It’s important to remember that all Christians including members of the clergy are human beings. Not to be negative but we are broken, messed up human beings just like everyone else. Just because we decided to put our faith in God doesn’t make us “better” people. Just because we believe in a perfect man in Jesus doesn’t mean we are perfect.
Let me be clear, this does not mean I am in any way excusing any and all actions of Christians. I cannot defend any of the wrongdoings by Christians or the church. I understand if you have felt betrayed or angered or upset by the actions of church members and leaders in the past. Some have committed seemingly unforgivable acts that may have broken your trust in them. However, what I am saying is that we shouldn’t expect Christians to be better than ourselves. Or just plain better people in general. Because they are people just like anybody else.
It’s not a coincidence that Paul was inspired by God to pen these words in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
Make no mistake; we are all sinners because Adam passed on his sinful condition that leads inevitably to our personal sin and death. We all share Adam’s death sentence as an inherited condition (the “sin nature”) that is passed down to and through the human race and that every child brings into the world. Even before a child can be held accountable for personal sin, he or she is naturally prone to disobey, to tell lies, etc. Every child is born with a sin nature.
The late theologian and philosopher St. Augustine explained Adam’s transmission of his sin to us with a theory known as “federal headship,” a view held by most evangelical scholars. Augustine taught the concept of “inherited guilt,” that we all sinned “in Adam”: when Adam “voted” for sin, he acted as our representative. His sin was thus imputed or credited to the entire human race—we were all declared “guilty” for Adam’s one sin.
That being said, the more I learn about Jesus and who He is, the more aware I am of my own shortcomings. The more I understand about how perfect Jesus is and the amazing love He shows to everybody, the more I realize how flawed and imperfect I am. Becoming a Christian and growing in my faith has made me actually see how badly I need God’s forgiveness, mercy, and grace. It has made me see how far I am from perfection.
At the end of the day, this message is not intended to grant provisional approval to sin or to make excuses for being imperfect. However, because of our sin nature we should never view anyone from a perfect lens. After Paul explained the priceless value of knowing Christ in Philippians 3:1-11, he said these words in vv 12-13, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,d but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
4GIVEN 