Have you ever struggled with the idea that you aren’t “cut out” to live the Christian lifestyle? Have you ever struggled with the notion that you aren’t “good enough” to be a Christian? These thoughts or questions may have never even crossed your mind, but there are some who may be struggling with sin in their lives to the point where they feel so hopeless and so helpless that these types of destructive thoughts creep in.
Fortunately, God provides us with a number of examples of sinful people, who are also followers of Him, that we can look to for hope as we deal with sin in our lives.
It is important though that we don’t try to compare the severity our sins to someone else’s. We must be careful that we don’t justify one sin over another, or say that one sin is better than another; but it is important to understand how God used “prominent” sinners in the Bible to do His work.
1 Tim 1:8-15 – Paul lists a number of qualities that the Law (Christian principles) can be used for. But he also goes on to talk about how God was able to use him to be of service, even though he was a persecutor of the church. In verse 15, he would go on to proclaim himself foremost of all sinners. You see, even though Paul was a violent aggressor of 1st century Christians, God was still able to use him to a great extent in the furtherance of the gospel.
Again, we have to be careful when we start to compare our sins against someone else’s, for God hates all sin; but Paul’s conversion begs the question, if God can use someone like Paul (a persecutor of the church), then what can he do with me? Or perhaps better stated, what can a sinner like me do for Him?
If the despair of your sin brings you to a place where you think you’re “not good enough” to live the Christian lifestyle, remember how God used the apostle Paul and other prominent figures from scripture.
Peter denied Jesus – Mat 26:69-75
David and Bathsheba – 2 Sam 11:4
Solomon’s many foreign wives – 1 Kings 11:1-8
Noah drank wine and slept naked – Gen 9:20-21
All have sinned – Rom 3:23
Lastly, remember that you are not alone in your struggles with sin. We are all sinners and are all struggling with something. Don’t be afraid to reach out to another brother or sister in Christ for encouragement. We have a responsibility to our fellow Christians to help each other through our struggles (Gal 6:1-2), and in doing so, bring glory to God.
Paul Wolf