"Confess your faults one to another" (Jas. 5:16). He who is alone with his sin is utterly alone. It may be that Christians, notwithstanding corporate worship, common prayer, and all their fellowship in service, may still be left to their loneliness. The final break-through to fellowship does not occur, because, though they have fellowship with one another as believers and devout people, they do not have fellowship as the undevout, as sinners. This pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner. So everybody must conceal his sin from himself and the fellowship. We dare not be sinners. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. so we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy. The fact is that we are sinners!

But it is the grace of the Gospel, which is so hard for the pious to understand, that it confronts us with the truth and says: You are a sinner, a great, desperate sinner; now come as the sinner that you are, to God who loves you. He wants you as you are; He does not want anything from you, a sacrifice, a work; He wants you alone. "My son, give me thine heart" (Prov. 23:26). God has come to you to save the sinner. Be glad! This message is liberation through truth. You can hide nothing from God. The mask you wear before men will do you no good before Him. He wants to see you as you are, He wants to be gracious to you. You do not have to on lying to yourself and your brothers, as if you were without sin; you can dare to be a sinner. Thank God for that; He loves the sinner but He hates sin.

--Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

Filed under: * Christian Life / Church Life • Church Year / Liturgical Seasons • Lent

1. Jimmy DuPre wrote: “We dare not be sinners.” True and one of the biggest problems in the Church; even and possibly more so amongst conservative circles February 25, 9:02 am | [comment link]

2. libraryjim wrote: We did a Wednesday Book study of “The Cost of Discipleship” by Bonhoffer one year during Lent.  It made for a very special Lenten journey. February 25, 12:11 pm | [comment link]

3. Milton wrote: Thank you for this timely reminder of sustaining bread in the wilderness.  Would that all churches bore eache other up and camealongside to pick up a fallen brother or sister, rather than too often proving the old saw, “Christians always shoot their wounded”. February 25, 2:04 pm | [comment link]

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