Saint and Sinner

Oftentimes I think it is hard to think of ourselves as both sinners and saints simultaneously--we are "saints" in the sense that we are identified with Christ (if we genuinely believe in Him) since He, having saved us, will sanctify and glorify us. And we are in the communion of saints that have gone before us (see Hebrews 11).

However, I think it is easy for us as Christians to think of ourselves as more saintly than we actually are--we often forget that God declares us as righteous, not that we are actually righteous. As a result, we set up a false dichotomy in our thinking that our sins are not as bad as the next guy and we set up a hierarchy of sin.

My morning Spurgeon reading this morning really illustrates how we become dull to our sin:

Beware of light thoughts of sin. At the time of conversion, the conscience is so tender, that we are afraid of the slightest sin. Young converts have a holy timidity, a godly fear lest they should offend against God. But alas! very soon the fine bloom upon these first ripe fruits is removed by the rough handling of the surrounding world: the sensitive plant of young piety turns into a willow in after life, too pliant, too easily yielding. It is sadly true, that even a Christian may grow by degrees so callous, that the sin which once startled him does not alarm him in the least. By degrees men get familiar with sin. The ear in which the cannon has been booming will not notice slight sounds. At first a little sin startles us; but soon we say, "Is it not a little one?" Then there comes another, larger, and then another, until by degrees we begin to regard sin as but a little ill; and then follows an unholy presumption: "We have not fallen into open sin. True, we tripped a little, but we stood upright in the main. We may have uttered one unholy word, but as for the most of our conversation, it has been consistent." So we palliate sin; we throw a cloak over it; we call it by dainty names.

Christian, beware how thou thinkest lightly of sin. Take heed lest thou fall by little and little. Sin, a little thing? Is it not a poison? Who knows its deadliness? Sin, a little thing? Do not the little foxes spoil the grapes? Doth not the tiny coral insect build a rock which wrecks a navy? Do not little strokes fell lofty oaks? Will not continual droppings wear away stones? Sin, a little thing? It girded the Redeemer's head with thorns, and pierced his heart! It made him suffer anguish, bitterness, and woe. Could you weigh the least sin in the scales of eternity, you would fly from it as from a serpent, and abhor the least appearance of evil. Look upon all sin as that which crucified the Saviour, and you will see it to be "exceeding sinful."

Sin is not a little thing--we must remember who it is the sin is against! Whether it is a "white" lie or capital murder, it is a sin against a holy and righteous God who calls us to strive in holiness and asks us to die to ourselves. Thinking of sin in light manner only cheapens the grace that Christ gave through his sacrifice to satisfy the just wrath of God. In addition, a light view of sin also leads one to think less and less of the repentance that we must daily ask of God for our sins and can lead us to simply take our failings lightly, as if they do not need to be addressed. The war that we wage on sin will continue until we are glorified--part of making our calling and election sure is showing growth in the faith. Growth in the faith cannot exist without a hatred for sin (and a refusal to treat it lightly) and a love for glorifying the Father and His Son.

The Apostle Paul, who wrote so many New Testament epistles called himself the chief of sinners--would it be that we would take sin that seriously.