“Becoming a Christian doesn’t make one sinless, but it ought to make one sin less.“ (Conway-p.35)
I’ve been reading a book the past few days entitled Does Christianity Still Make Sense? by Bobby Conway. Conway was a pastor, a host of the YouTube podcast One Minute Apologist (now called Christianity Still Makes Sense) who went through a crisis of faith-a dark night of the soul-where he questioned his Christian faith. He came out on the other side and has written a book looking at objections to Christianity. One of those is answering the question “Why are there so many scandals in the Church?” The follow-up question is the next chapter, the oft-used “Aren’t Christians just a bunch of hypocrites?”
No doubt those are two questions that crop up again and again. I’ve been asked them and I’m sure if you are a pastor or a Christ-follower, you have also. Maybe you have even asked them yourself.
I’ve often been tongue-tied trying to answer those questions because I know I struggle with that. I know I’m a sinner and sometimes exhibit that truth way too much and find myself a very poor representative of Jesus. But I’ve also come to the conclusion that the saying I started out with depicts me. While “I’m not perfect, just forgiven” can be flippantly tossed out to justify sin, I’m not trying to do that here. Exact opposite actually. Just because I have been forgiven doesn’t mean I won’t sin. I’m not sinless, but I should sin less.
Does my sin discredit Christianity? No. Just because a batter strikes out, he doesn’t represent the whole team. Just because I fail (sin) does not mean Christianity is a failure. The ultimate example-Jesus-never sinned. My trying to be like Him won’t make me sinless, but as I have said, it should make me sin less. My ultimate goal-any Christ-followers goal-should be to represent Jesus as close as we can. I will never do that perfectly.
Christianity doesn’t rise and fall on me. My sin brings a stain, but doesn’t undermine the rock solid truth of Jesus as the perfect and firm foundation. Is sin a problem? Yes. Is hypocrisy a problem? It can be. But Jesus offers the solution to the problem. If you or someone you know keeps using these excuses, stop making excuses by pointing fingers at fallible people and start looking at an infallible Christ.
I think the idea that just because you are a Christian, you should never sin is a broken expectation. I think Jesus died for me, for us, to take the focus off the works and off the sin and place our eyes on Him. When I spend my time focusing on my relationship with Christ, worshipping the Father, and trusting and being guided by the spirit, I will naturally sin less. I won’t have to work at it. It comes out of my desire to have a relationship. When I spend my time focused on trip on the next stick,so I constantly look down, I miss the life God wants me to live. I spend my time looking at my feet instead of looking toward Jesus and enjoying the life and the creation He has made.
You are so right Ryan. The more we look at Jesus and focus less on ourselves the more we will desire to live a life based on that relationship. Thanks for an insightful comment.
I love how you have expounded on this slippery-slope question that so many Christians can be stumped by when they have to defend their faith. I’m not sinless, but I should sin less. Wow! I will certainly take that to heart today and going forward, Bill. Blessings!
Thanks Martha. I’m glad I was able to offer some help but I appreciate it more because you said you would take it to heart. 🙂
Great point Bill. I agree totally with Ryan. Honestly for me, when I first got save, it still took me about 12yrs to understand what walking with Christ was really about. Until you immerse yourself in God’s word and really understand what it means to put God first, your actions will reflect all of that. Once you truly submit to God, He is going to change you. Those changes will be reflected outwardly. Unfortunately, to many christians are happy being a spiritual infant, and the outside culture does not understand the different levels to a spiritual walk with Christ. The deeper walk with Christ, through the Holy Spirit, the more your life reflects Christ within you, the more you are able to strengthen God’s kingdom the way we are meant to do that. You have to willingly putting in the time with God so that He can use you more efficiently in His kingdom. You have to be willing to answer God’s call, you have to want to be a part of kingdom agenda, not content to sit back and watch.
You and Ryan are two great minds thinking alike! 🙂 it also appears that you may have listened to someone this past preach about moving beyond baby stage. Again…:) Your comment shows a sincere desire to follow Jesus Gail. I’m glad to see that and glad to know you.