Sin is a grievous offense against holy God. As creatures of dust, it is an unbelievable affront for us to defy God’s commandments and to ignore His word. In today’s society, it is common practice to excuse our offenses or to minimize them: I did not have a good father . . . I had a bad boss . . . I suffer from low self-esteem . . . I have an addictive personality . . . A handy excuse for our sin is always at our fingertips. And, our peers are quick to accept our excuses as long as we are accepting of theirs as well.
Regardless of how long the apostle Paul served God with distinction, he never lost sight of what he was, apart from Christ. When he looked honestly at his sin, he was so abhorred by it that he could not imagine anyone being a worse sinner than he was. It was not that Paul was merely being hard on himself. This was no false humility. He despised the sin in his life that had done so much harm to God’s kingdom. His sin, in all of its stark ugliness, would always remind Paul of what he was part from Christ.
Paul was able to effectively help Timothy overcome his own sins because Paul was keenly aware that he was a sinner as well. Paul could never grow impatient with Timothy, knowing that he was the chief of sinners. Such humility enabled Paul to help many people overcome their own shortcomings. Having been saved from so much himself Paul was eager to help others find the freedom he had found. Have you been making excuses for your sin, or do you see it in all of its stark ugliness?