Miserable Sinners

by Marvin Bublitz

One day as I sat in the church office an elderly lady came in. She said she had been a member of that congregation years before, and she reminisced for a while as she walked through the church. She spoke of who was pastor when she was there. She talked about Sunday School and confirmation classes.

It was clear she was deeply moved, and she told me she had moved away many years before. As we chatted, she shared that she joined a different church. It was church that made her feel happy and good. They were full of love, she said. I asked if there was a Lutheran church in that area. She said yes, but this one made her feel good about herself. I wondered in my head what her confirmation instruction might have been like.

After touring the church and chatting for a while, I walked her out to her car. As she was getting into it, she asked me, “Do you guys still say that ‘poor miserable sinner’ stuff?” I said, “The confession at the start of the service? Yes, we do.” She said, “Oh, that’s terrible. I am not a sinner. My church has showed me that I am not a sinner, but good. You should stop that talk.”

Before I could respond, she quickly closed the door and sped off. I said a prayer for her and pondered what type of church she had joined. That was more than 30 years ago, yet I cannot get her face out of my mind. I know she has died long ago; still, she haunts my thoughts.

I wish I had time to say more to her. I wish I stopped her from leaving so we could chat more. But none of that was to be.

As I look back, I remember the encounter Jesus had with the rich young man where he went away sad. This woman went away happy. She was happy because she was told by her church what she wanted to hear. She wanted to hear that she was fine and good. But in truth it was sad. Sad that her church lied to her. Sad that she believed it.

Imagine going to the doctor when you are sick. The doctor, in an effort to make you feel good, tells you that you are fine. Nothing to worry about here. Smile and be happy. Would that be a loving thing for the doctor to do? It might make you feel better. But it would not be the truth, nor would it change your life circumstances.

She wanted to hear that she was fine and good. But in truth it was sad. Sad that her church lied to her. Sad that she believed it.

What about spiritual life? What about your eternal life? Many people today don’t want to hear that they are sinners; better to tell them they are nice and fine, and there’s nothing to worry about. Smile and go home—all is good. 

Isaiah 5:20 tells us: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

Many in our day are calling evil good and good evil. Sadly, even many churches do this. People like their lifestyle, and their church says it’s okay as long as you feel good about yourself. That might make you feel good for a time—but not for eternity. People like to hear they are okay. They like to hear that whatever they want to do is fine. They can ignore whatever commandments they want, so long as they feel good. 

But any church that tells you that is not the Church of the Lord. It is the father of lies spreading lies—something he’s been doing since the Garden of Eden. Remember what happened to Adam and Eve when they listened to him? They were expelled from paradise. I would rather tell people they are poor miserable sinners than see them expelled from the paradise of God.

But the good news is that we are not poor miserable sinners for eternity. As promised in the Garden, God sent us a Saviour: Jesus Christ.

Scripture says: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). So yes, we will continue that ‘poor miserable sinner’ stuff. We will continue to speak the truth and confess our sins. The Lord will be true to His promise and forgive the repentant. In Him, we have not only forgiveness, but life everlasting—the paradise of God. 

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates” (Revelation 22:14).

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Rev. Marvin Bublitz is Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)’s East Regional Pastor.

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