Good morning,
I am becoming worse and worse!
Editor
(Be sure to LISTEN to the Audio, as you READ the text below.)
1 Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst!”
Imagine that you are walking down a street on a very dark night, and a car drives through a puddle right next to you and soaks you with water. You are drenched and feel uncomfortable.
But as you walk toward a distant streetlight, you begin to discover that the water on you is somewhat dirty. At last, you stand beneath the light and see that you are covered with muddy water! Suddenly you feel far worse than before!
Yet the light has not made you dirtier! You were just as filthy when you stood in the darkness, as when you stood beneath the streetlight. The only difference is that now you know your true condition!
So it is in the Christian life. When you first begin, you are somewhat humbled by your sins. But as you grow in your knowledge of the infinitely holy God, you more and more see the exceeding sinfulness of your sin.
Sinful thoughts which you once dismissed as harmless, now grieve you.
Selfish motives which you once considered innocent, are exposed as utterly corrupt.
Little wrongs which you scarcely noticed, you now see as hateful in the sight of the holy God.
You feel that you are growing more and more sinful, when in reality you are only becoming increasingly aware of God’s holiness, and your own sinfulness! This is why as a maturing Christian, you may think that you are becoming worse and worse!
Dear Christian, do not conclude that you are growing worse, only because you now see and feel the corruption in your heart which you previously failed to recognize. The increasing awareness of your sinfulness, is actually evidence that you are growing in grace. It may be the very means by which God is stripping you of self-righteousness, and more deeply teaching you how utterly dependent you are upon His grace!
Do not stop beneath the light, gazing only at your filth. Look to Jesus! The greater your discovery of your sin, the greater should be your gratitude for the wondrous Savior whose precious sin-atoning sacrifice pays the penalty for all of your sins, and clothes you with His spotless righteousness.
The more you understand God’s infinite holiness, the greater will you understand the heinousness of your sinfulness. The more you understand the exceeding sinfulness of your sin, the more gratitude you will have for the abounding grace of God which swallows up the great mountain of your sins!
And when life’s journey is over,
And I the dear Savior shall see.
I will praise Him forever and ever,
For saving a sinner like me!
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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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