Many, many years ago I bore witness to a passionate argument between my Bride and her sister. 

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

-The Apostle John

We were attending The Church of God at that time. We had returned there from a nearly three year hiatus. I have spoken on here before as to why we left the second time to attend The Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. However, the first departure was because certain young adults and families had developed a clique. The “cool kids” if you will. The majority of these “cool kids” were actually part of the pastor’s extended family, which comprised half of the congregation. Either you were a member of the family, or an “honorary member” that was invited to hang out with them. Gossip abounded at this church. People were looked down upon. Judgmental glances over the shoulders would meet your eyes. So much so that the “cool kids” (keep in mind that these “kids” were mostly young adults in their 20s and 30s) had talked bad of the poor family in our church. Because the mother came to church every Sunday in the same dress. After my Bride and I had announced the pregnancy of our second child, I had made the decision that we would no longer attend the church. I did not want my children being around such an ungodly mindset. But this is a story to expound upon for another time.

In time Pastor left the church to minister elsewhere. His family departed as well. Along with them went the “honorary family members” and the congregants that did not want to sit under another pastor. Leaving behind the remnants and loyalists. Which included my Bride’s family. Other pastors came and went. But none stayed. At the time of our return I was in the throes of being called to be a pastor myself. I felt that our presence was needed at that moment for this struggling church with a handful of attendees.

It was a common occurrence. Either my Bride’s grandfather, Pa, or Lewis would bring the message in the absence of a guest speaker. And securing a speaker was always difficult. Every single guest speaker, knowingly or unknowingly, was also being auditioned to be our next pastor. We all sat in hope, asking “Could he be The Chosen One?” At one point in desperation we actually had a woman pastor audition for the pulpit. Even at one point I believed that the vacant pulpit was reserved for me. Maybe this is why I felt the urge to return?

I will never forget one of the first guest preachers that came after our return. A big ol’ boy in a big suit with white hair and a southern drawl indicative of being a local. He spoke a lot about being from “Bee Hollow”. Pastor Bee Hollow also said many times in his message that he was a “sinner saved by Grace”. I thought that he did exceptionally well and was deserving of a call back. The church at this point certainly needed to not be picky over minute details.

Now, it gets a bit fuzzy here. I am uncertain as to whether the following event took place after this particular Sunday, or the following Sunday. But after church we found ourselves at Grandma and Pa’s house for lunch. Which was customary on many occasions. I remember being in the kitchen. I had asked Grandma why the church was not pursuing Pastor Bee Hollow. She said that “He kept saying that he was a ‘sinner saved by Grace’, and we didn’t like that”. Now at this point, somehow, I ended up in the living room between my Bride and her sister (who also attended our church) and the discussion shifted to the rejection of Pastor Bee Hollow and him being a sinner saved by Grace. I do not remember what was exactly said, but the fiery and passionate argument took place. So much so that I believe that I had to step in and deescalate the situation. My Bride argued that we are sinners saved by Grace. And that we constantly fall short of God’s glory, and thus need Grace daily to overcome our sins. Her sister argued that, according to Pa, we are no longer sinners. That Christians cannot sin and only “make mistakes”. In her words, and I quote, “Christians are perfect”.

So… are we?

The short answer is “no”. Christians are not perfect. Far from it. And we would be lying to ourselves and everyone within a global radius if we were to say otherwise. Even though The Heathen expects a perfect performance from us, and applauds when we fall off the stage. We struggle with our Sin Nature everyday. From lust, to anger, to greed, to pride. The Christian Man that takes a second glance at the immodest temptress at the supermarket. The Christian Woman that curses the man that just cut off her minivan on the interstate. The Christian Father that loves money and will stop at nothing to obtain more. The Old Snooty Christian Woman that looks down on the dirty poor girl in church because she is not clean enough for her standards. All of them in Sin. And most do not even know it.

“For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity”

-Proverbs 24:16

To say “I am a sinner saved by Grace” is not blasphemy. It is in fact Biblical. Before our meeting with Salvation we are sinners. We are separated from God and destined to be cast into The Outer Darkness. Under the Judgment of Christ. However, once we have accepted His atoning death on The Cross, and resurrection from the tomb, then we no longer wear the crown dubbed “Sinner”. It is by His Grace that our undeserving wicked souls are saved. We are made right with God. Justified. However, we are still a sinner. Huh? The difference with the pre Salvation sinner is that that is who he is. Permanently cast in his sinful casket until Christ opens it. Or until he weeps and gnashes his teeth. The post Salvation sinner is no longer defined by Sin, but he is capable of sinning. One is The Sinner who needs Saving Grace to break the chains that separates us from God. The other is The Saint that struggles in Sin, who needs Grace to daily save him from the hands of Darkness that seek to pull him back into his grave. One does not know God apart from Grace. The other knows God and reaches out to Him for the Grace that is needed to make him more Christ-like. However, both know Sin. Both examples are “sinners saved by Grace”. Being a Christian does not redefine Sin as a simple mistake.

“Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.  For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.  For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.  Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

-Paul, to The Church in Rome

Many will say that Paul’s struggle with Sin in Romans 7 was indicative that he was not saved. Because it is impossible for Christians to sin. Because they are perfect and sinless. However, the only way for Paul to understand the sin that coursed through his veins, is to understand that Sin exists. That it was the offense to God that needed reconciliation. That he saw the gray now as black and white. And it is apparent that Salvation had found him, because he seeks Grace to overcome the vines that seek him out to bind him. Paul’s struggle is exemplary as to my previous point about being both The Sinner that finds Salvation through Grace, and being The Christian who sins and seeks daily salvation from the bondage through Grace. Either way, neither one is perfect.

But what about this word, “perfect”? Do we not see it mentioned throughout Scripture?

“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

-Jesus, from The Gospel of Matthew

OUR definition of “perfect” typically conveys the thought that someone or something is without flaw. That they are not just pristine, but that they no longer need improvement. That they are complete. Perfection is the final step in the process in any progressive work. As the songwriter writes the final note. As the painter paints the final stroke. It is finished. However, in verses such as Matthew 5:48 (above), the word used for “perfect” is teleios, which conveys the thought of “being perfected” when paired with the word “be”, which is esomai, which is in the future tense. A better translation would be “shall be perfect…”. Not “are perfect…” In other words, an ongoing process to be Christ-like. Christ is the only one Who is perfect (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 1 John 3:5). Our calling is to strive to reach that end, even though we in some capacity will fall short (Romans 3:23). The word for this is Sanctification. This is the biblical definition. It is a working towards and striving to be as Christ was. The only time that The Christian becomes perfect in the sense of “complete and pristine”, is when his body enters into glorification before The Throne of Christ (Philippians 3:20-21). After he has succumbed to the Forever Sleep. Until then we will continue to struggle with our flesh as we engage in Spiritual Warfare. Until then we are guaranteed to fall. Until then we are guaranteed to rise after our fall. If we so desire Victory.

Additionally, 2 Corinthians 7:1 shows “perfect” as being ongoing (i.e “perfecting”), Philippians 3:12 conveys the thought of us not being complete (perfect), and Hebrews 5:9 illustrates that Christ is perfect by using the term in its past tense.

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

-Paul, to The Church in Corinth

I am thankful for The Spiritual War. I am thankful for the corruption that my mind and body must endure. I am thankful for my weaknesses and the thorns in my flesh, despite the frustration and exhaustion that they create. Why? Because without them I would not rely upon Jesus. I would not fall onto my knees in prayer. Because those trials that I must go through are refining fires. Fires that teach me, make me stronger, and draw me closer to my Savior. Because it is human nature that Comfort births Complacency. And a comfortable and complacent Christian, in time, forgets to seek his Father. He may even forget his Father. To be a perfect Christian, without flaw and error, means that you have no more need for Grace as each sunrise and sunset passes. Because you have no need for The Potter to fix the broken vessel. Because your knowledge is complete, therefore, you no longer have a need to learn from The Word. If your all is complete and flawless, then you have reached the pinnacle of being human. If you have reached the pinnacle of Man, then what more need do you have of God? Because, evidently, you have become like Him. You no longer need comfort from The Storm because no storms come upon you. You no longer need guidance from The Holy Spirit because your knowledge is complete. You no longer need deliverance from Temptation because you cannot be tempted. You no longer need Salvation from Sin because you sin not.

So Pastor Bee Hollow was correct. And he would have been correct on both counts. First, he was once The Sinner that was brought to life by Saving Grace. Second, he is The Saint that struggles with Sin that needs Grace to rescue him from Temptation and Sin. That which we all must face in time. And there is no standard that says that a pastor will never face Temptation or fall victim to Sin. That if he struggles then he is undeserving of his title. It is true that, according to Paul’s letter to Timothy, that a pastor should be above reproach. But being a pastor does not make him perfect. It does not make him into an unsinkable ship. Even though he is called to a higher calling, he is still human. It is not Temptation and Sin that chases him into the Midnight that disqualifies him. It is what he does with them when they stand in The Darkness together. Instead of The Church of God seeing him as a problem, they should have seen him as the example. It is a shame what may become of a situation when Pride and Ignorance get in the way.

Sadly, I no longer know where Pa stands on the issue. Dementia has hunted him down and taken him into its chains. He is no longer speaking theological thoughts and leading others in The Way. He now sits and enjoys Life and the company that sits by his side. I have gathered from bits and pieces that my Bride’s sister has come to the realization that we are, in fact, sinners saved by Grace. That she understands the war between our struggle for being perfected, and the corruption that ensues from being fleshly creatures living in a broken world. That we indeed have the tendency to be broken ourselves. Maturity in the things of Christ has the tendency to change our minds in time. Life itself tends to have that same effect.

So then, beloved, let us embrace imperfection. That we may reach for The Perfect One when Temptation and Sin find us. That we may be sinners saved by Grace. Both at our rebirth and each subsequent hour. Let us embrace The Darkness’s existence that will keep us in The Light.

Because without The Darkness, you cannot appreciate your need for The Light.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”

-The Apostle Peter