“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23 NKJV
Aside from the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ, every man who has walked the face of this earth is a sinner.
All of us are guilty before a Holy God. By God’s Love, we can be saved, but many do not want to be saved. Many believe they are in no need of saving.
Due to this, we have a wide array of sinners. We have sinners who recognize their sin, sinners who want freedom from their sin, sinners who promote their sin, sinners who go along with current events and what is popular, and sinners who know they are wrong but are not sure why.
Without understanding the different dispositions of sinners, we will have an undiscerned view of judging and discerning. Without knowing the different states sinners are toward God, we will be accused when in the right or accused when in the wrong.
The different dispositions of sinners we will unpack will consist of the following:
The Humble Sinner: admits sin is sin
The Haughty Sinner: promotes and boasts about sin
The Confused Sinner: goes along with whatever is popular
The Confessing Sinner: one who acknowledges they have sin that needs forgiving and desires community to love them
The Seeking Sinner: one who knows they are in the wrong but is not sure why and desires truth
1. The Humble Sinner (admits sin is sin)
“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”” Luke 9:23 NKJV
God is Immutable and will never change His mind on that which is contrary to His Nature.
The humble sinner admits sin is sin. He does not strive to argue his way out of his sin. He does not seek to justify sin or say, “It is a new day. That was back then.” The humble sinner acknowledges that God is Immutable and will never change His mind on that which is contrary to His Nature.
So long as God exists (which is forever), He will never change His mind on sin.
Sin is what led Christ to the Cross. Sin is what keeps us from knowing God. Sin is what destroys our life and ultimately sends us to Hell, if we do not repent and believe in Christ as the Sole Source of salvation.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you” (1 Peter 5:6 ESV). God will not exalt those who are prideful, arrogant, haughty, boastful, and are unwilling to acknowledge that sin is sin.
Sin is a universal destruction that comes in many forms and many facets. There will never be a time when God looks down and says, “Well, I suppose I was in the wrong. On second thought, that which is evil I will make a good thing now. I change my mind.” No. We are told:
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4 ESV).
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35 ESV).
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8 ESV).
If Christ said He is the Truth (John 14:6) and that God the Father would sanctify His disciples with the Truth (which is the Word of God) (John 17:17), then we can rest assured that what God’s Word says is concrete.
There is no changing of God’s Word. No preference, ideology, construction, or perversion is stronger than God and His Word. What God says, He means. The humble sinner recognizes this and desires to be saved from sin, not to make excuses.
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV). If we are unwilling to humble ourselves before God, we shall attempt to create God in our own image. We, the creatures, will strive to make the Creator bend His knee to our ways and methodologies. This, in the end, destroys man, placing him in a diluted state by which he is both deceived and damned.
God is willing to save us. God wants to save us. The humble sinner takes God at His Word and admits that sin is sin. He comes with a broken heart and repents before the Creator of Heaven and earth.
2. The Haughty Sinner (promotes and boasts about sin)
“Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.” Proverbs 3:34 NKJV
It doesn’t take much to see people flaunt their sin. In this day of narcissism and lust, men and women proudly boast and flaunt their sin.
Many love to indulge in sexual immorality, drunkenness, and pride. Many boast of their riches, wealth, success, and prestige. Multitudes are living as haughty sinners. They reject the conviction and calling of the Holy Spirit to repent and turn from their sins. Instead, they become proud and boastful.
““O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”” (Matthew 23:37-39 NKJV). Though this Scripture be toward Jerusalem, it is also the cry of God toward sinners. He desires to save, but many of us do not want to be saved (nor do we see ourselves as needing to be saved).
When the genuine born again believer calls out hypocrites or stands boldly for the Truths of God’s Word in love, he is labeled a bigot, hateful, and judgmental.
To stand for God’s Truths and speak against sin is the most loving thing one can do.
Ironically, to stand for God’s Truths and speak against sin is the most loving thing one can do. For although niceness and kindness can be done through external acts, those are momentary and fleeting.
To truly love someone is to expose hidden sin and turn them from sin.
