Church feels like a perfect place. A group of Holy people coming together to pray, listen to the word, and give generously. In this world, Christians are often perceived as perfect. But how accurate is this? How perfect are Christians, and how perfect are they meant to be?
I don't know about you, but I sin every single day. Lying, lust, insecurity, pride, gluttony. I sin, and I will be the first to admit it. People may perceive me as perfect, but I definitely make mistakes, and I imagine most Christians do as well. Truth be told, I have never met a perfect Christian. The proof is in the name: Christian. It means Christ-like. Did you read it right? Christ-like. Not perfect. Not Christ. But striving to be like him.
The truth is that we fail often. Every day, to be exact. Nobody is perfect. If we were, we wouldn't even need Jesus to have died on that cross. Every Christian has sinned. Paul told the Romans that “All have fallen short of the Glory of God,” a truth that he knew all too well. He constantly wrote about his struggles with sin and the temptations he faced. Christians are never perfect. That's a truth Paul wanted to make absolutely clear.
But is it so bad that the world has exactly zero perfect Christians? No. In fact, it's a good thing. If Christians are to show the love of Jesus to sinners, they must have received this love themselves. Ephesians describes Christians as messengers, sent to bring the news of God’s love and grace to the whole world. But how can you give a gift you haven't received yourself? How can you, as a Christ follower, proclaim him without knowing who he is? You can't. If the world was full of perfect Christians, Jesus would never be spread to anyone because he wouldn't ever be needed. To show God’s love to a broken person is to be a testament of God’s love for you, another broken person.
The lyrics of one of my favorite songs sum up how I want to live my life. “I'm not alright. I'm broken inside, broken inside. And all I go through. It leads me to you, it leads me to you”
The truth is, I'm not alright. I'm broken, I'm hurt, I sin, and I’m definitely not perfect. I get mad, I want to hate instead of love, I don't want to be who Jesus calls me to be. Yet through all the pain, struggle, and fight, I am brought closer to Jesus than ever before.
The struggle with sin brought me closer to Jesus. The next time you think that you or another Christian are perfect, remember that it's not true. That's a good thing. We all sin, and that's why we all need a savior. The truth is that you are not alright, and that’s okay. Because an alright Christian can't be saved. Only broken people need a savior, and, as Jesus said, it's only through him we get to the Father. So don't be ashamed of your sin. Know that only Through your sin can you qualify for heaven. Because, as Paul so bluntly put it:
“It's only by grace that we have been saved.” -Ephesians 2:8 NIV
Without the need for grace, we can't be saved by it. A broken Christian isn't a bad Christian, but a Christian who knows that they have been saved. They know their worth is in God’s love for them, not the sins they commit. But more than that, they know that God’s love can never be taken away.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:38-39 NIV
Now go and live as broken Christians, exactly how God intended.
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