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My Sin Is Not as Bad as Your Sin

My Sin Is Not as Bad as Your Sin

The Bible is clear that all humans “have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NIV84). David explained the reason this is so: Because of Adam’s sin, we are born in sin and conceived in iniquity (Psalm 51:5). This means that we all are born with a terminal condition that we did not choose and that results in destructive symptoms and eventual death if we don’t get the cure. Having this condition is not our fault, and we are not guilty for being born this way.

Imagine that an HIV-infected man and an HIV-infected woman get married and have a child who is born HIV infected; what did the child do wrong? Nothing! The child is not “guilty.” But the child still has a condition that, if not remedied, will cause sickness and death. That is the condition of every human being born since Adam sinned; we are born terminal, not guilty. Thus, the Bible says that we are “dead in trespass and sin” (Ephesians 2:1) and only have life through Jesus (Ephesians 2:5) because Jesus provides us the cure.

But when the HIV-infected child becomes an adult and persistently refuses a free remedy that would put the HIV into remission, what would happen? They would get sicker, have more symptoms, and eventually die from that condition. They would not be executed by the doctor, who provides the remedy.

This is a perfect analogy to our sin problem and the plan of salvation. We are not responsible for being born in sin; we are responsible for refusing the free remedy offered in Jesus.

Back when I was in medical school, there were no treatments for HIV and we had many patients who were dying from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). People with AIDS were all suffering from the same terminal condition—the HIV infection—but they did not all present with the same symptoms. Some had pneumonia, some went blind, others developed various lesions of the skin.

How sad would it have been if the patients with pneumonia criticized those with skin lesions, while those with the lesions criticized the blind, and the blind complained about the pneumonia patients who were constantly coughing? And how much worse would it have been if not only had the patients criticized each other for their varying symptoms but also said, “I may have a fever and cough, but at least I’m not blind” and then refused to seek treatment?

Sadly, the world today is much like this, focusing on someone else’s sin, someone else’s sickness or symptoms, as a means to ignore their own:

  • “I may have had four DUIs, but at least I don’t do drugs.”
  • “I may buy lottery tickets, but at least I don’t gamble; and I have never gone to Vegas!”
  • “I may look at porn on my computer, but at least I have never visited a prostitute.”

But this is the way of sin: denial, distortion, projection, fault finding, blaming, accusation. Jesus dealt with the same thing in His day and said to the religious leaders:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3–5 NIV84).

We are born with a terminal condition that we did not choose, yet without treatment (God’s grace working in our hearts), it causes all kinds of symptoms—fear, selfishness, guilt, and shame—which lead us to actions meant to protect self: lying, cheating, and acting in violation of God’s design for life, His law of love. Such actions always damage the sinner, causing greater guilt, fear, and shame, and, if not healed through God’s grace, result in hardening of hearts, warping of minds, and corruption of characters. People become more selfish and less capable of clear thinking.

Because we are all born with this fear condition of selfishness, the me-first instinct, we have all acted in selfish ways (sinned). The normal response when we sin is to experience guilt, fear, and shame. These unpleasant feelings are designed to alert us that something is wrong and motivate us to seek healing. We want to make these feelings go away. The only healthy way to resolve them is through repentance and experiencing God’s grace healing the heart. We are “reborn” with new identities as children of God. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV84).

But if people refuse God, refuse to repent, refuse the remedy of Jesus, then they seek to resolve the feelings of guilt, shame, and fear through destructive means, such as: denial, distortion, projection, blame, externalization, various forms of pleasure seeking (drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, violence, thrill seeking, entertainment, etc.) designed to numb the conscience. For such sinners, truth—which would bring conviction, expose the disease, and bring to light the pathology of a character in need of healing—must be avoided.

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19, 20 NIV84).

The wicked cannot tolerate allowing the righteous to live in peace because the lives of the righteous are lights of truth, which expose the lies and destructive practices of the wicked; this causes the wicked to experience more guilt, shame, inadequacy—even if the righteous say nothing. Guilt and shame are inherent in the sin itself, and truth exposes the deficiency of character and brings the guilt, fear, shame into consciousness, so truth must be avoided. Therefore, the wicked always seek to corrupt the righteous—to get the righteous to sin. This not only extinguishes the light of truth that exposes the sin, but it also justifies the sinner by garnering tacit validation through mutual sin-indulging behavior. If the unrepentant cannot seduce the righteous into joining them in their sin, then they seek to silence, censor, devalue, demean, or destroy the righteous—the truth must be opposed.

