A MESSAGE TO UNBELIEVERS

One of the reasons people give for not accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, is that Christians are hypocrites.  When confronted with this charge against us, most born again believers respond by saying "not all Christians are hypocrites."  Of course, they mean that they do not see themselves as guilty of hypocrisy.  However, when one truly examines him or herself, if we are honest, we have to agree with the charge.  Even if a believer was successful in living a life totally for God, and I do not believe that is possible, he would soon discover his "sinlessness" was actually the source of their pride, which is certainly a sin! 

Let's look at a few passages to determine if observers should expect to see perfection in believers.

In Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus taught that if a person lusts in his heart, he is guilty of sin.  That truth can be applied to sexual lust, as well as, lusting for the goods of another (coveting).  Other than Jesus, I doubt there ever has been a born again believer who was not guilty of sin in his thoughts.

In Romans 7:15-25, the Apostle Paul described the battle going on in his life, between the desire to please God, and the desires of his flesh.  That which he wanted to do, he didn't do, and that which he hated because it displeased God, he found himself doing.  Notice that the entire passage is written by Paul AFTER he became a follower of Christ.  How do I know this?  Because the verbs he uses are all present tense.

In First John 1:8-10, notice that the born again John, writing to fellow believers, uses the present tense, and collective pronouns throughout:

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us."

I believe the stumbling block for unbelievers which is preventing them from listening to the Gospel message, is due to the fact that the Church, over the centuries, has failed to emphasize that Christians are not saved by works, but are saved by the unmerited favor (grace) of God.  We need to acknowledge that we are still unworthy of His forgiveness (mercy), still unworthy of His of His love, and still unworthy of salvation!  Christians are not perfect!  We are simply messengers sent by God to invite the lost to place their trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for the sins of all mankind according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1-4)!  When they discover we are not inviting them to become perfect, but inviting them to join us in doing ones best to honor the Savior, they will get their eyes off of us, and on the One Who loved them enough to die for them!

 

Born again believers are not perfect...YET (1 Jn. 3:1-2)!