I have found in these days that there is often a resentment, even among believers, for their being held accountable for their attitudes and behavior. This attitude is covered over with a general appeal to the sin nature and a superficial admission that we all sin. Now, while it is true that we yet do battle with the sin nature and, in many cases, fail in this battle, it is also true that is it our obligation to face the realities of these failures, confess them, own their iniquity and condemn these acts and attitudes.
We have been left in this world by our Savior to be examples of Him and of righteousness. While we will always be imperfect examples, it only lends further damage to our example when we fail to acknowledge these imperfections or seek to defend them by trivializing them. Notice these words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy:
1 Timothy 4:12 (KJV)
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
There is no wiggle room here for us to extract ourselves from this obligation. We are called to be “lights” in this world. We must work at trimming the wick and being the people God has called us to be.
