Sinners and Windows

One thing that's bugged me about the angle church tends to take on a lot of stuff is the idea that everyone continues to sin, whether you like it or not. It gets to the point that church begins to feel like an alcoholics anonymous style meeting ("Hello, my name is ______, and I'm a sinner"). And while I'm sure that has a place for some, I don't quite understand the over-emphasis on it. The justification for this idea is one verse which says "All have sinned..."

Okay, all have sinned, I get it. I have sinned as well, but contextually, it's a past tense phrase. If we were meant to be continual sinners, it would say "all have sinned and continue to do so despite their better judgement." Rather, the past tense usage is the encouragement that there is hope for those who have into that "new creation" status the Sinners Anonymous meeting leaders don't dig into much. I have no doubt that there are people out there who use the "I'm a sinner" mantra to continue to sin since it's ok because everybody's doing it.

But to be honest, it bothers me to be continually called a sinner every time I walk in. I have spent many an hour in anguished prayer working to overcome the things that I've done that I know are sinful. When I walk in on a Sunday morning, my sin list would be a very short one, if any. I say that not necessarily to boast of how good I am, but how the presumption of a past tense verse leads us into believing that everyone is "doing it wrong." Jesus went through life without sinning, and since he was in a human body, it means it is possible for us to do that going forward.

No, we're not perfect, but even the alcoholic, years after his meetings, only tells people that he "used to be" an alcoholic. Well, all "have sinned," but we were also made into new creations through the blood of Christ, so I would thank them very much to please stop calling me an active sinner. If that's boastful, then let me boast that  through the blood of Christ, I have been made free of these things, and ask why they insist on holding them over me. That is akin to our alcoholic having taken no drink is 50 years and still being called an alcoholic.

I do believe that people can reach the point in their lives where they can choose not to sin. We have complete control over our minds and bodies. We can choose our actions and thoughts. To be caught up in the idea that we are incapable of overcoming sin is to say that we are incapable of distinguishing right from wrong. I come back to the fact that Jesus did not sin. He was given the opportunity, and he chose not to. Since he is our example, I believe that we can follow that example as much as any other, and actually be children of God as opposed to "a bunch of sinners."

Now, that being said, as I pulled up to the security thingamabob outside the parking garage, I discovered, quite to my chagrin, that my driver side window motor has decided (since yesterday) to stop working. I cannot begin to iterate how annoying that was (and is). I would just like the car to work consistently for a little while without something else breaking. I haven't even gotten all the disposable parts changed out yet.