What God desires is for us to share His full Truth. To truly love someone is to expose hidden sin and turn them from sin. It is to offer guidance and assistance to come alongside them, point them to Christ, and encourage them along the way.
“let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:20 NKJV
“Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:3 NKJV
Haughty sinners will be proud in their sin. They will shove their agenda in our face and strive to make us bow down to their ways. They will indulge and promote that which is clearly against God’s Word and Ways. They have no desire to change and they will never see themselves as in the wrong.
We know that “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4 NKJV). We know that “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 ESV). For “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 16:5 ESV).
God wants to save even the most proud and haughty sinners, but they must be willing to humble themselves. Without humility, it is impossible to come to Christ in true repentance and belief.
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble”” (James 4:6 NKJV). “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10 ESV).
3. Confused Sinner (goes along with whatever is popular)
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1 ESV
Some people have nothing by which they stand on or stand for. These are people who are like ships tossed to and fro by waves. Wherever the wind blows, there their sails go.
Some people have nothing by which they stand on or stand for. These are people who are like ships tossed to and fro by waves. Wherever the wind blows, there their sails go.
A man who doesn’t stand for anything will bow his knee to everything.
A man who doesn’t stand for anything will bow his knee to everything. This is how many operate. Many do not take time to study and see what the Word has to say (or even to develop their viewpoints).
We live in a day where multitudes hold beliefs but they can’t articulate the reason for those beliefs.
We live in a day where multitudes hold beliefs but they can’t articulate the reason for those beliefs. These are people who go with popular trends and what is current. They do nothing more than to listen to what mainstream has to say. If it sounds good, they will partake in it. Even if it doesn’t sound the greatest, in order to not offend anyone, they will go along merely to get along.
“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4 NKJV). What the world promotes is an abomination to God. What God declares, is hated by the world.
There is a continuous war being waged by what is of God and righteousness and what is of the world and godless.
There is a continuous war being waged by what is of God and righteousness and what is of the world and godless.
The confused sinner is the one who leans in favor of the world because he fears man more than He fears God; though, Christ tells us to “not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28 NKJV).
1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV) declares “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
The confused sinner will not research or take time to seek Truth. Instead, they will place popular opinions above truth – making those opinions their standard and basis for “truth”, even though perceptions and viewpoints continuously change as time goes on.
The confused sinner will not research or take time to seek Truth. Instead, they will place popular opinions above truth – making those opinions their standard and basis for “truth”, even though perceptions and viewpoints continuously change as time goes on.
4. Confessing Sinner (one who acknowledges they have sin that needs forgiving and desires community to love them)
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 NKJV
The confessing sinner is one who acknowledges they have sin that needs to be forgiven and they seek a community to love them.
We can list any type of sin – drug addicts, porn-viewers, idolaters, adulterers, drunkards – but for the sake of understanding, we will view homosexuality.
We are not talking about same-sex attraction, but acting out homosexual acts and gay marriages. The world will promote this, and it is no surprise. We don’t hate gays, just as we don’t hate drunkards or any other form of sinner.
For those who claim Christianity yet promote homosexuality, it is doubtful if they have the Holy Spirit within (Who is the Sign that we are truly born again). One needs to go no further than 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Romans 1:24-28 to see that the Word of God reveals that homosexuality is a sin.
The Holy Spirit always confirms God’s Word, and He never excuses It away and says, “This doesn’t mean what It actually says.” That is a spirit of the world that is deception and will always encourage us to live and flaunt our sins.
With homosexuality, we know there are humble sinners who have said, “God, I know this is my struggle. Help me”, and they became free.
There are proud sinners who flaunt and promote homosexuality and have no remorse or desire to change from their ways.
There are the confused sinners who say, “I really don’t know what to think, so I will just go with the crowd because I don’t want to offend anyone.”
Then there are the confessing sinners who say, “God, I repent before You. Your Word says that this is a sin. Forgive me and bring me to the right community that will love and embrace me and encourage me along the way. Help me to find brothers and sisters that we can share in our burdens as I desire to live for You, Lord God.”
When it comes to any form of sin, we need to discern the disposition of a person’s heart.
When it comes to homosexuality (and any other form of sin), we need to discern the disposition of a person’s heart. This will affect our approach.
