Justifying Sin

Justifying my sin. It's a sin upon anther sin. There is so much wrong with me trying to make my sin okay, it's disgusting! I'm convincing myself (or at least trying to) and others that my sin is okay, that I haven't wronged a holy God, and that there is no need for confession and repentance in my life!

I've realized lately that there seem to be a few reasons why I justify my sin. First I don't understand God's holiness, because if I did I wouldn't sin...let alone justify it. Second, I'm lazy. I don't like to work hard. Repentance requires work, recognition of what I've done wrong, and commitment in Christ to change. It's much easier to just gloss over my sin than to address it. Third and finally, I don't like to be different and I don't like to be humbled. Most often I justify my sin when it is brought up around other people. Instead of being humble, and turning that initial conviction of sin into an opportunity for repentance, I justify it. My pride kicks in and I realize that I don't want to look bad in front of these people, so I start defending myself. Trying to make my sin okay. And when others are talking about their sin that join in laughing about it because I don't want to be different.

There are probably more theological and biblical reasons for why I justify my sin but as I have been thinking and praying about this for the last 24 hrs or so, I was struck with my misunderstanding of how holy and perfect God is, how absolutely lazy and complacent I am, and how my pride and fear of man keeps me from identifying and repenting of my sin.

In Ephesians 1:3-6 Paul writes,

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved."

These verses are mind blowing. I don't even understand the deep rich grace that is so wonderfully expressed in them, but I was struck by the two italicized phrases. I have been predestined, elected, called to be holy and blameless before Him. What a slap in the face to the way that I have been living. The purpose of God's will, which is the praise of His glorious grace, leaves no room for purposefully ignorant, lazy, proud, unrepentant, sin justifying living. It only leaves room for holy and blameless, worship filled, repentant, sin hating, God glorify living. Sin should have no place in my life and justifying my sin should be even farther from my life.

So, here's to seeking out the depth and truth of God's holiness and my rightful response of repentance. Here's to hating my sin, associating myself less with others who are satisfied and comfortable living a sin-filled unrepentant life. Holy and blameless. That is my call, my goal, my aim and I know it's possible because I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places!