Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
THE SAINTHOOD/SINNERHOOD PARADOX
The Christian faith is filled with paradoxes (statements which seem, on the surface, to be contradictory or opposed to common sense, but which are true). For example: The Bible teaches that Jesus came into the world to function as our humble bond-slave. As He carried out His Savior-work for us He lived in meekness and lowliness. Yet the Bible also says that Jesus is greatest of kings and the all-glorious Son of God. These two teachings ("Jesus is our lowly Servant" and "Jesus is our mighty Lord") seem contradictory, but both are true.
Another paradox: Scripture teaches that believers in Jesus continue to be, even after their conversion, poor miserable sinners. For as long as they continue living in this world they are beset by enticements to sin. They must admit: "I have the desire to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the evil I don't want to do . . . What a miserable person I am!" (Romans 7:18 ff). Yet the Bible teaches that in Christ Christians have also become "a holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9). In fact, God chose them even before the world's creation "to be holy and blameless in His sight" (Ephesians 1:4). These two statements ("Christians are sinners" and "Christians are saints") don't seem to fit together. Yet both are true.
Now, as saints of the Lord (our robes washed clean of guilt by the blood of Christ) we have the Spirit-worked desire to conform our lives (which are far from saintly) more and more to His holy image. We strive day by day, with the Spirit's help and power, to pattern our lives--our attitudes and words and actions--according to the example of our perfect Savior. We pray with the hymn writer:
Assist my soul, too apt to stray, A stricter watch to keep;
And should I e'er forget Thy way, Restore Thy wandering sheep.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 416:3)
