A SINNER RUNNING FROM SIN!

The story is told of a young girl who accepted Christ as her Savior and applied for membership in a local church.

"Were you a sinner before you received the Lord Jesus into your life?" inquired an old deacon.

"Yes, sir," she replied.

"Well, are you still a sinner?"

"To tell you the truth, I feel I'm a greater sinner than ever."

"Then what real change have you experienced?"

"I don't quite know how to explain it," she said, "except I used to be a sinner running after sin, but now that I am saved I'm a sinner running from sin!"

She was received into the fellowship of the church, and she proved by her consistent life that she was truly a child of God.

It is interesting to note here the transition of St. Paul from the feeling of being a very significant person in the Church to the feeling of being a great sinner. He began his spiritual journey after his transformation and the feeling in him was that he was one among the apostles (or may be the most important one because of his special call by the risen Christ! – for example: Ref. Gal. 1: 1, 11-12 etc.). He boasts about his call in the beginning of his ministry, but as days went by, he, because of his association with Jesus Christ, began to realize that he is a sinner and his final conviction before his death was that he was the greatest of all sinners (Ref. 1 Timothy 1:15-17)

Have you seen the growth of a paddy plant? When it flowers, the head shall be held high, but as days go by and when the husk is filled with liquid to form the rice grain, it starts to bow and as it becomes ripe for harvest the head shall be in the lowest position possible!

When the love of Christ fills our hearts, we shall naturally be humbled – arrogance, selfishness, evil motives etc. shall be reduced (it is ‘ego’ that tempts us to hold our heads high). When the love of Christ fills us, we shall become aware of our sinful nature and we shall say, “I am, because of Him; I do because of Him and I have nothing to boast of”.