As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!
Psalm 40:17 ESV
I said it in the podcast.
We have to get to a place in our relationship with God and our understanding of who He is, what He’s done for us, and get comfortable with these places of recurrent sins but being willing to change our attitude about them and move forward with Him.
– Carol, The Unraveled Love Podcast
On review, I wondered: Is that true?
And, Yes, I believe it is, but thought it might require further explanation.
I’ve struggled with finding words to share this spiritual truth clearly. Because in a world where reason seems to stand on an either/or footing, it’s difficult to see the truths of God’s Kingdom which are often grounded in a both/and. Getting comfortable with your sins is one of those places.
There are two aspects of the definition of “comfortable.” One has to do with enjoying contentment and security in something. This is the definition most of us think of when it comes to getting comfortable. But it is NOT what I mean when talking about our recurrent sins.
We should be uncomfortable when we recognize deep-rooted sin in our lives. We should grieve and seek forgiveness. Through James, God gives us a clear picture of a right response to the recognition of personal sin:
Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
James 4:9-10 NLT
Grief. Sorrow. Humility. These are a right response for a Believer to their sin, especially when a deep-rooted recurrent sin is revealed.
None of this sounds very comfortable.
However, another aspect of the definition of “comfortable” is “free from vexation or doubt… free from stress or tension” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition). When we accept our sinful state apart from Christ, we can save ourselves a lot of stress and aggravation. We can even alleviate doubt about our salvation, when we get comfortable with the truth of our sinful state.
Embracing our sinful nature – coming to grips with the reality of it – is the heart behind getting “comfortable” with our sins. Accepting we are poor and needy when it comes to our understanding of what is right and wrong. good and evil. and being aware of our innate inability to do what is right apart from Christ, are key to the practice of repentance.
We are born sinners. Born with an unrighteous bent because of Adam and Eve’s choice in the very beginning of our story. They rebelled against God and His right to rule and reign by choosing to rely on an outsider to direct their course instead.
All of us, like sheep,
have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths
to follow our own.
Isaiah 53:6 NLT
We ALL have sinful paths in our lives we fall into repeatedly. ruts we can’t seem to get out of. It’s part of who we are as people who have been corrupted by an inheritance of sin. We are poor and needy. faulty and frail.
If we accept the inevitable nature of sin in us from birth, we can give up the exhausting coping mechanisms we employ when we are confronted with wrong behavior. We can stop justifying. defending. denying. blaming. striving. excusing. covering up. or pleading ignorance.
The truth is, if you are a Believer – one who has put faith in Jesus and His saving work on the cross – then you are free from sin and death. Not in the future, but NOW. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can be set free from the sinful ruts in your heart.
Getting comfortable with our sin nature means shedding all pride! The pride that makes us cringe and instigate a cover-up campaign when we see our faults or causes us to rise up and defend our actions and blame others for what we have done.
Learning to walk in the truth of human frailty and faults – our own and those around us – has the ability to free us from striving to make ourselves look good when we are not. Get comfortable with the idea that you are a sinner and repentance will become a state of mind you rely on daily.
Jesus did the hard work for us.
He paid the price for our sins on the cross.
Because He had no sin of His own, He blesses us with His righteousness.
When we put our faith in Him.
Oh friends. Get comfortable with the idea of being a sinner saved by grace.
Be open to receiving the truth of your sin.
Grieve. Be sorrow-full. Humble yourself before God.
Be willing for Jesus through the Holy Spirit to show you a way out of the ruts of sin running through your soul.
It’s a comfortable place to be.
Knowing you’re a sinner saved by grace.
Knowing there is help to show you the Way.
Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 7:24-25 NLT
Feature Image Photo by Ruthson Zimmerman on Unsplash
Comfortable Chair Photo by Kari Shea on Unsplash
Sheep Photo by Tanner Yould on Unsplash
If you haven’t listened.
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Unraveled Love 
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