The
perpetual unworthiness of Christians is a message that resounds from
pulpits around the world. In essence, it teaches that God’s people are not worthy of Jesus’ gift of
salvation. And, that we are saved only
due to God’s pity for us rather than an eternal love that boggles the
imagination. Worse, according to these teachings, we will never be able to live life and be holy and complete without sinning.
First,
let’s look at the word sin. Consider
the fact that neither the Old Testament bible patriots, nor the New Testament
writers, went around telling people they were sinning.
Rather,
the OT word they used is chattacth, meaning
an offence against God. In the New
Testament, when the Apostles spoke to people to tell them how to live their changed
lives as followers of Jesus, they most often used the word hamartano, which means properly, to miss the mark (and so not share
in the prize), (figuratively) to err, especially (morally).
Thus,
in both the Old and New Testament, the people were taught that when they morally committed acts contrary to God’s
statutes, they were offending God and missing
the mark.
Christian’s
do not have to guess the origin of this ungodly
concept? God gives us the answer:
John 10:10 - The thief cometh not, but for
to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: …
Satan is unchanged from his goal. And, he does not always have to physically kill God’s people. He simply has to distract us with false teachings which lead us to confess and do things that offend God. For instance, when a person feels unworthy, the thought is why bother to try to do better?
In
direct contradiction to this ungodly concept,
the rest of verse 10 gives us God’s opinion about our possibilities. Jesus said I am come that they might
have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (KJV)
Thus,
when we disbelieve God’s word, are we not dishonoring God? When we see ourselves through Satan’s eyes, are we not abandoning the cross? Given the
biblical meaning of the word sin, who
do we honor when we stand up in Christian congregations around the world and
speak into God’s ears, Thank you for your
blood, but Lord, I am and remain a worthless sinner ..... blah blah blah.
In
plain English, we are telling God that the blood of His Son Jesus, and His
word, was and is insufficient to wash us clean, John 15:3.
Jesus
told people to go and be holy and sin no
more, such as in John 8:11 with
the adulterous woman. Also, in John 5: 14, Jesus told the crippled man [whom He
had told to get up and pick up his bed] to “Go and sin no more.”
Nevertheless,
through this erroneous message of unworthiness, Satan would have us believe
that Jesus thus God is not truthful with
us. Isn’t that what Satan convinced
Eve of?
Question:
Would Jesus tell us to do what He knows is impossible? And in that Jesus said
He said nothing that the Father did not say, then would God tell us to do the
impossible?
In
1 Peter 1, Apostle Peter repeats God’s
word of our promised life without sin, 1
Peter 1:13-16:
NOTE:
see the clarity of these verses in the New Revised Standard Version [NRSV].
1Peter
1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end
for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
(KJV)
13
Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your
hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. (NRSV)
14
As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts
in your ignorance: (KJV)
14
Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly
had in ignorance. (NRSV)
15
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation; (KJV)
15
Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all of your conduct; (NRSV)
16
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (KJV)
16
for it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." (NRSV)
Another
question must be asked. Who will benefit from convincing God’s people that we,
God’s creation, will always be
unworthy, destined to live a life of sin, i.e. morally committing acts that
offend God? Again, a well-known fact holds the answer.
Numerous
polls reveal that the majority of Christian congregations in the United States
are composed of women to the tune of 65-75%. I believe this fact speaks for
itself.
Remember
the childhood fairy tale about the little train engine that thought it couldn’t
climb a hill. After much encouragement by its cargo of toys, it tried. It
succeeded.
Given
the pervasive and consistent teaching that God’s people are and will always be unworthy of God’s love, Christian
believers need to be like that little engine.
God
said it…that should settle it.
YES WE CAN live Holy without offending our Heavenly God and Father.
