Chief...

...of sinners!

That is the title the apostle Paul gives himself - Chief of Sinners. Not the most prestigous title in the world I suppose but one that everybody should ascribe to themselves.

I'm reading a very good book just now by Jerry Bridges called The Discipline of Grace. In it Bridges emphasises the need for believers to see themselves as sinful.

Bridges lists four statements by made by the apostle Paul concerning his own sinfulness:

• I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle (1 Cor 15:9)


• I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, there dwells no good (Rom 7:19)


• I am the very least of all the saints (Eph 3:8)


• Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief (1 Tim 1:15)

Bridges points out that the statements are listed chronologically which is interesting. Note the "progress", so that in the beginning (Eph 3:8) Paul compared himself with an elite group of Christian men, and said of himself that he was the least of the apostles. In the end (1 Tim 1:15) Paul compared himself with sinners (i.e. everybody, for we are all sinners) and he saw himself as the chief, that is, the greatest or the foremost of them all - the greatest sinner of the lot!

This is spiritual progress - not that we think of ourselves as becoming better and more important - but that we become more and more aware of our sin. This may seem to be paradoxical, and it certainly flies in the face of modern psychology which encourages positive thinking (which isn't necessarily all bad) and the need for self esteem, but it's a sign of spiritual growth.

Paul did not wallow in his sinfulness though or use it as an excuse for sinning. What it did to Paul was that it saved him from self-righteousness and made him cast himself upon the grace of God.

"The problem with self-righteousness is that it seems almost impossible to recognise in ourselves. We will own up to almost any other sin, but not the sin of self-righteousness. When we have this attitude, though, we deprive ourselves of the joy of living in the grace of God. Because, you see, grace is only for sinners." (J Bridges)

William Carey, the pioneer missionary, had grasped this lesson, as evidenced in a letter to his son on his 70th birthday:

"I am this day seventy years old, a monument of Divine mercy and goodness, though on a review of my life I find much, for which I ought to be humbled in the dust; my direct and positve sins are innumerable, my negligence in the Lord's work has been great, I have not promoted his cause, nor sought his glory and honour as I ought, notwithstanding all this, I am spared till now, and am still retained in His work, and I trust I am received into the divine favour through Him."

Facelift

Having left my blog unattended since November 2006, it's now had a facelift and the intention is to put regular posts on my new blog (here's hoping!).

The picture above is of Koltur which is an island in the Faroe Islands, located to the west of Streymoy and to the north of Hestur. The total population of Koltur is 2 people and some 160 sheep! Koltur is one of 18 islands in the Faroes, 17 of which are inhabited - some, like Koltur, only by one family.