Too many are mean and hateful towards gays who are seeking help. They become judgmental and turn many away from the church.
Others have conformed to not only accepting homosexuals but also coming into agreement with their lifestyle decisions. They are false prophets who say, “It’s okay. God understands. We love you and you are fine the way you are.” They bless homosexual marriages, though this is clearly against God’s design and Word.
Then, there are those who are bold and stand up against the agenda that is pushed on society and kids.
Those who stand up against sin are deemed as bigoted and hateful when, in the grand scheme of things, they are standing for God’s Truth.
Those who stand up against sin are deemed as bigoted and hateful when, in the grand scheme of things, they are standing for God’s Truth.
Every door that is opened, another door poses the question, “Can this be done?” Generations that accept what was not normal in previous years will conform to the next push on society.
It is a slippery slope. For every door that is opened, another door poses the question, “Can this be done?” Generations that accept what was not normal in previous years will conform to the next push on society. We have seen this from homosexuality to transgenderism, to now a small minority claiming that “pedophilia is a sexual orientation.”
The confessing sinner is the one who receives salvation and dominion over their sin. That is why, in our example, there are many ex-homosexuals who have found Christ and have been set free.
Nobody ever claimed to be saved from something that they didn’t need to be saved from. Every time someone says “Christ saved me from…” they are speaking of sin.
If there are two sides to homosexuality – one group saying it is okay and another claiming they have been saved, it is tough to argue against someone saying they have been saved. Nobody ever claimed to be saved from something that they didn’t need to be saved from. Every time someone says “Christ saved me from…” they are speaking of sin. There are too many testimonies out there that validate the Scriptures in regard to this specific sin.
We are called to “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16 NKJV). For “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 ESV).
The confessing sinner does not hide his sin or desire to live in it. He is willing to expose it before God and seek the power of the Holy Spirit to have dominion over his sin.
5. Seeking Sinner (one who knows they are in the wrong but is not sure why and desires truth)
“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV
Lastly, is the seeking sinner.
The seeking sinners are those who know they are in the wrong, but they are unsure why. They desire Truth and to follow in whichever way It points.
God is calling all, but many of us do not respond to the call, or we reject it. The seeking sinner stands out because they are willing to go where the evidence leads. They are willing to be conformed by Truth, rather than by the world. If something does not make sense or they are unsure about, they will seek after the Truth.
God will always come close to the man or woman who responds to His call and desires Truth.
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8 NKJV). God will always come close to the man or woman who responds to His call and desires Truth. For Truth is of the utmost importance, yet few there be who seek it.
Truth is of the utmost importance, yet few there be who seek it.
The seeking sinner is well on their way to knowing the Truth and living for God.
Those who do not seek after Truth will continually live in lies and deception. They build their own utopian end, which is not what conforms to reality. It is a made-up reality that one lives by, thinking that they are the end and can dictate their end. They are those who operate on how they feel, how they think, and how they act. They do not seek truth, but desire to build their own form of “truth”.
Those who do not seek after Truth will continually live in lies and deception. They build their own utopian end, which is not what conforms to reality. It is a made-up reality that one lives by, thinking that they are the end and can dictate their end. They are those who operate on how they feel, how they think, and how they act. They do not seek truth, but desire to build their own form of “truth”.
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20 NKJV). God has written His moral law upon our hearts and has made known His Presence through His creation.
Everyone, deep down, knows there is a God. The question is whether we are seekers of Truth (Who is God) and how long we have been listening or suppressing God’s call.
May we “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6 NKJV). Those “who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:10 NKJV). God waits with open arms, ready to forgive and save.
Let us always remember that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God”” (John 3:16-21 NKJV).
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, lead us by Your Spirit. Speak to us what is true, upright, just, and noble. God, may we forever be conformed by Your Word in the power of Your Spirit. God, we admit that we are sinners in need of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. We believe He provided the way for us to know You. We love You, Lord God. We repent of our sins. Breathe in us newness of life. Give us boldness to stand for Your Truth. Rule our minds and protect our hearts. We submit our all to You, O God in Heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lance VanTine
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