The Worst Sinner You Know

Are you the worst sinner you know? How you answer that question says a lot about your theology as well as the condition of your soul. Some Christians find this questions to be difficult, if not inappropriate. So let me tell you up front that I am convinced the answer to this question, when posed to a Christian, ought to always be, "Yes. I am the worst sinner I know."  Many balk at this idea--pointing to people who are constantly overwhelmed by guilt and find no relief. Such theology can seem cruel. Yet when properly understood this leads to deliverance rather than to despair. Knowing ourselves and knowing our Savior highlights our transgressions and Christ's glories in such a way that we are both humbled and made happy by the grace of God in Christ.

The Apostle Paul wrote of himself in a way that demonstrates what he believed about himself. First he said he was "least of the Apostles" (1 Cor. 15:9), then "least of all the saints" (Eph. 3:8), and, at the end of his life, he saw himself as the "foremost" of sinners (1 Tim 1:15). This, combined with Paul's ongoing struggle with sin described in Romans 7:13-25, gives a picture of the Apostle's self-image. Though now a saint he remained, in his own eyes, the worst sinner he knew due to his wicked past and even his present corruption. Note what the Second London Confession has to say about the sin nature in believers:   Continue at Joe Thorn