"Perfect" Christians Stop Frontin.

"...a Christian is not a man (person) who never goes wrong, but a man who is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble--because the Christ-life (Holy Spirit) is inside him, repairing him all the time, enabling him to repeat (in some degree) the kind of voluntary death which Christ Himself carried out."
- Clive (C.S. Lewis), Mere Christianity

This passage from Mere Christianity got me thinking and then repenting.

Why?

Because to many of us -- Christians -- have bought into the lie that we have to be perfect. We have to seem "all put together." That since Christ redeemed our souls we are perfect, without sin, and thus we have to give off the fake perception that everything is peachy in life. (Don't take this wrong: we are redeemed, but after salvation we are still sinners, so lets not sweep that fact under the rug. cool?)

Upon receiving Christ as Lord and Savior we aren't handed a card reading, "you are now perfect so go and tell all about your perfection, acting like you don't need Jesus any more." In fact, its the opposite. We're handed an eternity with Christ, under His grace, love and forgiveness. We are handed the gift of repentance of sin; a gift healing us of our sin.

As Christians we aren't called to have all the answers. We aren't called to put on perfection or the persona that all is good all the time. We are sinners just like the rest of the world, but our huge difference is Jesus Christ in us. Instead of acting like we don't sin, lets confess it, repent of it, and allow Jesus to do what He did upon our salvation -- wipe us clean.

Let's change the Christianese attitude of today. One that we have to clean ourselves up before we go into Church. One where we have to make ourselves right before we cry out to the Lord. One where we can do no wrong because we have Jesus. Let's stop acting like we can do anything to "clean" ourselves up, or even, that we don't need to be cleaned at all.

Instead, lets be the people that Jesus has made us to be. People constantly pointing to His redemption and love poured out upon the Cross for all sinners; Christian & all. A people quick to repent, quick to confess, and quick to cry out to the Lord -- cry out in happiness, sorrow, joy, defeat, confusion, & pain. Let's be a people who allow Jesus to work in us, showing those who don't know Him that we are nothing but a sinful generation being cleaned, pruned, and sanctified by the good work of Jesus Christ. All by His grace & nothing of ourselves.

Can we stop faking it? All faking it does is turn the sinners without Christ away. It's not a representation of Jesus at all. In fact, its robbing Him of Glory and people their Savior.

Can we just be raw, be real, and have Jesus use our transparency to receive more Glory for Himself, redeeming sinners through the healing He does in us?

Can we be the people He's called us to be? People who make less of themselves and more of Jesus. Meaning: People who aren't afraid to express their imperfection and point to Christ as their own sin is redeemed through repentance.

Just a thought that the Lord rocked me with these past few weeks. Let's be real. Let's allow Christ's work in us to be seen.