One form of this self-deception is combining denial of one’s own sin with projecting the wrong onto others and devaluing the righteous person. In this way, the unrepentant will accuse the righteous of being more sinful, hypocritical, or worse off than themselves. A person struggling with addiction denies they have a problem: “So I drink a little. I can stop anytime I want. That DUI was a trap.” They project their guilt and shame onto the righteous and devalue them as being a worse sinner, justifying their continued addiction: “At least I’m not a judgmental hypocrite like them.”

Jesus made the same point in His day:

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God” (Luke 18:9–14 NIV84).

This trap keeps people from genuine repentance, from true healing of heart and mind, as they embrace the lie that as long as they aren’t as bad as that other person, they are okay.

Recently, I contrasted the biblical worldview and the Green worldview. I described how the Bible teaches a future in which God destroys this broken and damaged planet and replaces it with a new Earth free from all sin, disease, and defect—the home for the righteous. In contrast, the Green worldview is a godless belief that envisions a future of overpopulation, exhaustion of the planet’s resources, and death unless we act to stop it. I contrasted how the biblical worldview values people over the planet, but the Green worldview values the planet more than the people and wants to cull the population in order to save the planet. After presenting these concepts, I received the following email:

I … was interested in your comments about the far left at its extreme. … I would also like to know why you haven’t made similar comments regarding the far right, because their agenda is quite similar. The far right is also interested in decreasing the population to have an elite white society. The White-Supremacists, Skinheads, Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and Ku Klux Klan are all quite vocal about getting rid of Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Jews and we have several House Members and Senators that are leaning in that direction. It is also interesting to note that they are perfectly happy destroying the earth as long they can get rich doing it.

Do you see it? The person is basically saying: “My Green desire to cull the population isn’t as bad as their racism—racism is more evil. At least I want to cull all ethnic groups equally.”

This person totally missed the point that I was not contrasting the political left and the political right; instead, I was contrasting the Creator God worldview with the godless evolutionary worldview. They missed the point that from a biblical worldview, it is never about race, because from God’s vantage, there is only one race—the human race—and when we are reconciled to Christ, we are all members of the heavenly family, all children of God, all heirs to the promises, restored to unity and oneness of love under one head, Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:2–29; Ephesians 1:10).

God’s plan of salvation is for every human being equally. Only those who refuse the remedy of Jesus continue to compare themselves with others and find fault in others as a means of avoiding their own guilt, fear, and shame—and this is the root of all racism.

We (the entire human race) are all dying of the same terminal sin-condition and need the same remedy (Jesus). It is a trap to look to others, finding ways to elevate ourselves above them and  criticize them as a way of feeling better about ourselves.

The only solution to our terminal sin condition is that provided by God, through Christ, and administered by the Holy Spirit. The truth about God as revealed in the life of Jesus dispels the lies from our minds and wins us back to trust. In trust, we open the heart and receive God’s love, His indwelling presence, so that “it is no longer I live but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). We experience new hearts and right spirits, love casts out fear, and we are freed from guilt and shame. Being reborn, receiving the free remedy of Jesus, we no longer seek to avoid these toxic emotions through the methods of the world, but instead choose to practice God’s methods of truth, love, and freedom. We present the truth in love and leave others free, for love never compel, it does not coerce, or force its way—love always leaves people free.

So when tempted to elevate yourself above others and criticize them for their sin symptoms—STOP! Instead, fix your eyes on Christ; see the beauty of His character, the truth of His supreme trustworthiness; open your heart in trust to Him; let His love fill you up and cast out all your fear; let Him remove all your guilt, take away all your shame, and give you a new heart—and then go forward as a new creation seeking to administer God’s healing love to others.

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Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 47

I can’t even begin to thank you and your ministry enough for introducing me to the Truth about a loving and merciful God! I have my daughter and her in-laws to thank for sharing with me “The God-Shaped Brain” as well as your website. I listen to the Bible study class lessons on my daily walk. May God continue to bless your thirst-quenching ministry!

Liz H., Port Angeles, WA, USA

 

 

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I have been sharing Come And Reason Ministries Bible study lessons with several folk. You have such a beautiful view of the plan of salvation. If we had this message preached when I was young, my generation would still all be in church.

H. R., New Zealand

Testimony 68

Your message of design law vs imperial law is so uplifting and makes so much sense- it is a game changer for me. The fact that Jesus’s death is not a big payment by an angry God is , quite frankly, a relief.

Laura G., London, Ontario, Canada

 

Testimony 50

After coming into contact with Come And Reason Ministries, I can finally say that many of my unanswered questions have fallen into place. I discovered that my view of God’s Law was “imposed laws and rules” with “imposed punishments” and that this was the major culprit of my many unanswered questions. Thanks be to God for using you and those around you to help us who have struggled with this “infection” of thought. I have now rejected the “imposed law” concept to fully embrace “Design Law”… to look thru “Design Law,” instead of “imposed law,” is a relief.

