IMHO I think one of the hardest things to do is to see that we are all the same. My sin. Your sin. It’s the same in the eyes of God. No matter how you shake it sin still spells S.I.N.
What makes it so hard for us to admit that is that we are really good at comparing. We choose the sin of someone else that-in our eyes-is bigger and worse than ours. When we do that we get a sense of self-satisfaction. We think, “Whew! I’m glad I don’t do THAT!” We develop this air of arrogance.
You know what I have noticed? Two things actually. One, we have a bad tendency to rate or number sin. #1 is the worst sin (in our eyes) and #10 is the least sin. Two, when we compare, we often see the worst in another while our sin falls down lower on the number list. We pat ourselves on the back (if we can get around our big head) because our #8 ranked sin is not as bad as their #2 ranked sin.
There are several fallacies with that type of thinking. One, God never classifies one sin as being worse than another. That is a human invention. My sin of impure thoughts is not worse than your sin of lying. James 4 (which I read this morning) say, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.” (verses 1-2 ESV). So sin is in all of us due to the sin nature we all possess. What I want fights with what you want.
Two, James writes just a few verses later: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (Verses 6-8 ESV). Then in verse 10 James tells us to “Humble ourselves before the Lord.”
Pride. That is what James is talking about. “I want what you have.” “My sin. Your sin.” “My way. Your way.” Pride. Pride uses fine china and fancy linen. Humility (the way of Jesus) uses a basin and a towel.
“Pride goes before a fall” we are told. Let’s stop with the “I’m better than/more holy than” and get real to the sin in our own life.
While I don’t disagree with sin all being sin and even a little stretch or embellishment of the truth (which by the way is what Satan did in the Garden) is enough to keep us from entering the gates of heaven on our own… That, in my interpretation of the Bible is fact.
One should definitely focus on the log in their own eye before worrying about the splinter in someone else’s. The question does come up on occasion about habitual sin. Sin that continues on without being challenged. I am not saying we throw out the baby with the bathwater, which often happens in Christian circles… but there does need to be an accountability that I believe is lacking in the mainstream church today. I think the key is pride as you describe. Being humble enough to ask for help and those providing the help being humble and willing to share their own flaws and failures to help a brother or sister in need of our help, not our condemnation.
I guess I should have been more clear Ryan. I don’t think a sin will keep us from heaven. The one who names the name of Christ as Lord and Savior has the security of salvation, but you did pick up on the point of getting rid of the log in our eye before judging someone else. And yes, the key is pride. thanks for clarifying.
One cannot read James without being humbled, James gets right to the point, and throws out all the excuses. James needs to be read at least once a quarter by us all. The heart of every sin is pride is some shape or form. It’s easy to pray for the victim’s in a crime and their families, but I have also learned and I do pray for whoever is behind the crime and their families as well. It’s not an easy thing to do, but I understand that God wants to save everyone, every life is important to Him. God’s grace is bigger than any sin. Asking God to remove the strongholds from the perpetrator’s life and asking for them to come to repentance for that sin. If I do not pray for both sides, I do not understand God’s grace. I will fall back into my catholic days of mortal sins and venial sins, and sin is sin, there is no size factor in sin. I needed and still need to be saved by grace, and I do not ever want to forget what Jesus did on the cross to save me.
You are right Gail. Pride is the source of sin in some way, shape or form. Like you, I am glad God’s grace is bigger than any of my sin.
Nothing truer than what you’ve said here today, Bill. It is our pride that keeps us from seeing the truth about ourselves, and causes us to unfairly judge others. Lord, please give me the humility to accept and ask forgiveness for my own sins, and not judge others.
Blessings!
True words Martha. Being real and being responsible for our own sin is essential.
I always try to see things from other people’s eyes. Perhaps it’s the drunkard, or the wayward Christian, or even the little child. I think the little child is the best example of humility, because no matter what, the child always learns.
That is a good practice Ed. Trying to see things from other’s eyes.
“Pride uses fine china and fancy linen. Humility (the way of Jesus) uses a basin and a towel.” LOVE this, Pastor Bill!
Thanks Cheryl. I even made it up myself! 🙂 🙂