DEVELOPING SPIRITUAL MUSCLE MEMORY

 

Philippians 4:9 (NIV)
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I like to watch football and baseball. I am constantly amazed at the skill of those who play the game well. A quarterback steps back to pass. He is surrounded by defensive players all trying to tackle him. Just before they get to him, he sends a perfect spiral down the field to a wide receiver who extends his arms and pulls in the pass. It seems effortless at times. The bases are loaded. The game is on the line. A player steps to the plate and awaits the pitcher’s first offering. It is close but just outside. He refuses to swing. The next pitch comes in a little low, but right over the edge of the plate. He swings and connects, sending the ball flying over the fence for a grand slam.

When we watch these amazing athletes, we are tempted to think that they just have natural talent that allows them to do what they do. Although natural talent plays a part, it is only the starting point. The ability for these athletes to perform at such a high level is the product of hours and hours of practice. The quarterback spends hours throwing balls to his receivers in order to refine his throw. The hitter spends hours in the batting cage perfecting his swing. They are developing what is called muscle memory, which allows them to perform under pressure without having to think about the mechanics of what they are doing.

As followers of Christ, we can learn an important lesson from these amazing athletes. If we want to perform well under pressure, we need to develop spiritual muscle memory. We need to practice the components of godly living when we are not being put to the test. The more we consciously practice living as Jesus would have us live, the less we will have to think about how to respond when the pressure is on.  

Throughout church history, people have used spiritual disciplines to shape their lives, just as athletes use practice to train for the game. The goal is to so infuse our lives with godly character that we will naturally respond in a godly way. If we have not practiced spiritual skills in advance, when the pressure is on, we will fail.

Paul set an example for the people of Philippi when he told them to observe what he did and then practice those things for themselves. We too can learn from watching others who have performed well spiritually and follow their example. But just knowing what to do is not enough. We have to practice those skills over and over until they become a part of our life.

Spiritual muscle memory comes as we intentionally practice character building activities in our life. As we make the effort, over and over again, to live like Jesus, our character and life will be shaped. Our actions will conform to those things we practice the most.

Paul makes the point that just as physical training is a benefit to us, so spiritual training is of even more benefit. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)

Paul fleshes out some of the training exercises that we should include in our daily lives. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:9-13 (NIV) Each of these practices can develop our spiritual muscles so that we respond appropriately in any situation.

A key area where we need to develop spiritual muscle memory is in prayer.  Too often for us prayer is an afterthought. We pray when we feel challenged or when we are facing a difficult situation. But we have not made prayer a regular part of our daily life. Paul calls us to make the practice of prayer a regular part of our daily lives. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) If we are to develop spiritual muscle memory in prayer, we have to pray often, pray broadly, and pray intentionally on a regular basis. We cannot wait for the crisis to come before we pray. Prayer needs to be an integral part of our daily life, so that we can draw upon it when the crisis comes.

Prayer is just one example of a spiritual discipline that needs to be a part of our spiritual training regimen. There are many other spiritual skills that we need to develop as we progress on our spiritual journey: service, solitude, giving, fasting, study, etc. The key is practice, practice, practice. The more that we actually, intentionally practice the skills of godly living, the more they will become a natural part of our life. We will develop spiritual muscle memory so that when the time comes, we will respond in the right way, without having to think about the mechanics of what we are doing.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LOVE?

 

Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.

What does it mean for us to love God and love others? The concept of love is a real mixed bag. We all know that we use the word love in many different ways. We might say, I love my car, I love my dog, I love my job, I love ice cream, I love my children, I love my spouse. In each case we mean something very different by the word love.

Infortunately today, the word love is most often equated with sexual desire. A catch phrase today for some people is, no one has the right to tell me who I can love. What is really meant by that is no one has the right to tell me who I can love sexually. This is very unfortunate and also misleading.

This really comes into play when we talk about loving God. Many men find it hard to talk about loving God because of how the word love is used today. Yet we are commanded to love God with all that we are.

I read a book years ago called Why Men Hate the Church or something like that. One of the reasons is that much of the language we use in church makes men very uncomfortable. It is often very feminine language that most men cannot identify with. That is especially true when we talk about loving God.

So, what does it mean to love God, and from there to love others?

The first step is to expand our understanding of the word love. In English we have only one word; love. In Greek, and other languages as well, there are multiple words that describe what we call love.

In its simplest form, love is an expression of appreciation or liking. To say that I love any object, such as my car or ice cream, is to say that I appreciate and value those things. Even this has some breadth to it. When I say that I love ice cream, I really mean that I really like the taste of ice cream. But to say that I love my house is to mean that I appreciate the sense of warmth and security I get from my place of dwelling.

When we turn from objects to people, the word love takes on different meanings. At a very basic level love expresses the positive relationships that can exist within a family unit. Parents love their children and children love their parents. It is the natural connection that occurs because we are related to one another in that special bond of family. In many cases this kind of love is extended to aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. This love is what holds a family together. It is a sense of place and belonging, which we all desire. In many ways, it shapes our identity.

When we move outside of the family, love takes on a different meaning. In this sense, love is the expression of genuine friendship. It is more than mere acquaintance. When two or more people connect with one another on a deeper level, a bond of love is formed that has nothing to do with sexuality. Many men who have served in the military have experienced this kind of love for their fellow soldiers. There is a deep bond of shared experiences and shared values that sets this relationship apart from others.

Of course, there is also sexual or intimate love. Unfortunately, this level of love has taken center stage as the only real meaning of love. God created men and women to be connected in the most profound way through sexual and intimate love. This is a love that binds two people together in a unique way. It is the foundation for family. This love goes beyond just sexuality. It is a deep commitment to honor, serve, and care for one another above others. It is intended to be exclusive. It is the glue that binds a man and a woman together for a lifetime. This kind of love goes beyond feelings, although feelings are an integral part of it. When we isolate out the sexual component of this kind of love as the most important part we devalue it. This love, when experienced genuinely, is the closest to sacred love.

That brings us to the highest level of love; love for God or sacred love. This love is not physical, as the other loves are. It is spiritual. It encompasses most of the aspects of the other loves but takes them to a much higher level. To love God is to acknowledge who He is as the Creator and Sustainer of all that is. It is to give Him His rightful place on the throne of our lives. It is to celebrate His value, worth, and perfection. It is to Hold God in the highest regard, above all others. It also means to draw near to God in an intimate, close relationship where He can speak into our lives and shape who we become. To love God is to value what He values. It is to seek His glory and honor. To love God is to trust Him with our very life. To love God is to serve Him with all that we are and have.

When we sing or speak about loving God we are expressing our allegiance to Him. We are expressing our commitment to live in relationship with Him.

When we genuinely love someone, we are willing to sacrifice for them. We are willing to go out of our way to please them. We are willing to help them in whatever way we can. We are willing to stand with them through thick and thin. Genuine love is not about what we can get from the other person, but experiencing the pure joy of sharing life with them. That is the kind of love that Jesus demonstrated for us. It is the kind of love that He desires from us.

John 15:9-13 (NIV)
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

 

Colossians 3:17 (NIV)
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

When I say the word name, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? For most of us, our first thought is about what we call someone. My name is Dave. We see a name as an identifier.

Last Sunday at our church we sang a song about the name of Jesus. It made we wonder what people were thinking as they sang that song.

For many people the name of Jesus is just that, his name, his moniker. For some people the name Jesus is like a magic incantation that we use at the end of their prayers to get God to act on our behalf. But the truth is that the name of Jesus is far more than just an identifier or a period at the end of a prayer.

In the Bible names were taken very seriously. A person’s name shaped their life. God often changed a person’s name to reflect a new direction. Abram became Abraham. Jacob became Isreal. Jesus gave Simon the name Peter to reflect the role he would play in the early church. The name of Jesus is significant; it represents the entirety of who He is.

The name of Jesus represents his identity as the Son of God. When we call of the name of Jesus, we are accepting who he is and giving our allegiance to him. As Jesus said in John 10:30 (NIV), “I and the Father are one.”

Peter emphasized this quality of Jesus’ name in his first sermon in Jerusalem when he called the people to call on the name of Jesus to be saved. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:37-38 (NIV)

The name of Jesus represents his character. We often say that a person has a good name, meaning that they are trustworthy. When we believe in the name of Jesus, we are affirming his character and worth. The writer of Hebrews touches on this when he referred to Jesus as our great High Priest. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)

The name of Jesus also represents his authority. When we send an ambassador to another country they act under the authority of or in the name of the US. This is what Paul is referring to in 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV). We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. When we invoke the name of Jesus was tapping into His authority.

The name of Jesus also represents his power. To call on Jesus’ name is to tap into his power. When Peter and John met the crippled man at the gate of the Temple, they called on the power of Jesus to heal him. Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Acts 3:6 (NIV)

When we sing about the name of Jesus, we are acknowledging something far more than just the name, Jesus. We are acknowledging who He is. We are calling upon his power and authority to act in our world in our time. The name of Jesus can unleash all the power of God into our lives and into our world. It should never be used lightly or flippantly.

Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

 

Reflecting on a 50-year journey

 

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

               Recently I attended my 50^th class reunion at Wheaton College. It was great to reconnect with the campus and with former classmates. On Saturday night, our class had a banquet. During that time the question was asked how many of us ended up working in a field other than our major. An amazing number of hands were raised. I was one of them.

               In preparation for my reunion, I pulled out my collage yearbook. At the beginning of the yearbook was an article titled, Under Construction: You. The gist of the article was that our graduation was not an end in itself, but a beginning. As I reflected upon my time at Wheaton, one of the things that stands out is that every professor stressed that the goal of our education is to be a life-long learner. We were laying a foundation at Wheaton that we could build upon for a life-time.

               When I went to Wheaton, I had my sites set on being a medical missionary in Haiti. With that in mind I chose biology as my major, with the intention of going into Medical Technology. God had other plans. Once I finished my degree (with a side trip back to a community college along the way) I did not feel prepared to be a missionary. At that time, a friend of mine from High School was attending Bethel Theological Seminary. He encouraged me to join him there, which I did. That decision resulted in a major shift in the direction of my life.

               I enrolled at Bethel in the Master of Christian Education Program. My plan was to work in the background in a lab and do some youth ministry on the side. That was not God’s plan. During my first year at Bethel two of my professors challenged me to pursue preaching. By the end of that year I had transferred to the Master of Divinity program.

               Fast forward, that decision eventually landed me in Mankato, MN where I pastored a church for 31 years. During that time God gave me the opportunity to invest in the lives of international students from all over the world. He also opened the door for me to travel to Ukraine and minister to the people there. In the end I made 16 trips to Ukraine, building a solid relationship with two small churches and helping to train church leaders. God fulfilled my desire to be a missionary, just not in the way I had planned.

               As I reflect back over the past 50 years, I can see God’s hand at work directing and redirecting my steps. He knew that my plan was not the best one. I was able, through a classmate at Bethel, to see firsthand what life would have been like as a missionary to Haiti. God also challenged me to use the gifts He had given me, even though I was reluctant to do so. In the end His plan was and is far better than my plan.

               We are all on a journey. It is a journey with many twists and turns. It is rarely, if ever, a straight line. But when we submit our plans to God and yield to His plan, we discover that His plan is always the best.

               When I was in High School, I adopted Proverbs 3:5-6 as my life verses. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. The KJV is slightly different from the NIV translation. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) When I put these two versions together, I can see how God has been working His plan in my life. He has led me along the straight path, which is not always the easiest path to follow. He has also been directing my path all along. The words of the prophet Isaiah have truly been validated in my life.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

A TIMELY WORD FROM AN UNEXPECTED PLACE

 

Titus 3:9 (NIV)
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.

