Missing the mark

In a world where there are different ‘levels’ of sin, it is very easy to get puffed up and self-righteous without even realising it. Somehow, that little lie is alright because after all, it is just a ‘white lie’. Overeating is fine and laughed about but is that not gluttony? The list could go on and on. 

Following the standards of this world easily leave one deceived. Yet sometimes, even Christians get it wrong because it is easy to overlook certain sins while pointing the finger at others. Yes, sins have different consequences but at the end of the day, sin is sin and we have all been guilty of it in one way or the other. The Greek verb for sin used in the New Testament (hamartano) is directly translated as ‘to miss the mark’. We have all missed the mark.

No matter how great one may seem, we have all fallen short. We are all like sheep that have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6). Nobody is good but God (Luke 18:19). Realising this has helped me to truly appreciate the gospel of Jesus Christ. I needed a saviour and I am so thankful each day that Jesus died for me to pay the price for my sins. As a result of Jesus’ death & resurrection alone, I have been forgiven and reconciled to the Father. Nothing beats this kind of love. Reminding myself of this daily prevents me from living a fear based Christianity (1 John 4:18). 

My desire to act right flows out of the fact that I have been justified and saved by God. My love for God compels me to keep His commandments (John 14:15). But no amount of ‘good works/behaviour’ could have ever saved me because I am imperfect and can never obey God’s entire law. Jesus was the only spotless lamb.

In no way am I overlooking sin but I am just encouraging heart checks. None of us are perfect so we should always extend grace to other people. I am always surprised by the ‘cancel culture’ wave I see on social media these days. Yes, correction is necessary but in my opinion, the measure used can be unbalanced a lot of the time. A verse I like says ‘If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall’ (1 Corinthians 10:12). I really love the bible because it keeps me in check always.

 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT)