".. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matt. 9:13, HCSB).
"Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8, NASB).
"... God, turn Your wrath from me--a sinner! (Luke 18:13, HCSB).
That (the title) is a legal term, or lawyers' parlance, for behavior such as some suspect hiding info, engaging in a cover-up, lying, etc., and is an explanation and description of their dubious demeanor. It is evidence and can contribute to the conviction of the crime in question. Likewise, in our faith, we don't come to repentance without cognizance of guilt! Before the good news of salvation, we must hear the bad news of sin--that we personally are guilty, not just mankind. People are claiming they have faith without ever coming to an awareness of their own sin and how they fall short of God's ideal and standard, realizing they are lost ("I was lost but now am found!"). Repentance and conviction go together--you must not only fall short of your own standards but realize you fall short and miss the mark with God. How can you claim to be found without realizing you were lost! Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and the sinner--we must be cognizant of this. We must realize the verdict: guilty as sin (and that isn't even a strong enough word for it)!
To maintain we are righteous and need no repentance is an insult to God, for our righteousness is as filthy rags (cf. Isa. 64:6). If we are righteous in man's eyes, it is a gift of God. Our righteousness is God's gift to us, not our gift to God (cf. Isa. 45:24). We don't ever have the freedom to sin or to live on in sin, but must come to a change of behavior and attitude toward our sin. Repentance is that: changing one's mind! Repentance involves a matter of the volition, the emotions, and the intellect--all parts of us are affected by grace, for it's all a matter of the gift of God has penetrated our hearts and changed our minds toward our sin--He changed us from the inside out!
The only qualification for salvation is to realize one's lack of credentials! Salvation is to the lowest bidders! We must acknowledge our unworthiness and humble ourselves. If we insist on our righteousness we will never be declared righteous! Note that God doesn't make us righteous, but just declares or considers us righteous due to vicarious justification, redemption, reconciliation, and redemption. God accepts vicarious obedience and Christ obeyed the requirements of the law of Moses perfectly on our behalf. The yoke of the Law had become overbearing and Jesus came to bring an easy yoke of following God's will: for instance, the Pharisees had added thirty-nine forbidden activities considered as work for the Sabbath which made it a burden and not a celebration of the Lord. What a relief to accept Christ's vicarious obedience on our behalf!
As believers, we don't have the right to live in the flesh, but the power to live in the Spirit. Our persistent sinning doesn't show our freedom but demonstrates our slavery. We must learn to overcome the sin that easily besets us (cf. Heb. 12:1) and not to be slaves of sin, but slaves of righteousness, in fact, we are more than overcomers! (Cf. Rom. 8:37). We don't want any sin to dominate us and to be our master (cf. Psalm 119:133; 1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23). We don't want any certain sin to have dominion over us (cf. Psa. 119:133; 19:13; 18:23). The psalmist says in Psa. 119:133, HCSB, "... Do not let any sin dominate me." We must let go of the sin that so easily besets us or trips us up! (Cf. Heb. 12:1). For we are slaves to whatever overcomes us (cf. Rom. 6:16).
We can never be too aware of our sins, for Samuel Rutherford said that the more aware of our sins we are, the less sin. William Jay of Bath said, "I am a great sinner, and I have a great Savior!' Also, as we grow in Christ we become more conscious of sin and of God's displeasure! And who can forget Peter's humility in saying, "Depart from me O Lord, for I am a sinful man" (cf. Luke 5:8). Then there's the sinners' prayer in Luke 18:13, emphasis mine, saying: "God be merciful to me, THE sinner!" Point in fact: if you don't realize your need for forgiveness and realize your depravity and sinfulness before the Godhead, Jesus has nothing to say to you and the good news isn't relative to you but only condemnation for disobeying the gospel and not fearing God. Soli Deo Gloria!
"Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8, NASB).
"... God, turn Your wrath from me--a sinner! (Luke 18:13, HCSB).
That (the title) is a legal term, or lawyers' parlance, for behavior such as some suspect hiding info, engaging in a cover-up, lying, etc., and is an explanation and description of their dubious demeanor. It is evidence and can contribute to the conviction of the crime in question. Likewise, in our faith, we don't come to repentance without cognizance of guilt! Before the good news of salvation, we must hear the bad news of sin--that we personally are guilty, not just mankind. People are claiming they have faith without ever coming to an awareness of their own sin and how they fall short of God's ideal and standard, realizing they are lost ("I was lost but now am found!"). Repentance and conviction go together--you must not only fall short of your own standards but realize you fall short and miss the mark with God. How can you claim to be found without realizing you were lost! Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and the sinner--we must be cognizant of this. We must realize the verdict: guilty as sin (and that isn't even a strong enough word for it)!
To maintain we are righteous and need no repentance is an insult to God, for our righteousness is as filthy rags (cf. Isa. 64:6). If we are righteous in man's eyes, it is a gift of God. Our righteousness is God's gift to us, not our gift to God (cf. Isa. 45:24). We don't ever have the freedom to sin or to live on in sin, but must come to a change of behavior and attitude toward our sin. Repentance is that: changing one's mind! Repentance involves a matter of the volition, the emotions, and the intellect--all parts of us are affected by grace, for it's all a matter of the gift of God has penetrated our hearts and changed our minds toward our sin--He changed us from the inside out!
The only qualification for salvation is to realize one's lack of credentials! Salvation is to the lowest bidders! We must acknowledge our unworthiness and humble ourselves. If we insist on our righteousness we will never be declared righteous! Note that God doesn't make us righteous, but just declares or considers us righteous due to vicarious justification, redemption, reconciliation, and redemption. God accepts vicarious obedience and Christ obeyed the requirements of the law of Moses perfectly on our behalf. The yoke of the Law had become overbearing and Jesus came to bring an easy yoke of following God's will: for instance, the Pharisees had added thirty-nine forbidden activities considered as work for the Sabbath which made it a burden and not a celebration of the Lord. What a relief to accept Christ's vicarious obedience on our behalf!
As believers, we don't have the right to live in the flesh, but the power to live in the Spirit. Our persistent sinning doesn't show our freedom but demonstrates our slavery. We must learn to overcome the sin that easily besets us (cf. Heb. 12:1) and not to be slaves of sin, but slaves of righteousness, in fact, we are more than overcomers! (Cf. Rom. 8:37). We don't want any sin to dominate us and to be our master (cf. Psalm 119:133; 1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23). We don't want any certain sin to have dominion over us (cf. Psa. 119:133; 19:13; 18:23). The psalmist says in Psa. 119:133, HCSB, "... Do not let any sin dominate me." We must let go of the sin that so easily besets us or trips us up! (Cf. Heb. 12:1). For we are slaves to whatever overcomes us (cf. Rom. 6:16).
We can never be too aware of our sins, for Samuel Rutherford said that the more aware of our sins we are, the less sin. William Jay of Bath said, "I am a great sinner, and I have a great Savior!' Also, as we grow in Christ we become more conscious of sin and of God's displeasure! And who can forget Peter's humility in saying, "Depart from me O Lord, for I am a sinful man" (cf. Luke 5:8). Then there's the sinners' prayer in Luke 18:13, emphasis mine, saying: "God be merciful to me, THE sinner!" Point in fact: if you don't realize your need for forgiveness and realize your depravity and sinfulness before the Godhead, Jesus has nothing to say to you and the good news isn't relative to you but only condemnation for disobeying the gospel and not fearing God. Soli Deo Gloria!