2007: A Full Measure of ‘Greater Sin’
Jan 5th, 2008 by Nathan White
I came to a shocking and sobering realization the other day: I have personally sinned more in 2007 than in any year of my life.
While observing the festivities that the unbelieving world participated in regarding the New Year, it struck me how they were celebrating the fact that they’ve lived another year, which for many was of course without Christ –which means that they have stored up another year of sin which will condemn them severely come Judgment Day. Instead of mourning their birthday’s and New Year’s as milestones which indicate their increased guilt and pending judgment, the man without Christ chooses to willfully ignore the fact that Judgment Day is approaching fast, and instead rejoices to his shame.
Upon considering these things, it then struck me that I too have stored up another year of sin. Yes, thanks be to the Lord, Christ has visited my soul has covered me in His righteousness (provided I endure until the end), but even as a believer, I am still full of sin, more than ever before.
“Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
You may be shocked to hear the statement that I’ve sinned more as a believer this year, than any of the 21 years I lived in unbelief (even more so if you knew me back then), but I assure you, I know my own heart. As Jesus distinguished between those sinning in ignorance and those sinning willfully as ‘greater’ and by implication ‘lesser’ sin, so have we the greater and lesser sins. So have I.
Before Christ, I sinned largely in ignorance. Before, I rarely attempted to hide my sin with hypocrisy. But after Christ, I now sin with full knowledge. Now, I often cover my sin with hypocrisy. Now, I often pretend it isn’t there. Now, I sin against an abundance of known and professedly embraced revelation. Now, I sin against the goodness of Christ in saving my soul. Now, not only do I sin by commission, but I sin largely by omission, which adds to my guilt since I am no longer ‘my own’, but a slave and a servant to the Master that bought me.
Another year, and another year of communion with Christ, a hearing of His word, and the sanctifying of the heart. I’ve heard sermons, read books, prayed prayers and had prayers uttered on my behalf; I’ve sang hymns, offered praised, partook of the Lord’s Supper, etc. With these graces and more, there is a much larger responsibility; there is a much larger duty. Sin now becomes much more heinous than it was before. Sin becomes, like Jesus hints at above, the ‘greater sin’, with full knowledge. I trust that those few points will suffice to confirm my thesis.
Now that I have sinned more in 2007 than in any year past, I better understand and appreciate my need for a propitiation, a sacrifice, a High Priest, a Mediator, indeed, a Savior. I am troubled by the prevailing notion in many of our churches which teaches that the gospel is for the lost and unbelieving, or that the gospel is aimed at and for new converts. My brothers and sisters, we need to hear, meditate on, and embrace the gospel now more than ever before. Our sins are piled higher than ever, and are only continuing upward, and so our need for a Savior could never be greater.
Give me the gospel! Do not shut it out! Do not assume that it has done its work in me and that it is time to move on! Do not assume that it is for unbelievers only! Let me hear it and respond to my Savior! Let me hear it and place my sins upon Him! Let me hear it and rejoice for His goodness in spite of my vileness!
Giving the gospel now, almost 5 years after my salvation, will do nothing but increase my worship, increase my adoration, increase my appreciation, increase my affection, increase my joy, increase my dependence on, increase my subjection to, increase my communion with…Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of my faith.
2007 has come and gone. Reflect on your sins, lay them on Christ who Alone can bear their burden, turn to, focus on, and “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel…”
I think that as we attempt to draw near God, we become more acutely aware of our own sinfulness, of the dark things that lurk in our hearts. I won’t ask you for details, but I can imagine they are probably not foreign to the lives of other believers (if they are honest).
I think that we are fortunate that our true selves are revealed to us slowly, otherwise we might despair were we to see things as they are in their shocking entirety.
This isn’t to excuse our wrongs, but just to suggest that becoming aware of our natures is, though humiliating (and humbling), a gift. We now can no longer look at others with casual condemnation, knowing full well the extent of our own depravity. It forces us, as you say, to rely not on our own virtues, which in reality, are often wanting.
The truly pious men I have met always seemed to be painfully aware of their own capacity for evil.
James,
You said: I won’t ask you for details, but I can imagine they are probably not foreign to the lives of other believers (if they are honest).
James, maybe I wasn’t completely clear, but I attempted to emphasize that it wasn’t my outward sins and or the measure of sins this year that led to my thesis. But rather, it was the realization of all I have learned this year and the increase of my knowledge and responsibility that increases guilt. That is, if I were to look at simple actions alone, I am much more ’sanctified’, you might say, this year than last. But my point was that, with all our learning and growth, responsibility is increased, and that ultimately, in my opinion, our sins (or better yet, our knowledge of our sins) will increase each and every year until death. Get my point?
You said: This isn’t to excuse our wrongs, but just to suggest that becoming aware of our natures is, though humiliating (and humbling), a gift. We now can no longer look at others with casual condemnation, knowing full well the extent of our own depravity. It forces us, as you say, to rely not on our own virtues, which in reality, are often wanting.
Exactly! In fact, that is the beauty of Calvinism, in that I cannot give myself credit for any work of grace in my heart. My salvation isn’t the result of my smarts, my good decision, my recognizing truth, but is wholly by God’s grace alone. And this allows us to look with compassion and humility upon those outside of Christ.
Wow, Nathan. This is a great piece and well thought out. I am so aware of the hypocrisy in my own life that I sometimes truly loathe myself. Sometimes it seems that the more true to God I try to be , the more I see the hypocrisy. I think this is God’s way of purifying/sanctifying our very minds by humbling us. The more I realise that I can do nothing without Him, even obedience, the more I understand foregiveness and what Christ truly means. We are but grass that fadeth away. Only in Him do we have life, not a life of our own, but one that is hid in Him. Happy New Year in our Lord Jesus Christ!
Fred,
Great thoughts. Sanctification, unfortunately, often comes through great (and hard) humility.
Other thing which I didn’t really mention was how I initially looked down on ‘all those’ people celebrating the new year as if I was so much better than they were. I initially had this mindset, but it didn’t take long for the Lord to convict me and reveal to me my own unworthiness as 2007 came to a close. Sobering, and yes, very humbling thoughts.
Thanks for your comments.
I think you’ve sinned alot more this year than I have Nate ;>)
Nathan,
Well spoken. This is also my experience.
The study of God’s word is both beautiful and terrifying. Beautiful for obvious reasons but terrifying because when i do study, I grow in understanding, and understanding of my sins, and then the conviction by the Holy Spirit…that’s a hard thing…I’m a proud person who would rather not bend the knee…
This usually happens right after I think…I’m doing pretty good…