Living beings do that which is built into their nature. Fish swim, birds fly, kangaroos hop. I’m a sinner, so I sin.
It’s not that being a sinner is something I especially enjoy. In fact, it’s quite bothersome and leads to all kinds of complications and pain. Fortunately, as years on the spiritual path go by, my transgressions become fewer and less severe overall (with a few exceptions now and then.) Still the truth remains. Even the Bible says it: “If any man says he is without sin, he is a liar.”
It’s good news, therefore, that sin isn’t the end of the road. God in His love created a way out of the muck. After sin comes confession, which simply means agreeing with God that I’ve missed the mark. And next there’s repentance, or turning my behavior around, so that twenty years from now I’m not struggling with the same sins that plague me today … at least not as badly. His forgiveness, which He gives freely, completes the process. Happy day!
That I’m a sinner will not change. Neither will God’s mercy and grace that provide an antidote to the sinful nature within me. It’s a combination He created and is willing to live with, and so am I.
(Thanks, Susan S., for an e-mail discussion that was the genesis for these thoughts.)
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