The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

  - 1 Timothy 1.15

I, Patrick, a sinner, am a most uncultivated man, and the least of all the faithful, and I am greatly despised by many.

  - Patrick, Confession, Irish, 5th century

I appreciate the honesty of these two men – two of the greatest servants of God who ever lived: “a sinner”, “most uncultivated”, “least of all the faithful”, “foremost” of sinners.

This is not false humility; they meant every word. Indeed, they had been faithful in their labors, as each argued passionately, and had accomplished much for the Lord.

But deep inside, the reality remained: apart from grace and the mercy of God, they were without hope. Just like you and me.

Such honesty is rare in our day. We live in a culture that encourages us to put up a good front, do our best to impress others, not let them see our weaknesses, and make sure we get all the credit and someone else gets the blame.

But we are sinners and uncultivated wretches nonetheless. Knowing this should bring us to dears daily. God has set His love on us, and that’s the only thing separating us from the most despicable people you know. We are His chosen vessels, redeemed by grace, renewed in His Spirit and Word, yet stained and bruised by the remnants of sin lingering in us still.

So why be so defensive about it? If we sin against a brother and are confronted by it, that shouldn’t surprise us. If we fail to keep some promise, what can we expect? If we disappoint a loved one or mindlessly hurt an innocent friend, well, it’s simply who we are.

This is not to encourage complacency, however; far from it. Rather, what I hope to do is encourage us to take down our natural defensiveness, hear the rebukes and complaints of those we have wronged, let the Spirit convict us in the depths of our souls and lead us to repentance, and then renew the bonds of love with those we’ve injured, beginning with the Lord.

This is what the greatest of saints have always done.

It certainly should characterize us as well.

Psalm 38.1-4 (Leoni: “The God of Abraham Praise”)
O Lord, rebuke me not, nor chasten me in wrath!
Your arrows pierce my sinful heart and fill my path.
Your heavy hand weighs down; my flesh and bones grow weak.
My sins oppress, confuse, confound – I cannot speak!

Help me, Lord, to face up to my sinfulness, and, at the same time, to find in Your face the renewing and transforming grace I need.