Family Network: Price of Repentance There’s a saying which goes: “There’s no room for pride on death row”. What it means is that no matter how huge or how insignificant you believe your crime to have been, you’re getting the exact same punishment as those around you. This could be said of Hell, too. Whether you’ve spoken a word of gossip, told a “little white lie”, or committed murder, we all deserve the exact same punishment. With this in mind, looking down on someone who, at least in our mind, has committed more serious sins than ours, is just committing the deadly sin of pride.
If we were to investigate which sins God hates, we’d conclude He hates each and every one. Why He hate every sin is also clear. It’s because each sin moves us away from the center of His kingdom and He loves all of His children too much to enjoy seeing us miss out on any of His blessings. In reality, the results of our words and actions can have a devasting effect. Whether we’ve perpetrated the sin or engaged in a sinful response to someone else’s sin, the consequences are serious. And there’s just no room for pride in sin. Our healing and our pride are incompatible.
The good news is that God has lovingly provided a solution to sin. But it comes to us at a huge cost. For His part, He sent His own beloved Son to die a humiliating, horribly violent and excruciatingly painful death at the hands of the very people He was actively forgiving. And, all of this to pay the penalty for sin which we have brought on ourselves. But the cost goes both ways. As Jesus said, to receive Him requires faith and repentance. Faith in Jesus comes at the cost of our renouncing all other beliefs about salvation. And repentance comes at the cost of our pride. Owning my participation in sin, regardless of any sin others may commit, means I must apologize for my part without minimizing or making excuses. There’s simply no room for “…but you were wrong, too” in an authentic humble apology. The miraculous healing power of God’s grace becomes ours when the cost of pride is paid in full.
Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 NIV
