For All Have Sinned

As I learn and study the bible more, I've been realizing specifically about what is right in God's eyes and what is sinful. While I'm learning, lately I've found it hard to not think of people in my life who have sinned. It's so extremely difficult to look at my friends and family from the past and present when I read what God disapproves of. It's so easy for me to point the finger at them and scrutinize them for what they did or are doing wrong. 

I feel like we all at times are like this. We can have a hard time looking at ourselves and our mistakes, and we would rather talk about how others are sinners. 

We, myself obviously included, need to stop and take a look in the mirror. We are ALL sinners.

Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Jesus died on the cross for not just my college classmates who party, drink, have sex before marriage, etc, but for me as well. 

A few months ago, I saw on Facebook and heard from a lot of my friends who go to UNR that there was a group of "Christians" who had a booth outside on campus. I heard horrible stories of this group yelling at people saying to other students on campus that they were going to hell because they were sinners.

I think it's interesting how they call themselves Christians, but yet they don't even understand the concept that they are sinners too. When we are baptized, are sins are washed away and we are forgiven.

Acts 2:38 "And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Just because this is true, it doesn't mean that we don't sin and that we are perfect because we are Christians. Everyone of us has given into temptation and gone away from what God wants. If we think that yelling at others is the way to get people to know God and His plan for us, they don't even understand the concept of God.

We are told to be like Christ and because He is a forgiving, merciful God, we need to be too.

I know that for some people, this can be an easy task. For me, it can be a struggle sometimes. It's not easy to look at ourselves and face our imperfections, but it's necessary and important if we want to be loving, humble, kindhearted people.