The problem with Christians.

It's an epidemic.

I wrote the line above last night while doing some reflecting and writing. About events, about others, and especially about myself.

It’s no secret that I have a lot of growing to do. I talk a lot about messy sanctification, and just because I’m on the other side of being the “Christian alcoholic” doesn’t mean that I’ve stopped having things to work on. In fact, here’s one thing I’ve learned in the last two years: The more you grow and are sanctified, the more aware you become of your sin.

Think about that for a second.

See, I think us Christians get that wrong. A lot. We tend to think that as we become more like Jesus we become more perfect. Less sinful. And in some ways, maybe that’s true. Our defaults and defects are exposed, and the Holy Spirit helps us work on those as we ask him to.

However, I think there’s a really big part that we tend to miss: you will always have sin you need to root out. Sin is a whack-a-mole game. As soon as you deal with one issue, another pops up. That’s the nature of sin!

The doctrine of sanctification doesn’t mean we are automatically less sinful. Instead, in so many ways it means we actually just become more aware of what sins continue to grip us! And the good news of Jesus is not that we are free from sinning, but rather free from the eternal consequences of our perpetual sin.

Do you get that? Do you know that? Do you see that?

Being a Christian isn’t about accepting Jesus and then tapping into sinlessness. No, becoming a Christian is about having your eyes opened to your failures and how you “miss the mark” and realizing how powerless you are to fix that on your own—and thus how much you need your savior.

If you don’t realize that, then I think you may not fully understand the Gospel.

I think this idea is best captured by the great theologian, Charles Spurgeon. He was called “the prince of preachers.” Here’s what he said about us becoming more aware of our sin. Note the first line because I think it’s really important: