Fin Control
Why is the gospel such good news?
In the Adult Institute hour these last couple of weeks, we have been working our way toward answering this question, by taking a deep dive look at sin, and not just any old sin, but the kind of sin that lurks in all of our hearts. We have explored roots of sin such as unbelief, pride, and the concept of disordered loves. We have come to recognize that when Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:15 (a letter incidentally written 30ish years after the stoning of Stephen) that he is the chief of sinners, he is not just referring to past actions, but rather he is speaking to his growing realization of the distance that exists between him and a holy God.
One of the images that is often used to talk about both our attempts to manage sin and our absolute failure to be able to do so is that of a shark in the water. If you happen to find yourself at the beach and see a pointy dorsal fin cruising around, you know to be on your guard. Of course, the fin is not the real threat. No, it is only the indicator that beneath the surface lies the 300 or so teeth of the Great White. Moving from illustration to real life, we can become fairly adept at hiding our fins when it comes to relationships and operating in the day to day. However, that does not mean that danger is out of the water, it is just less easily seen.
This past week I was reminded of this in a conversation with Lisa. She was sharing some of the frustrations she was facing at work that happened to ring true with me with a situation that I was facing. Before you know it, what should have been me coming alongside my wife in support, became about me, because of course, I am the most important person in the universe! There was no fin in the water, but Lisa felt the chomp of my selfishness as she was left hanging. I can relate to Paul, the good that I would I do not do, the evil that I would not do, that I do (cf. Rom 7:15) I am indeed the chief of sinners. You see, like Paul, even as we mature and learn greater "fin control" their is still a shark in all of us lurking below the surface.
And that is why the gospel is good news. Paul goes on, "But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost (chief), Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life (1 Tim 1:16). The good news is that God is delighted to take sin addled, sin addicted folks like you and me and not only forgive our sins, but give us a new heart that is not interested in mere fin management, but also in mitigating the bite of our shark as we die to self, surrendering more and more to the work of the Spirit in our lives.