The Inception of Proud Sinner
What is sin? The word has many definitions, but one of the most common Hebrew-to-English translations, chata’ah, simply means to “miss the mark”, but over time WE have transferred our God given power to sin. How is this possible and what do I mean by transfer? When Christ transcended into Heaven He left the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. In doing this, He established a personal communication that can be activated anytime anywhere, and the same power given from the Father to the Son is also present in the Holy Spirit in you.
Our choices have power far beyond this world, so when we make the choice that sin is an unmovable obstacle for God we have literally given life to something Christ has already died for. These are not just words, but it is truly a transfer of life. It has been written in the Bible (Romans 8:6) and scientifically proven that stress, worry, depression, and other issues created by things of this world can lead to an early death. This is one example of how I know sin plays a huge role in our society today. Every time I tell people the name of our ministry is Proud Sinner they hesitate as if trying to decide if they heard me correctly or to see if I was an atheist they could offer prayer for.
For most Christian believers, the words “Proud” and “Sinner” are like oil and water, they were never designed to exist together. Even though our choice to sin is the cause of so much evil, hate, depression, and oppression (just naming a few), it also set in motion the Greatest outpouring of Love. In response, God the Father sent Jesus Christ, the Son of God to be crucified for our sins (John 3:16). Understanding sin is best described by the “half glass full” analogy, we can focus on what we gained from sin, Jesus, or we can focus on the negative effects sin has in our lives and our world today. Unfortunately, most people, including followers of Jesus, see the glass as half empty.
This is where the idea of Proud Sinner was born. We are NOT proud of the fact that we frequently fall into sin, but we are proud that our sin draws us closer to our Savior. As believers in Christ, our job is to spread the gospel of God. The only way to effectively do this is to be real with the people we evangelize to as well as ourselves, and stand firm on the Word of God, and the Truth is that we are ALL sinners (Romans 3:23). For those who know God, Proud Sinner is a reminder of how much God loves us and a declaration of how much we need Jesus on a daily basis. To nonbelievers, Proud Sinner is meant to be a sigh of relief and an invitation. Relief in knowing that you’re not the only one dealing with issues, and the invitation is to enter into a relationship with the One who has Loved you since before you existed on this Earth (Jeremiah 1:5). Understand, the consequence of sin is and has always been and will always be, Death! No amount of volunteering, charitable donations, good acts, or any other moral activity can atone for this. Thank God! Jesus has already graciously satisfied this for us and as His reward Jesus rose from the grave with ALL power (Matthew 28:18). Don’t ever let anyone, anything, or any thought in your mind convince you your sin is too great to receive mercy from God. “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; So choose life, that both You and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). If you purchase any PS apparel and get asked questions while out in public, be quick to share the meaning of the piece and how it relates personally in your life. Proud Sinner is more than apparel; it is a seed waiting to be planted in fertile ground. For Christ told his Disciples, “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few…” (Luke 10-2).Interested in learning more?
