What To Do With All That Sin...

   If you're a Christian then you have had a life (and soul) changing experience. You've come to the point where you recognize your sins for what they are, you've fallen at the feet of Jesus and asked forgiveness...and you were forgiven! Completely, totally, forever forgiven. Your sins are at the depths of the sea, as far as the east is from the west, forgotten by the Judge of your soul and payed for by the perfect sacrifice, Jesus. There's a beautiful newness that comes from that feeling, a freeness and wholeness that only God can give.  But, the forgiveness, although total in the eternal sense, doesn't erase the fact that we have sinned and do still sin.  It happened, it really did. You can't stand in front of an earthly judge or even a best friend and claim that, because you were forgiven, it never happened. The "old man" has passed away, but he did exist. So the question arises...what does the "new man" do with all that sin?    

   The truth is that we are still far from perfect, and the "old man" is the most powerful tool we have in reaching a lost and hurting world...because we ourselves were lost and hurting. We relate. We know how it feels. We know the struggles, the hold it had on us. We have in our possession, the personal testimony of a broken, lost soul rescued, healed and made whole by the Spirit of the Living God. We can tell what Jesus had done for us, where He brought us from, where He has taken us to and (if we can be so humble) the work He is still doing in us. That's the gospel!

   One thing I've heard people say about their sin, is that they don't owe anyone an explanation...

Absolutely, we do! 

We owe it to them for the sake of their souls! We claim to love people, but we put on a front of perfection and keep them from the testimony of how our soul was saved from Hell? This is what get's us labeled hypocrites and arrogant by non-Christians. We have told the lost that we don't relate to their present situation (they know we're full of it, by the way).  We look down on them in disgust, because the "new man" would NEVER behave like that!  All the while the old man is knocking on the sides of his box, calling us a hypocrite and begging to come out and tell his story. Tell it!

Another thing I've heard people say is that their past (or present) is too private. But, our sin does not belong to us. It is not our possession to do with as we please. It is the Lord's. He bore it, He died for it and it should be used for His glory. What good do we do a gospel that says we were blind but now we see, we were lost but now we're found, if we won't admit that we were lost and blind in the first place? If we were saved from a dramatic accident by a stranger who risked their life for us, what kind of story would it be if we left out the part about the accident! Not much of one. We have been completely and dramatically saved from sins that, just so happen to slip our minds. If we've been washed of them, then why are we so afraid of them?  Tell the world what you were saved from! Tell them how you used to be blind, you remember what if feels like to stumble around in the dark, you understand that temptation, the fears, the mindset and tell them about the day He washed your eyes and what it felt like to see clearly.

   What about the struggles we are going through now? He is constantly molding, shaping and refining us.  He will be until the day we die. There never comes a time in our lives (unless we have stunted our spiritual growth) that we should not be able to tell someone what God has been showing us about ourselves. We start seeing people like sinners we can't relate to, rather than flawed people just like us. Although we are changed through our salvation in Christ Jesus, we have not yet been made perfect and our constant stumbling should make us perfect candidates to speak to a fallen world. Think of how approachable and useful we become when we speak to others with that kind of humility. 

   Keeping our past and present sins fresh in our minds and out in the open will give us a few other benefits, too. Joy for one. Yup, Joy! Joy unspeakable and full of glory! Joy because we remember we HAVE been saved and WHAT we have been saved from (past sin and future Hell). Our personal walk with the Lord becomes nothing but a religion when we forget those two things. Pharisees anyone? It will also keep our egos in check. If we have to be honest with ourselves about our sins (past and present), we'll have a hard time becoming self-righteous. It also keeps us from being afraid someone finds out about us. How confining! If you are the one to tell it, it's out in the open and can't be thrown in your face or others to ruin your reputation. It can be the whole story of your transformation (with a happy ending) when you're the one who tells it, instead of a dirty, little secret (that we could even stoop so low as to lie about to keep and then lose all our credibility). 

   The story of Joseph tells us that what was meant for evil, God can use for good. This is what we need to do with our sin! With it, the devil intended to destroy us, FOREVER, instead we can use it to lead more souls to Christ! Instead of hiding it, USE IT! It's YOUR story! (I don't mean you own it, I mean it's unique to you.) Your testimony. Unlike any other. To be used to relate to exactly the people God puts in your life. Perfectly tailored to speak to them. So let's be honest...brutally...especially with ourselves.  Then we will have something new to offer, not a sermon...a testimony.  

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"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." 

- Exodus 50:20

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  Side note #1: Our testimony isn't limited to our sins. Any struggles, losses or pains that the Lord has walked with us through are ours to use for His glory. 

  Side note #2: We don't have to share EVERYTHING with EVERYONE.  With a little discretion we can determine how detailed we go into our past and who we share it with. It won't be hard to tell if a person is looking for insight or just juicy gossip. Don't share with the latter. 

  Side note #3: Maybe you haven't been in the "depths of sin" and never had that transformation. Keep in mind, though, God didn't die for your "almost" sins. They were real and damning! If you haven't felt this freeness, maybe you need to be a little more honest about the seriousness of your secret "heart" and "head" sins.  On the other hand, be just as open about the things you haven't done (with humility) and give (especially young people) a great example in a world of bad ones! It's a great testimony, just as long as you give God the glory and it doesn't become about how "perfect" you are. You came to know the Lord young and He saved you from all of THAT! Praise Him!