Stop Calling People Sinners
I heard a pastor say recently at the conclusion of his sermon, “Go tell someone you’re a great sinner and then tell them about the greatness and the majesty and the forgiveness and the joy that you have because of the work and person of Jesus.”
My friends, you should never do that! Sin should never have a starring role in our Gospel presentation. And while we're on the subject, let's stop saying bull-crap things like "hate the sin and not the sinner." Jesus never said that...In fact, you might be shocked to find out that was said by Gandhi. That phrase gives people the excuse to not love like Jesus because it screams 'we don't love you as you are.' OR 'we'll only love you as soon as you look like us.' I find the irony in the well-meaning Christian who tries to rebuttal out of fear of condoning...as if Jesus ever worried about how others perceived his love. In fact, Jesus never called anyone a sinner because He understood that was no one’s identity (don't misquote the metaphor Jesus used in Mark 2). You are not a sinner saved by grace. You are a saint saved by grace. You are a saint who still sins but it does not define you. You are a child of God. You are His beloved.
If you need to be told how bad you are to find out how good God is, it’s not the Gospel you’ve found. The Gospel is an invitation to participate in the life of the Kingdom of God here on Earth now. The Gospel is the good news of the righteousness, peace, and joy we have because of Jesus. As Danielle Shroyer says in her book Original Blessing, "We (unfortunately) have shifted from telling a story marked by connection to declaring a story marred by distance." She continues by saying, "God’s grace can’t and shouldn’t be twisted and used as a way for us to feel like we’re unworthy. God doesn’t need to humiliate us before giving us grace just to ensure the grace is effective and appreciated. If we are told we have to feel bad before we can appreciate felling loved, it isn’t love we’ve found."
Ravi Zacharias once said, “Time is the brush of God, as he paints his masterpiece on the heart of humanity." That quote is influenced by Ephesians 2:10 where Paul calls us God's masterpiece. I like how Lecrae raps it when he says, "The Master Artist makes your mess a masterpiece regardless..."
That's the point of the Gospel...the good news...you are God's masterpiece. And if you are a masterpiece, you can't BE flawed. You can HAVE flaws, but that's not WHO you are. You cannot be a dirty wretched sinner and a beloved child of God at the same time. One is a clever way the church has carried false humility for centuries...the other is your permanent identity. Sinner is not your identity. Sonship is. You're not a terrible person. You're in process of recognizing and believing how God views you...because He thinks you are amazing!