The Greatest People in the World

I posted a few days back on Yancey's article "The Benefits of Brokenness." I wrote:

"The greatest people in the world know their depravity so intimately that they cannot help but be inwardly and overtly humble. They drink deeply every day from the Gospel of Christ which, in turn, destroys their pride and brings them great joy."

Perhaps that is confusing or even misleading. Calvinism is criticized quite often for being overly negative. And usually this sort of critique is in reference to the "T" in "TULIP," or "Total Depravity." Some would say that focusing on sin too much is a bad thing. And perhaps they are right, at least partially. If you wallow in your sinfulness too much, you do not truly understand what God has done for you. Knowing the depth of your depravity is only helpful insofar as you know the depth of your justification. Paul says in Romans 8:1: "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Because Christ bore your penalty at the cross, you are now free from sin and death. However, would you be able to know this freedom from condemnation if you did not know--or even better, feel--your past sinful nature? I don't think so. Read David Wells on this subject (From The Courage to be Protestant, Eerdmans 2008):

“But if we begin to see the nature of sin, we are on the road back into reality. We are on our way back into the presence of God through Christ. It is not that the knowledge of sin alone suffices, but rather that it pushes us to seek our deliverance from it. Knowing about sin is therefore vital knowledge. There are none quite so lost as those who know little or nothing of their sin. Knowing about our sin, therefore, is something for which we should be deeply grateful,” (p. 128).

And on the greatest people in the world (those whom, he says, "hold the Word fast"):

“In fact, there is nothing quite so cheering, so invigorating, as to be with people like this. They are people whose eyes are wide open to the shadows and pains of life, but they also live on another plane. They no longer stare in self-pity at their own pain, and no longer run from one preacher to another seeking some therapeutic release from anxiety, fear, confusion, and bewilderment. They are people who are tough-minded, morally sinewy, and infectiously joyful. They are the ones who have done what is necessary. The Word entered not only through the surface of their lives but also the soil beneath it. The tangled roots of the weeds have been pulled out of this soil so that the seed grows into a strong plant,” (p. 90).

So know your sin. But know also your justification. Then you will be among the greatest people in the world.