Don't agree? Then you read 1 John 3 and tell me how it works.
Just 2 verses are enough to make any of us with hair left pull it out!
"But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil..."
Wait. What? Yep. That's verse 8.
I wish verse 9 helped, but it doesn't: "Those who have been born into god's family... can't keep on sinning, because they are children of God."
For the worship leader, these implications are magnified. And I'm not sure about your church, but everyone on our platform keeps on sinning. Perhaps me most of all.
So how do we lead worship for the Bride of Christ in the presence of a holy God?
I can only come up with one answer.
Repent into the righteous covering of Christ.
[Repentance is more than sorrow, not less. More than confession, not less. Repentance is to change the way we think so we change the way we behave. This only happens by the kindness of our loving-Father.]
When someone comes and says, "Why are you letting so-and-so be part of the team?" (which is a valid, even if judgy question) I respond with, I'm just glad I get to be part of the team.
None of us is worthy. Not one.
But God.
Yes, but God! In His outrageously generous grace, God covers us with the righteousness (right-ness) of Christ. Hallelujah!
"For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." (2 Col 5:21)
But we.
Yes, but we. There is still a responsibility we have. It is simple. It is hard. It is private. It is sensitive.
We repent. Not just the first time, when we become followers of Jesus and are covered with his righteousness. (HALLELUJAH!) But we continually repent.
We become aware of our sin. We confess it to God. We confess it to someone else, perhaps our worship pastor, or pastor, or counselor, or the person we wronged. And then we ask God to help us change the way we think so we can change the way we behave.
And so when the person pushes back to my initial response above, I share the phrase that has helped me navigate this phrase: "The only thing that disqualifies us (yes, me too) from serving in worship is unrepentant sin."
Indeed, I think this is what John the Beloved was writing about in 1 John 3. Repentant sinners crave holiness. Unrepentant ones crave their own way.
So how about you? How do you handle this? And do you have words of correction or clarification for me? I'd be delighted to read them in the comments!
Repent into the righteous covering of Christ.
[Repentance is more than sorrow, not less. More than confession, not less. Repentance is to change the way we think so we change the way we behave. This only happens by the kindness of our loving-Father.]
When someone comes and says, "Why are you letting so-and-so be part of the team?" (which is a valid, even if judgy question) I respond with, I'm just glad I get to be part of the team.
None of us is worthy. Not one.
But God.
Yes, but God! In His outrageously generous grace, God covers us with the righteousness (right-ness) of Christ. Hallelujah!
"For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." (2 Col 5:21)
But we.
Yes, but we. There is still a responsibility we have. It is simple. It is hard. It is private. It is sensitive.
We repent. Not just the first time, when we become followers of Jesus and are covered with his righteousness. (HALLELUJAH!) But we continually repent.
We become aware of our sin. We confess it to God. We confess it to someone else, perhaps our worship pastor, or pastor, or counselor, or the person we wronged. And then we ask God to help us change the way we think so we can change the way we behave.
And so when the person pushes back to my initial response above, I share the phrase that has helped me navigate this phrase: "The only thing that disqualifies us (yes, me too) from serving in worship is unrepentant sin."
Indeed, I think this is what John the Beloved was writing about in 1 John 3. Repentant sinners crave holiness. Unrepentant ones crave their own way.
So how about you? How do you handle this? And do you have words of correction or clarification for me? I'd be delighted to read them in the comments!
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