No Excuse

"Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth" (Rom. 8:33.
It is a favorite and probably the most popular criticism of unbelievers that we are inconsistent in our profession of faith, accusing us as remaining to be sinners, i.e. obvious hypocrites! They judge rightly. But only partly. They misunderstand the meaning of hypocrite (one who professes to be something he is not) knowing nothing of the justification of God, the imputation of Christ's righteousness, and indwelling sin in the believer. The hypocrite does not believe any of these doctrines. He is a nominal Christian, a professor only, an unbeliever at heart, fearful of being found out for his sins. A true believing Christian is not afraid of being found out in his sins, but is afraid of his sins! We confess our sins and are forgiven of them. If any say they have no sin they are liars (1 Jn.).
Instead of taking the time to learn what the true state of a Christian is, the unbeliever is all too willing to make false accusations against us. Accuse me of being a sinner. I am. I could not be a Christian if I was not. Though it ought not to be the case, I am more sinful than most. God has much to do in my sanctification. Christians are not allowed to sin. Nevertheless, we do sin. The Christian it is said may fall on the ship's deck but will not fall overboard. The rough seas of life bring many a slips. It is a stereotype that the Christian life is a bed of roses. It is a bed of roses with thorns! Don't fall short in your description of me. Describe me as a whole. I am not as the hypocrite who is outside of Christ but I am in Christ. I am not merely a sinner. I am a sinner justified freely by God's grace (Rom. 3:24). This is no "argument" nor do I have a "bone-to-pick. Rather this is a plea to not let my sins nor the sins of another be your excuse to deny the true Christian religion. Harden not your heart any further. Come join us sinners. There is no getting around sin. Either one is a sinner outside of Christ, and is therefore unforgiven, heading for eternal punishment. Or one is a sinner that is forgiven, and can come always for forgiveness, until the day of eternal life. Humble your pride. Away with that moralistic mentality. Come to Christ and receive his righteousness. Yours will not do. It is not enough. Do not deceive yourselves, your righteousness will not save you, but damn you. It falls short of what God requires. God only accepts those in Christ. Will you be saved along with us or be damned because of us?