Grieve or Gloss??

"You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient." -Ephesians 2:1-2

I believe one of the struggles of growing up in a Christian nation, in a Christian home, is our tendency to gloss over our sins. Several experiences at work have highlighted this for me lately.

First, one of my co-workers admitted that she smoked, but referred to it as her "only vice." Really? ONLY vice? She went on to say that she didn't do drugs or murder people, so smoking was okay.

A guest recently ordered a Diet Pepsi, but when I brought it asked if I could bring a blend of Regular and Diet because she was trying to wean herself off of Regular Pepsi, but Diet tasted so bad! I applaud her effort to rid her life of an idol (I know, strong word, but it was something other than God that she couldn't live without - we all have them; and need to get rid of them). But again, she mentioned Pepsi as her only vice.

On the flip side, I had a conversation with another co-worker last night. He was talking to another server about the "Sunday crowd" and said something obscene. I pointed out that wasn't a very nice thing to say about Jesus's church to which he replied that if he was going to hell it would be for far greater things than what came out of his mouth. He admitted he has many vices - and didn't care.

My experience in the Church has been to call good people, with few vices, away from hell by saying the Sinner's Prayer and we leave the truly amazing transformations for those with really big sins. So we say the prayer and walk out the door and continue to gossip, lie, worship ourselves, and live in unforgiveness. We are never taught to grieve these sins for what they are! And the result is a half-hearted church-goer, who is still just as empty and lonely as before.

"All of us once lived among [the disobedient] in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else." Ephesians 2:2-3

We won't be able to genuinely acknowledge the great gift God has given us through Christ Jesus if we aren't able to admit, and then turn from, our sinful nature. Why would we cling to the mercy of God if we never admit we are guilty?

"But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not the result of works, so that no one can boast. For we are what he had mad us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." Ephesians 2:4-10

As a Church we must call people from all walks of life to grieve their sin for what it is - an abomination that keeps us far from a perfect God - so that we can be drawn to and immersed in his immeasurable love, not just spared from hell to be a good church-goer.