Psalm 51:10

Philip Yancey once said, “The only essential difference that I can tell between Christians and non-Christians isn't morality, it’s that Christians have acknowledged that we’re sinners and we can’t make it on our own. We’re failures and will continue to fail.  A thousand years from now the church will be just as full of problems as the church is now, as it was a thousand years ago."  To my knowledge, no other institutions recognize that. Governments don’t, other religions don’t. But for Christianity this is our baseline.

When we deny that baseline we aren't just telling a little white lie, we are living in the original sin of Adam.  Instead of being transformed by Christ, we are denying Christ and allowing the lie to transform us into sinful frauds.  This is the insidious, primal work of sin.  We try to put on a good face, but we fall into the trap of just trying to make ourselves look good.  

Believe it or not, the Scriptures do not bear witness to a God who is terribly concerned with whether or not we fall into sin.  God knows the truth and knows that we are sinners, yet loves us through and in spite of our sin; like a mother loves her children.  God's concern is more to do with whether or not we are humble enough to return to God with faith in Him to cleanse us of our sin.  God isn't afraid of our failure.  Just as we enter the sin of Adam, become sin and cannot free ourselves.   God entered sin with Jesus, and became sin for us so that his death and resurrection would free us from our fears, failings, and shame.  

Fear of failure runs deep within our human experience.  We fear failure so much that we actually create false images of perfection.  The result is we become weary from trying to live up to the expectations we've created for ourselves.  Have you ever met someone who seems so weary all the time that they just seem to have no life within them?  Have you ever felt that way?  

This is nothing new.  The Israelites created an idol of their own making when they lost patience with Moses and crafted a golden calf.  King David suffered from this kind of fear when he was unable to keep Israel secure enough to build the great temple he envisioned would please God.  The Pharisees and priests of Jesus' time fell deep into this trap of sin when they submitted to Roman authority rather than lose their own power.  And, it's true for you and me today, as well as the church.  Anyone who thinks they can undo this tangled mess of sin and relieve themselves of its grip all by themselves and their own effort is a fool.

The Psalmist knew this when he wrote Psalm 51.  These are words that used to be lyrics of the liturgy in every Lutheran church.  Today, we will use them as our prayer to focus our day.  

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence

and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and uphold me with you free Spirit.