Viliami L., Australia

 

Testimony 14

We really appreciate your views on the judgment and they make good sense considering our free choice.

Anonymous

 

Testimony 54

I had a lot of pressure, as a pastor’s kid, to conform and be “good.” I was good at being “good.” I thought my life was going along well until it all started falling apart and I could not figure out why! In my search for “why is this happening to me, God?” I came across your book, “Could it be this Simple,” and God started revealing to me the many distortions I held about His character, His principles, and how He has designed His universe to operate. I remember thinking, “Wow, I have had this all backwards.” I was happy and angry all at the same time. Happy to have the light of truth break through the darkness, revealing a wonderful, beautiful way of understanding God and His plan for His children, and angry, because I felt deceived and cheated by the church, my family, and myself!

My heart thrills when I listen to your bible study lessons. Literally I have gone from death to life. It is a journey I look forward to every day, as God reveals areas this distortion affects. Praise GOD! I will ever be grateful to God for this ministry and your cooperation with the Spirit!

Karen S., Portal, AZ, USA

 

Testimony 66

I am incredibly grateful for the transformative impact you’ve had on my life, and words cannot fully express my appreciation. Over the years, I have been an avid listener and follower of C&R and extend my heartfelt thanks for creating the C&R mobile app. It has allowed me to immerse myself in your lessons repeatedly, enabling me to grasp the profound significance about the Character of God, Design Law, the protocols for life, the reasons behind the current chaos, and Christ’s mission to restore everything. They have deeply touched me. Having studied with various churches, I came away with the perception that God is no different from the deities of ancient Greek or Roman mythology—demanding sacrifices and taking pleasure in bloodshed. Thanks to your transformative teachings, I have experienced a profound awakening to the true nature of God and the immense power of His love. It is truly a remarkable and liberating sensation to finally grasp the truth and embrace the empowering nature of God’s laws. My self-perception has become brighter and more infused with love. My journey of growth continues on a daily basis.

Chris P., Lake Mary, FL, USA

 

Testimony 58

I have been watching your videos in The Power of Love seminar and I must say these have liberated me and have improved my relationship with the Lord. I am no longer terrified of him as I was before following your teachings.

Thando N., South Africa

 

Testimony 39

[This ministry is the] biggest blessing I have ever received! Your DVDs and lessons could not have come at a better time in my life. I have experienced in the past year many difficulties that, if it wasn’t for this wonderful view of God that I have discovered through this ministry, I would not have been able to respond in love and forgiveness. My heart is being transformed everyday by the Calvary-looking God you teach. Hallelujah!! I have tears in my eyes as I write, because my life has taken a complete turn from where I was heading.

I am from Central America. Most of my family is scattered in different parts of the world and all have the same view of God that I had growing up; a distant, exacting, and ready-to-punish-us-with-tragedy type of God. So, I have been translating lessons for my family and, to my surprise, they have also been sharing them with others! I can already see the difference. My brother has often said, “Thank you for sharing, I have never heard it this way!” My other family members are taking an amazing turn from a message of “repent or burn” towards a loving God, pleading to us that we won’t reject him because he loves us eternally.

Bless you for all you do.

Sofia S., Ashfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 26

Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

Nancy S.

 

Testimony 64

I’ve been reading the bible and walking with Jesus since I was around 16. I’m 42 now. I’ve mostly been alone in my walk although I went to several churches in different denominations. For the past 3 years God has been showing me His character of agape. It’s been a blessing and changed how I view God and my walk with Jesus. About a year ago I came across the power of love and the principles of design law. These teachings changed how I read scripture and have been such a beautiful blessing. I’m very excited and grateful for these truths. We share these truths of agape, design law and the reality of the principles of the two trees in the garden of Eden with people on Facebook and YouTube. People all over are learning to trust God and His agape design law which makes life possible. Thank you for everything you shared with me. May God continue to bless your ministry and lives.

Bradley M., Hinsdale, NY, USA

 

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I’m a youth leader in South Africa. We as a youth group are currently using a lot of the material on the Come and Reason site. Since we’ve started using the material, our youth group has grown.

R. V. N., South Africa

 

Testimony 9

I really enjoy with you the view of a gracious God. Thank you for sharing the work you are allowing the Lord to do in you.

L., Queensland, Australia

 

Testimony 56

I cannot thank you enough for opening my understanding to the beautiful truth of God’s Law of Love and how it applies to everything. I have been a Christian for over forty years, but I feel like I am only now seeing with my eyes open. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!

Tammy Cinzio, Australia