Lessons from the Gospels – The Worst Sinners Revealed!
Comparing ourselves to others seems to be a deeply ingrained human fault. We are either declaring “Well, at least I’m not as bad as ‘you know who’!” or we feel that we must hide our sins from others, so they don’t judge us for how bad we really are.
2 Corinthians 10:12 [NKJV] clearly tells us that this habit is not wise, “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
The trouble stems from measuring ourselves against each other. The yardstick of our mate’s, child’s, parent’s or neighbor's behavior is the wrong measuring tool.
Who are the worst sinners? How can we know?
1. We cannot judge people (including ourselves) or their level of sin by the troubles they have.
Luke 13:1-5 [NLT] 1 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2 "Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?" Jesus asked. "Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too."
Jesus says that time and chance happen to all of us. So, while we should really be diligent in working on our own sinful natures, we cannot use persecution or disaster to measure the level of our own level of sin – let alone anyone else’s!
This flies in the face of some comments that I have seen when disaster strikes – comments attributing that disaster to the level of sin in a nation, town or area. A better reaction is to pray for the people of an area that they be kept safe, including the innocent and the guilty.
Remember that God sends rain on the just and unjust [Matt. 5:45]. We are never wrong to ask for mercy for others, rather than assuming they deserve what they get. It is not weak. It is Christ like [Luke 24:34].
2. It is useless to judge levels of sin in ourselves and others because all sin carries the same penalty.
Romans 6:23 [NLT] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Doesn’t matter what sins trip us, or others, up, because the penalty for any sin is death. Sabbath breaking? Death. Bearing false witness? Death. Murder? Death. Idol worship? Death. Coveting? Death.
Need more proof? Look at this list of those who are left outside the Kingdom.
Revelation 21:8 [NKJV] "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Revelation 22:14-15 [NKJV] 14 Blessed [are] those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside [are] dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
Note that lying, which often gets a “pass” from us as being “not so bad” is among the sins that keep people out of the Kingdom. I would assume that includes lying to get out of trouble, when honest truth and accepting responsibility is a much better reaction. I assume it also includes lying to “spare someone’s feelings”, when either honest and kind delivery of truth or just keeping quiet would be better reactions.
And I assume it includes posting false information on social media, when we should either run down all claims to ensure they are true or just don’t post stuff you cannot fully verify.
I don’t want to dive any deeper into that. But I wanted to point out that sin is sin. God does not rank sin. All sin requires the blood of Jesus. While it is true that some sins garner penalties in this secular world and some do not, all sin garners the penalty of death from God.
The title of this blog is “the worst sinners revealed!”. Here is what I want to reveal: it’s every one of us. We are the worst because God doesn’t rank sin.
Romans 6:23 [NLT] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
The good news is that once we repent, ask for forgiveness and the blood of Christ is applied to are sins, we are washed as white as snow. No longer the worst of sinners, but now sin free. And it happens every single time. Praise God that He takes the worst of sinners and frees us from sins penalty by the blood of our Savior.
Think you are the worst sinner? You are. So am I. But in the next moment we can be the purest of people as Jesus applies His own righteousness to us.
Let me leave you with this:
Romans 3:23-26 [NKJV] 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth [as] a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the chat, or any time at Nancy@DyanmicChristianMinistries.org