Church as a Hospital for Sinners

There have been times that I have overheard people refer to “Church people” as hypocrites. Generally, these comments are made in reference to the individual’s decision not to be part of the Church. When I overhear these comments, I often chuckle to myself because the Church is a hospital for sinners and that is why everyone is welcome—the hypocrite can worship the Lord right next to the gossip, the glutton, the adulterer, and so on.
Paul writes to Timothy, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15). Paul, the greatest apostle of the Church, boldly proclaims that he is a sinner. Is Paul taking pride in his sinfulness? Certainly not. Rather, Paul is boasting of what a Savior Jesus is! Jesus tells us that He did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it (John 3:17) by offering Himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16).
In order to be saved, we must acknowledge Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior. When we acknowledge that He is our Savior we are declaring that He is the Son of God. And, when we declare that He is our Lord it means that we will do what He says. However, these declarations are only the beginning. Once we surrender ourselves to God, the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts and seals us as His child (Ephesians 1:13). The Holy Spirit guides us on life’s journey and makes us more like Jesus (Romans 8:29-30). But it is important to realize that the process of becoming more like Jesus is slow and takes a lifetime of prayer, patience, and persistence.
It is no surprise to God when we stumble and fall, which is why we are offered forgiveness if we repent of our ways (2 Peter 3:9). Repentance involves confessing our sin to God and then turning away from it (Romans 6:1-2). When we do this, the Bible tells us that He chooses to forget our sin (Isaiah 43:25). This is what we call: Amazing Grace! God no longer sees our sin; rather, He sees the righteousness of His son: Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22).
Jesus came to be a doctor to the sick (Matthew 9:12) and we are all sick from the effects of sin (Romans 3:23). We need to get healing from our transgressions from the Great Healer (Isaiah 53:5). Like Paul, I am not ashamed to declare that I am a sinner. My boasting does not come from pride in my attempts at righteous works, but in the cross of Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14) from which I am released from the deathly wages of sin (Romans 6:23) and given new life in Christ (Romans 6:4). The Church is a hospital for sinners as we continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) as we continue to decrease so that Jesus can increase.