               As a part of my daily devotions, I have been reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. This book was first printed in 1942. It consists of a series of letters between a senior demon and a junior demon. The senior demon, Screwtape, is instructing his nephew, Wormwood, in the art of tempting humans. The goal is to turn them away from “the Enemy” (God) so that they would be absorbed by the Evil One.

               By looking at temptation from the side of the tempter, we see more clearly Satan’s attacks on all of humanity and especially on those who believe in Christ. These letters can alert us to the more subtle and often unnoticed tactics that Satan uses to lead us astray.

               I have been challenged by many of the letters, but recently one of then stood out as particularly apt for today. In this letter Screwtape considers the question of whether “the patient” should be pushed toward being a pacifist or a patriot. Screwtape says that either route is acceptable as long as it becomes the most important thing. The most important thing is to make the thing take on a life of its own and becomes “a cause” to fight for. Screwtape ends the letter with the following advice.

“Whichever he adopts, your main task will be the same. Let him begin to treat the Patriotism or the Pacifism as a part of his religion. Then let him, under the influence of partisan spirit, come to regard it as the most important part. Then quietly and gradually nurse him on to the stage at which the religion becomes merely part of the “Cause,” in which Christianity is valued chiefly because of the excellent arguments it can produce in favor of the British war effort or of pacifism.

Once you have made the World an end, and faith a means, you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what kind of worldly end he is pursuing. “

(The Screwtape Letters, chap. 7, page 35)

               As I read those words, I was struck with how much they reflect the current state of affairs in our country. Christianity has become a means for attaining nationalism, or equal rights, or whatever cause you like. We have bought into the lie.

               When I was actively pastoring a church, I developed what are called plumblines for ministry. I got the idea from Larry Osborne. A plumbline is a way of deciding if something fits with our overall ministry vision and goals. One of my plumblines was, we will be a Christ centered church, not a cause centered church. As many pastors are, I was bombarded with requests to promote this cause or that cause. Each one was presented as the most important thing to focus on. No matter how important a cause is, it is secondary to the Gospel. Whenever we make a particular cause the most important thing in our life, we have made it into an idol.

               There are many worthy causes out there. But when we make our cause the most important thing to pursue, we have gotten off base. We are to be devoted to the cause of Christ above everything else.

1 Timothy 1:3-7 (NIV)
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work--which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

Colossians 2:20-23 (NIV)
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

 

I’M NOT SO BAD

 

Romans 3:23 (NIV)
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

               In our world today, we have discounted sin. We have found multiple ways to get around the reality of sin. One of the most common ways is by comparing ourselves to others. We can always look around and find someone who is worse than we are. We look at them and think, I’m not so bad.

               For many people, sin is defined as overtly breaking the law. If a person has not obviously stolen, murdered, or cheated on their spouse, then they don’t feel that they have sinned. Sin is transactional. If I have lived a decent life and not intentionally hurt anyone, then I am not a sinner. This kind of self-righteous attitude makes it easy to excuse ourselves and find fault with others who are not doing as well as we are doing.

               Although breaking the law is included in sin, it is not the sum total of sin. In fact, sin is far more serious than we often imagine.

               There are two Greek words used in the Bible to describe sin. The first is hamartia. Hamartia comes from archery and means to miss the mark. If a person shoots an arrow and fails to hit the bullseye, then they have missed the mark. They have sinned. This is an important concept because it causes us to define what the bullseye is. For most people the bullseye is leading a decent life. As long as I don’t intentionally hurt anyone, then I am hitting the bullseye. Their understanding is a far cry from God’s definition of the bullseye. For God, the bullseye is perfection. Jesus clearly set that as the standard. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48 (NIV)

               William Barclay, in his commentary on Ephesians helps us to see the implications of hamartia. Are you the best husband or wife that you could be? Are you the best friend that you could be? Are you the best worker that you could be? If you have not been perfect in any of these, then you have missed the mark. As it says in Romans 3:23, we have all fallen short of God’s perfect standard.

               The other word that is used for sin is paraptoma. This means to slip or fall. It is often translated as trespass. It is related to getting off track and losing your way. We have all at some time taken a wrong turn and gotten off track.

               We were created to be image bearers of God. We were created in His image and expected to live lives that align with His image. But that has not been our reality. We have all gotten off the track and chosen to walk our own way. Paul puts it very graphically in Romans 1.

Romans 1:18-23 (NIV)
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

               When we compare ourselves to others, we can make a case that we are not doing so bad. But when we compare ourselves to the image of God, we all fail. We have all gotten off track and replaced the image of God with something of our own design.

               The bad news is that no matter how well we think we are doing, we still fall short of the goal. We have all missed the mark and gotten off track. What we deserve is God’s wrath. The good news is that Jesus came into the world to deal with our sin. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV)

               When we finally come to the reality that we have all sinned and fall short of God’s glory, then we are in the place to receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. As long as we think we are good enough, we will depend on ourselves. When we realize that we could never be good enough, we open the door for Jesus to step into the gap.

Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

CAREFUL, DANGER AHEAD

 

Romans 12:3 (NIV)
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

               On Sunday, we heard an amazing testimony from a young man whose life has been transformed by the power of the Gospel. It was encouraging to hear how God has worked in this young man’s life.

               After the service I began to reflect upon the effects of hearing this kind of testimony. The best response is to rejoice with this young man and celebrate how God has entered into his life and totally changed its direction. But that is not the only possible response.

               From my experience, there are two other responses, both of which are negative. The first is to be intrigued by the sinfulness of life. You could equate this to the younger brother in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son. Growing up in church I have heard many of these transformation stories. As young person, my response was often mixed. I sometimes felt like I was missing out on some parts of life, not having indulged in the kinds of things the person had been set free from. The more dramatic the conversion, the more enticing it was. There was a feeling that in order to have a real compelling testimony for God I needed to first indulge in sin.

               I didn’t really think that through, but it seems to be reflected in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul had been talking about how the Law makes us aware of sin and makes it possible for us to experience God’s grace. Then he addresses an unspoken response. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? Romans 6:1 (NIV) Paul’s immediate response is an emphatic NO!

               The other negative response to a dramatic conversion testimony can be illustrated by the older brother in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son. The temptation is to indulge in pride in our own faithfulness and exemplary lives. In our heart, we can judge the other person and inflate our own sense of righteousness.

               Luke’s Gospel records a parable of Jesus that directly addresses this idea of having and inflated view of ourselves.

Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

               It is so easy for us to fall into the spiritual comparison trap. Like the Pharisee and the older brother, we laud all of our faithful service, as if this puts God into our debt. Look at how good I am, God. Don’t I deserve more of your grace than this “sinner?”

               In Romans 12, Paul challenges us to take a good look in the mirror. Instead of having an inflated view of ourselves, we need to have a realistic view of ourselves. We should always remember, but by the grace of God, that could have been me. We can celebrate God’s dramatic work in another’s life, while also rejoicing in God’s work in our own life.

               As a young man growing up in church, I struggled with what is called works righteousness. I felt that I had to earn God’s favor. When I heard dramatic testimonies, I often felt inadequate. My life had always been pretty compliant. I was a good rule follower. There came a time when I had to let go of the rules and repent of my own self-righteousness. I had to learn that true humility was not beating myself up, but accepting that I can’t fully follow Christ on my own. I had to recognize that the grace of God was as powerfully at work within me as it was in the former drug addict.

               I rejoice whenever I hear of a person whose life has been transformed by the Gospel. I also rejoice that God is doing that same transforming work in my heart. It is not a competition to see who has the most dramatic testimony. When it comes to sin, we all stand on a level playing field.

Romans 3:21-24 (NIV)
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.