“If the biggest sinner you know isn’t you, then you don’t know yourself very well.”- Pastor Jean Larroux
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst.”- 1 Timothy 1:15
As Kyle Idleman concludes Chapter 1 of Grace Is Greater, he first presents the second way we conclude we’re not that bad.
2. We weigh the bad against the good. From an “I’ve earned my place in heaven” perspective, one neither needs nor wants grace. In contrast, Pastor Idleman explains the danger when we minimize our sin:
“Our default is to cover up our sin or at the very least minimize it. But in covering up our sin, we are covering up grace. In minimizing sin we are diminishing the joy that comes with forgiveness.”
However, it’s hard to admit that the biggest sinner you know is you. Yet, Kyle observes, in 1 Timothy 1:15 Paul uses the present tense verb am. Also, Pastor Idleman admits, the more he learns about God’s righteousness and the more he examines his own life and motives, he gets closer to one inescapable conclusion. He’s the worst sinner he knows.
In conclusion, Kyle cites Augustine. Almost 1,600 years ago, Augustine wrote this in his Confessions: “My sin was all the more incurable because I did not think myself a sinner.”
Denying the reality of your sinful condition negates the antidote of grace. Thus, Pastor Idleman closes with these words of encouragement:
“The truth is I am worse that I ever wanted to admit, but God’s grace is greater than I ever could have imagined.”
Today’s question: What convinces you that you’re the biggest sinner you know? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A surprising characteristic about grace”