“Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Christians are people who never sin or feel sinful.
Rather, because of their faith in Christ, God simply doesn’t attribute their sin to them.
This teaching is comforting to those who have terrified consciences.
For good reason, we often try to impress on people that their sins are forgiven and that righteousness is attributed to believers for the sake of Christ.”
Martin Luther
3 comments:
This concept of "terrified consciences" is pretty common in Jonathan Edwards, as well - and not just in "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."
Readers: do you think most nonbelievers today have such a terrified conscience? Is it a helpful thing for conversion? An essential thing for it?
What about Christians - do we have terrified consciences? Should we, to some degree?
Josh - I think many nonbelievers do have terrified consciences, but I would say most don't, at least here in the US. Sin has been marginalized to outward physical behavior and is further skewed by the relativistic culture around us. People can now, in today's thinking, consider most of the things they do as okay for them, becuause they are a law unto themselves. Absolutes are fading in most people's minds.
I do think having this terrified conscience is extremely helpful in getting people to surrender their will and trust Christ, because in brokenness we are able to see the beauty of Christ more fully. However I do believe God can regenerate a heart without it.
I for one, do not have a terrified conscience most of the time. I was just talking to a friend of mine at lunch about this very issue. My sin is not that evident to me, and when it is I struggle to feel the weight of it. I don't believe this is healthy though. As Christians, I think we should be constantly growing more aware of our sin and thus seeing more clearly the love of God through Christ for us.
Good question. Thoughts?
David, very helpful comments, thanks. Just thinking through it now. Hmm.
I guess that when I think about a "terrified conscience" for a Christian, here's what I think it should and should not be:
1. Hate the sin for what it is in itself
2. Hate the consequences of it
3. Be saddened at doing something God hates
4. Hate the tendency in myself to do this sin, which really is my responsibility
5. Feel helpless at my own weakness
6. Feel complete confidence in Christ's payment for that sin, and my standing before God in Christ
7. Feel confidence in the Spirit's ability to free me from committing that sin, and desire to actually be freed
As far as the idea of being "terrified" (or "the fear of God"), in my views at this moment I wouldn't go toward the idea of questioning your salvation. But, to overuse a metaphor ;-) - if you're climbing a mountain attached to a rope, and you are 100% sure that the rope will hold you, you should still feel some kind of fear if you look down, and you should definitely feel fear if you slip and fall, even though the rope catches you.
In the same way, I think there must be some way to have fear over our sin, while having complete confidence in the atonement at the same time. I'd say that right now I tend to fall on the same side you said: not usually feeling the weight of my sin (in any of the 7 senses above).
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