Robby and his sister Mary were trying to memorize 1 Timothy 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)—”Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” They were stumbling over the word “sinners,” so their Sunday school teacher asked if they knew what a sinner is. They didn’t know, so she asked them some questions to help them understand.
“See if you can answer these questions honestly,” she said to them. “Have you ever told a lie?” They both said “no.” “Have you ever said ‘no’ to your mother?” They both said “no.” “Have you ever hit your brother or sister?” “Yes!” said Robby. “She said she would give me the prettiest piece of candy, and then she gave me the ugliest!” Then Mary also answered, “Yes. I hit him because he hit me!”
Their teacher tried to explain that getting angry and hitting were sins, because they are wrong. And people who do these wrong things are sinners. Our sins need to be washed away with the blood of Jesus so we can live in heaven with Jesus someday. “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
A week later Robby and Mary were sitting in Sunday school again when the teacher asked, “What is a sinner?” Instead of pointing at themselves, Mary looked at Robby and Robby poked Mary! Mary knew Robby was a sinner and Robby knew Mary was a sinner, but neither of them wanted to admit their own guilt.
You might smile at this story, but are you doing the same thing? Do you think that just because you haven’t killed or stolen or done something really, really seriously wrong that you’re not a sinner? Are you pointing at someone whom you think is worse than you are and forgetting that the Bible says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23))?
Please be very honest with yourself. Admit that you are a sinner, and accept Jesus as your Saviour today. He will give you a heart washed clean from sin that wants to please Him. “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)).
ML-03/04/2012