The Sinner

The bridge of grace will bear your weight, brother. Thousands of big sinners have gone across that bridge, yea, tens of thousands have gone over it. Some have been the chief of sinners and some have come at the very last of their days but the arch has never yielded beneath their weight. I will go with them trusting to the same support. It will bear me over as it has for them.  Charles Spurgeon

I am a sinner.  That is not news to you and it certainly isn’t a newsflash to me either.  The problem comes when I start thinking that because I am a Christian, I am no longer a sinner.  That is my first mistake and the second is the belief that I can be a good Christian overnight.  I can’t even be a mediocre Christian overnight. 

Because the world tells us we can have everything in an instant we start believing all the hype.  If it took me 51 years to get where I am today as a Christian, how can I think that I can be changed overnight into what God would like me to be.

When I was baptized I really didn’t understand what it meant to be a Christian.  I didn’t understand a lot about Christianity.  I knew right from wrong, who Jesus was and that Noah built a big boat but that wasn’t all I needed to know about it.  There were many pieces missing.  I hadn’t yet learned that being last was important, loving others was critical, and failing would make you grow.  I didn’t know that struggles and trials would be an everyday thing in the Christian life on earth. 

So you take a twelve year old and turn them loose on the world.  The problem with the world is that it is every man for himself.  If you can beat someone to the finish line in anything and be first you begin to think you are better than them.  So instead of loving them you lord it over them.  Then there is the whole failing thing.  I have failed at so many things in my life that it would take me years to write them all down.  The thing is through every failure I learned an incredible lesson.  Failure can bring me closer to God. 

What I have learned is that when you come to the end of self it is the beginning of a new you. When we begin to understand that the Christian life is one step at a time and there will be setbacks, wisdom will come.  God intends everything for our good.  If we learn that one concept we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. God is standing at the end of the tunnel waiting but we have to make the choice to step into the light.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am a sinner and there is not a day that goes by that I am not tempted by sin.  That sin can be how I view others, my thoughts, how I speak and the things I do in my daily life that are against everything You teach us about being a Christian.  I need Your help to keep Satan from taking over my life.  If I use Your Living Word I can overcome any temptation Satan throws my way.  I praise You always for saving a sinner like me.

Scripture:  The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.  Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.  Psalm 19:7-14