Thursday, July 06

 

Most people hate being labeled a sinner; it’s a strong and offensive word. But the truth of the matter at the end of the day we’re all sinners. If you’ve ever done anything knowingly wrong than you’re a sinner. To make matters worst we are repeat offenders; we can’t help ourselves. There are things we know we shouldn’t do and sometimes we even promise never to do them but we end up doing them anyway. This reminds me of what the apostle Paul once said, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Just like Paul we are repeat offenders and we can’t control ourselves, we cant even do what we know we ought to do. And In spite of the fact that we sin repeatedly we don’t like being labeled, “sinner”.

 

Maybe the reason why we’re so opposed to being called a sinner is because we associate sinning with condemnation, alienation and separation. But Jesus saw sinners in a completely different way, when we read the gospels we find that Jesus was attracted to sinners and sinners were attracted to Him. He was the holiest man to ever walk the earth but those who carried the label of “sinner” felt comfortable with Him. In the gospel of Luke Jesus tells the parable of a father and his two sons in an effort to answer the question many religious people of his time had. The question of why Jesus was felt so comfortable being around sinners.

 

In this parable the younger son tells his dad that he wants his portion of the inheritance. In essence the son was telling his father let’s pretend you’re dead so that I can receive my inheritance. And the father decides to give his younger son his part. The son goes off and after a period of time had consumed all his money on partying and prostitution and when he had nothing left and no hope he decided to return home. But when he arrived he immediately said to his father, “I have sinned and I am not even worthy to be called your son. The son’s only hope was that his father would allow him to work as one of his servants. But rather than condemning his son for his inexcusable and detestable behavior the father decides to throw a big party. A party so big that when the older brother who had been at work returned home and saw the commotion he asked some of the servants, what is this party? To which they answered your brother has returned and you’re father is throwing a party to celebrate.

 

The older brother refused to enter the party, so his father came out to him to plead with him to come in. But the older brother refused, basically saying, my brother doesn’t disserve a party, he disserves to be punished. This is probably why we don’t like to be called sinners, because sinners are supposed to be punished. But look at the answer the father gives the older son.

 

Luke 15:32 NIV

“We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

 

God’s ultimate goal is restoration and not condemnation but in order to be restored we must first recognize that we are sinners that we are guilty. Forgiveness leads us to a restored relationship but to be forgiven you must first admit and confess that you have sinned.