sin and guilt

i was reading out of my current Leadership magazine...reading an article by John Ortberg entitled 'The Sin Tamer', i came across this:

Awakening Healthy Guilt

As a leader I have to ask myself, "what are the sins in my congregation (and my life) that no one feels guilty over?"

Do I have the courage to awaken guilt?

Taylor Branch wrote how in Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1950's bus drivers would accept money from African-American riders, but then would make them disembark and walk on the sidewalk to re-enter through the rear door lest they touch a white person going down the center aisle.

Sometimes, for the fun of cruelty, drivers would take the money and drive off while the person was walking toward the back door, leaving them without fare or transportation.

There was a sin of anger here. But it was not that black people got angry.

It was that white people did not.

Worse, it was that white people, who read the Bible and worshiped in church, did not rise up in fury to demand justice.

Are we lifting up and recognizing and encouraging the sin-convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit?

At Willow Creek recently, Bill Hybels preached a series called "Enough." After one of the sermons, he challenged members of the congregations to raise their hands if they were willing to surrender their possessions and lifestyles fully to God and actually decide to use their resources to serve the poor and honor God. There was a time for public declaration of intent.

Then Bill said he wanted to have a word with all the folks who did not raise their hands. And this is what he said: "I hope you have a terrible afternoon. And then I hope you have a terrible evening. I hope the Holy Spirit keeps after you, and you have to keep thinking this one through, until you're able to raise your hand as well."

later...Ortberg continues with this:

...what's most difficult about sin isn't so much what to do about sin in the congregation I serve. It's what to do about the sin in me! The hard part of sin is my sin.

I get angry at people for not doing what I want. I avoid confrontation I know is needed because I want to avoid pain. I am apathetic toward injustice. I lust. I use other people. I manipulate. I get defensive. I am ungrateful for blessings. I withdraw...

...the sins I'm aware of are constantly tempting me. The Bible says, "We wrestle. . . ." We wrestle - not against flesh and blood. We wrestle - and as we faithfully wrestle, God allows us victories along the way. We wrestle - and as we wrestle, a Friend greater than we know is somehow at work wrestling in us and for us and through us.

The greatest sin would be to stop wrestling.