Consider complainers; why don’t we have a group for them like we do for people with anger issues?  Even a little acquaintance with Scripture would yield the conclusion that this is very obnoxious before God, and for many of the same reasons relating to fear.  Complaining is also against God’s wisdom, love and power.  Again, with Israel in the wilderness, God took the lives of thousands because they complained.  And yet today, within the church, complaining is always going on, and no one gives a thought to it.  Christian cynics not only believe the glass is half empty, but the water in the glass is polluted and has two flies floating on top.  Yet we never speak with holy embarrassment about such behavior; we accept it, and move on.

Have you ever noticed that many evangelical Christians have two categories for various sins and the Christians who commit them?  On the bottom level are Christians who struggle with things like sexual temptation, alcohol, drug abuse, and anger.  For this level, we have groups which they can attend for sexual addiction, substance abuse and anger management.  We offer prayers especially for these strugglers, and if they and their sins come up in conversation, we make sad faces and whisper, “You know, I understand he has a problem with alcohol” or “she has a problem with porn.”  Often our sad face is more disapproval of them, not sorrow for our brother or sister who is struggling.  And then we think and treat them like their problem is really leprosy; they are labeled, singled out; they are not like us; we don’t have that problem.

On the top level are Christians who commit more respectable sins; and they, as Christians, are more respected as well.  They aren’t treated like they have leprosy.  Their sins are things like fear, worry, discontentment, jealousy, gossip, laziness, greed and materialism.  These sins are seldom ever singled out as being really bad.  Instead of stigmatizing these Christians, we chalk it up to their personality; sometimes we even make jokes about them being worriers or complainers or talking too much or being stingy.  Compared to the other group, this group gets a pass.

Please don’t misunderstand; certainly, some sins are more serious and with greater consequences to the individual and others.  And some sins may need special counseling and the benefit of the group dynamic; but that doesn’t mean that these strugglers are to be treated as second class members of Christ’s Church.  It doesn’t mean that there is any such thing as respectable sin; all sin is ugly and nasty before God.

Yes, the Bible speaks of weak and strong Christians; of some Christians being babes and some being mature.  But those who are weak and who are babes are no less members of Christ than the strong and mature.  The weak are not loved less by God, the strong are not loved more.  Actually, if a Christian is truly strong and truly mature, then he will be the last person to stigmatize or look down upon a weaker brother or sister.

But a bigger problem is that those Christians who act like they are part of a top level of Christians, these Christians don’t have a clue as to how blind and biblically ignorant they are.  While they live, as it were, thanking God that they are not like others, they themselves have ugly and nasty sin to address in their lives.

Consider the sins of fear and worry.  Edward T. Welch points out in Running Scared that God’s most frequent command in Scripture is, “Do not be afraid.”  Fear and worry are ugly and nasty because when we are afraid and worried, we are doubting God’s love to take care of us; we are doubting His wisdom for us in our circumstances; we are doubting His power to deal with our present and future.  These are serious offenses.  Remember the Israelites and their fear and forfeiture of entering the Promised Land?  How many times today does Christ’s Church fail to move forward in ministry and kingdom work because of fear in all the nice Christians in the congregation and in the Church’s leadership?  Fear is not a respectable sin.

Consider complainers; why don’t we have a group for them like we do for people with anger issues?  Even a little acquaintance with Scripture would yield the conclusion that this is very obnoxious before God, and for many of the same reasons relating to fear.  Complaining is also against God’s wisdom, love and power.  Again, with Israel in the wilderness, God took the lives of thousands because they complained.  And yet today, within the church, complaining is always going on, and no one gives a thought to it.  Christian cynics not only believe the glass is half empty, but the water in the glass is polluted and has two flies floating on top.  Yet we never speak with holy embarrassment about such behavior; we accept it, and move on.

I could mention other sins that get a pass.  Christians withhold tithes and offerings and the Bible calls it robbing God; the scriptures equate greed with idolatry.  Consider bitterness; recently, I heard a well travelled Christian scholar speak, and he said that in all his travels among churches, the number one sin he saw destroying the church was bitterness.  I just knew he was going to say, “porn,” but he didn’t.  So, when was the last time bitterness was singled out as a grievous sin, like sexual sin or substance abuse?  I’ve seen individuals carry grudges and bitterness in the church and in families for years, never forgiving, always remembering the wrongs of another; all of this is a horrible evil against the unity and love Christ died for His people to have, but we sweep it under the rug.  Instead, “Let’s talk about those really bad sinners who do things I don’t do.”

Do you ever look at another Christian who struggles with sexual sins, or alcohol, or drug abuse, or anger control and think to yourself that you are glad you are not like them?  What does that mean?  Does it mean you are thankful for God’s grace and that you don’t have to struggle in those areas?  Do you immediately find yourself acknowledging that you have plenty of sins of your own with which to deal?  Do you think that even though your sins aren’t like theirs, you both are struggling Christians, and there is absolutely no difference between you and them?  Or are they a little beneath you because their sins are not as respectable as your own?  No, you’d never say this, but is that the path your thinking follows?  Friend, if it is, you have some repenting to do.  And who among us can say that this is never the case with us?  We all fight these self righteous attitudes.

Maybe some folks reading this find themselves as those looked down upon, treated as though they are in the lower level of Christians; their sins aren’t of the “respectable” type.  You must understand that those who look down upon you are the ones to be pitied.  They are blind to their own sin and have a most deficient understanding of God’s grace, even though they may be able to speak eloquently about God’s grace, mercy, and love.  They condemn the Pharisee who thanked God he wasn’t like others, and they are acting just like that Pharisee.  Don’t make the same mistake they make; instead of looking down on them, thank God for His grace, and treat them as your brother and sister in Christ, broken just like you but in different ways and places.  And never think of yourself as some inferior part of God’s people; you are loved and died for by Christ; it is His righteousness that covers you; you are an adopted and loved child of God; He has given His Holy Spirit to live in you.  Don’t look at your sin; don’t listen to the self righteous around you; look to Christ and be glad and confident in Him.

Finally, I mentioned groups for people battling certain sins we single out as being especially bad; I need to remind us that there is a large group that meets, which addresses all sins, and it is called, “the Church.”  We need to imagine ourselves seated in this really large circle where everyone is broken, sick, and needy, but also accepting, humble and helpful to everyone else in the group.  If you are in the circle and live looking down on others in it, then you probably don’t belong.  If you are very much aware of your great need of God’s grace for your life, then you do belong.  In this Group, we are all the same, as each one of us looks to Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

K. W. Pete Hurst is a part-time associate pastor at Calvary Reformed, PCA, Hampton, VA and an Associate Broker in Real Estate with DuVal Associates in Newport News, VA. He blogs at God’s Fool, where this article first appeared.