Growth Points: Acknowledge our Brokenness

To Be or Not To Be.

“If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.”
-1 John 1:8

It just so happens that I’m reading Hamlet while writing this post. I won’t spoil the plot here, but I will say it’s a story of broken characters trying to make right (or erase all evidence of) their sins. And while it makes for a gripping play, it’s not Biblical in the slightest.

So what is brokenness? How do we acknowledge our brokenness? And how does God use our brokenness to glorify His Kingdom? Together, let’s find the answers.

Today’s growth point is…

I am a sinner.

I know, I’m sorry. Ever since I was born, I’ve been a sinner. I’ve messed up, received God’s forgiveness, messed up again, and received His forgiveness again. It’s part of being human. What isn’t human was Jesus’ willingness to die for us and to break the power of sin forever.

Without Jesus, I’d keep sinning without remorse, over and over. Ultimately, my sins would send me to hell (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Because of Christ, I’m forgiven. And entering into His forgiveness is easy. All I have to do is acknowledge that I’m broken and that I need Him.

In His Words…

In Mark 11:25 Jesus says,

“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in Heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

Jesus makes it clear: forgiving others = being forgiven by God. Not forgiving others = not being forgiven by God. Since I’ve already written on forgiving our enemies (see this post), I’ll focus on the second part: God forgiving our sins.

God wants to wash away your sin and my sin and welcome us into His Kingdom. In Isaiah 1:18 He says,

“Come now, let’s settle this… Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”

To illustrate this, how about thou doth return to Hamlet?

Room to Grow.

After Hamlet confronts a murderer, the man cries out, unsure whether he can even consider praying to God. As the original text reads,

Pray can I not, though inclination be as sharp as will. My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent, and, like a man to double business bound, I stand in pause where I shall first begin, and both neglect.

Or as the updated version reads,

I cannot pray, much as I should earnestly want to, my overpowering sense of guilt defeats my strong inclinations. Like a man with two alternatives, I stand transfixed, not knowing which to do first, and so neglect both.

This got me thinking. Do we not routinely feel the same? How often do we think our sin is too bad, too repetitive, or too much of a struggle to bring before God?

As much as I want to confess and receive God’s forgiveness, I feel unworthy of approaching Him in prayer. When I sin or mess up, instead of always going straight to God, I let the devil plant this dangerous lie: Because Christ redeemed you, you shouldn’t struggle with sin.

There’s truth in that: as Christ works in me, my inclination to sin should diminish. But Christ did not promise a sin-free life in exchange for knowing Him. The disciples are a prime example. Remember how Peter reacted to denying Jesus (Luke 22:60-62)? Scripture says he “left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.”

The temptation for believers and non-believers alike is to run from our sin. But instead of running to God…we run from God. This is wrong.

Acknowledgments.

I asked three questions at the top of today’s post. Please allow me to elaborate.

1. What is brokenness?

“Then the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’ He replied, ‘I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid…’”
-Genesis 3:9-10

If you’ve ever thought about hiding your sin, know you aren’t alone. From the dawn of time, people have hidden from their mistakes (it’s called a cover-up, literally). Thing is, even though God knows your sin, He can’t forgive you until you repent. God cannot forgive unconfessed sin.

I can sum up brokenness with the Kids’ Church response.

God created the world, and He created man and woman in His image. But the serpent deceived them and they sinned, triggering the fall. Sin separated Adam and Eve from God, and they had to leave the garden. As a result of their sin, every human is born a sinner.

Many of us know this story, but our pride often labels Adam and Eve as “sinners” without also applying the label to us. Sadly, if you were born to human parents, you’re a sinner. So are your parents, and everyone who came before them. This is crucial. The first step in being made right with God is admitting that we are sinners. This is how we acknowledge our brokenness. Sin affects us all. God wants to help. He can only help once you admit you’re part of the problem.

Humanity’s sin began in the garden, but it’s carried on by all of us – myself included.

2. How do we acknowledge our brokenness?

“But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
-1 John 1:9

When you feel guilty, when you feel ashamed, when you feel like you can’t come to God, remember this verse. God will cleanse us of all unrighteousness when we ask for it. Running from our sins will never achieve this effect.

If you haven’t done so before, join me in reading this simple prayer pioneered by Billy Graham:

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name.”

By confessing our sins, God offers forgiveness.

3. How does God use our brokenness for His Kingdom?

‘”My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”
– 2 Corinthians 12:9

Adam ate the fruit.
Noah got drunk.
Abram (aka Abraham) lied about his wife.
Moses was a murderer.
David committed adultery.
Jonah jumped ship.

If you think your sins are bad, look at what these guys did (and I don’t say this to justify your sin or my sin, for God sees all sin as wicked). Adam fathered humanity yet brought sin into the world, Noah saved the world and then fell into sin, Abram lied about his wife and caused premature plagues against Egypt, Moses killed a guy and then ran away, David killed a guy and took his wife, and Jonah straight up disobeyed God. So why do we hail all six as Biblical icons?

They repented of their sin. They acknowledged that they were part of the sin problem, and they asked God for forgiveness (as far as we can tell). After this, God used them to achieve His purposes nonetheless. Most of them only accomplished their greatest feats after their biggest mistake.

So don’t think your sin cuts you off from God. Don’t think your sin means you’re worthless or can’t do anything for the Kingdom. Remember that Jesus died for your sins so you could one day be made whole. So confess your mistakes, run to Him, and rest assured that you’re forgiven.

In Summary.

I’m a sinner, and it sucks. I mess up. I feel unworthy to come before a holy God. And I’m right. Without Jesus, I can’t come before God. Because of Jesus, my sins are forgiven. All that’s required is the confession of my sin and prayer for God’s strength to fight it.

I can’t continue with this series until you and I have done this. I’ve discussed methods for knowing God and serving His Kingdom, yet none of that matters if we haven’t repented and asked for God’s forgiveness. Our good deeds can’t outweigh our sin, ever (Ephesians 2:8-9). Thankfully, Jesus paid that price.

Do you want in on the greatest deal in history? For the low price of surrendering your pride and repenting before God, you can be cleansed of shame and receive eternal life.

To quote Proverbs 28:13,

“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.”