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Only self-aware sinners can experience forgiveness. The bigger our sense of desperation, the greater the possible relief of grace, and hence the greater the response of love that leaps forth from our hearts toward God. Those who feel they can rescue themselves from a crisis often despise the offer of help from rescuers, wanting to show off their own ability. Those trapped in life-threatening situations beyond their abilities to escape are thrilled when someone risks death to save them; from then on they can’t sing the praises of their rescuer enough. So with the sinner and God. What we need in church is not really for people to sin more and worse sins, but for us to truly realize how heinous even our “respectable sins” are before a pure and holy God, and how dire our situation is apart from Jesus Christ.
