one of two problems.


Problem #1- I can do no wrong.

One possible consequence of refusing to accept your sinful nature is denial of it. In this scenario, one becomes exceedingly prideful. While she knows deep down that she's flawed, she can't bring herself to come to terms with it, and so she carries on as though she is incapable of error.

This is obviously detrimental. Pride is the root of all evil, the parent of every other vice. It robs us of the ability to grow spiritually because we are unable to see where we need to grow, and so it prevents God from using us to the fullest extent.



Problem #2- I can do no right.

This is the opposite extreme. In this case, far from denying his sin, one becomes obsessed with it, focusing exclusively on what he's done wrong. He is so distraught over his sin that he doesn't trust he can be forgiven. He can't accept the fact that he (like everyone else) is a sinner, and eventually is so preoccupied with his faults that he is tempted to despair.

The problem in this situation is that it displays a pride all its own. In dwelling so much on what he's done, the sinner takes his focus away from the most important thing in all of history: what He's done. He turns his attention so far inwards and so dramatically onto his shortcomings that He won't look at the God who took it all away, and who promises to take it away all over again each time we ask Him.


The Solution

Basically, at this point, I've given a pretty depressing generalization of how messed up we all are. But never fear! There's hope!

Let's take a look at Romans 3:23, the verse in the beginning of this post, in context.


"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed, through the forbearance of God—to prove his righteousness in the present time, that he might be righteous and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

     What occasion is there then for boasting? It is ruled out. On what principle, that of works? No, rather on the principle of faith. For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Does God belong to Jews alone? Does he not belong to Gentiles, too? Yes, also to Gentiles, for God is one and will justify the circumcised on the basis of faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Are we then annulling the law by this faith? Of course not! On the contrary, we are supporting the law." Romans 3:21-31


That's a lot. Why don't we have St. John the Apostle sum it up for us?


"If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing." 1 John 1:9 


How amazing is that?! We're all sinners, but we can all be set free!

We can't earn this freedom. This is why the "I can do no wrong" approach is so messed up. Nothing we do, nothing we can accomplish can save us from ourselves. Only God can do that. We need Him to rescue us.

And He will! He will because He has, once and for all on the cross. He will because He's going to, as soon as we ask Him to take away our sin and our guilt. As soon as we acknowledge (or confess) that we've wronged Him, the minute we tell Him we're sorry, that's the moment He reaches out into the chaos we've created and calms the sea.

That's why "I can do no right" doesn't work either. We have to trust that He is Who He says He is and He will do what He says He'll do. Trusting Him means letting go of the guilt and the shame and placing it all in His nail-scarred hands. It means throwing all our fears and our temptations into His arms, and going forward in joy with the honest intention to "go and sin no more". (John 8:11)


So that's the answer. Pray for the grace to be able to say, "Lord, I'm a sinner. I have wronged your most precious and sacred heart. I am so sorry. Please take it all away. Make me a new creation and replace my shame with the peace of your Love. Give me the strength never to turn away from you again. Thank you for your mercy, Lord. Help me to love you. Amen."


I will be the first to admit that I struggle with accepting my sinful nature. I frequently fall into both of the problems described above, most often the second. In fact, that's what inspired this post; my own inability to deal with my imperfections. That's why I will be the first to pray that prayer. I hope you will too.


Yes, you're a sinner. No, you're not alone. Run to Jesus; He will set you free.


Peace be with you.
~ Caitlin