A Sinning Saint, preaching the Gospel

I've recently gotten hooked on Casting Crowns new cd.  Every time a new cd of theirs comes out, I think it can't possibly be better than the one before...and it always is.  One of the things I like best about Casting Crowns is how downright honest they are in their lyrics.  They don't sugarcoat the truth.  They don't "write nice" for Christians.  It's real stuff. And sometimes, it smacks me in the face.

Right now, it's been the lyrics of "Jesus, Friend of Sinners".

One of the lines in the first verse goes like this:

A plank-eyed saint, with dirty hands and a heart divided…

There are so many thoughts that kinda hit me with that line.

I'm a sinner.

And I somehow...forget that.  Maybe not forget that I sin...but forget what that means in the eyes of a Holy God. I'm a SINNER.  And I choose my sin over his holiness. 

                  Over. And over. And over again.

Plank-eyed saint...that's me.  I've got so much sin in my life, sometimes I can't even see it all.

But it's not a "plank-eyed sinner".  It's a plank-eyed saint.

I'm saved.  Christ has redeemed me, called me, purchased me, revived me from the dead. 

I'm a saint.  Granted, I'm not 'completed' yet (and won't be until the day of Christ - Phil. 1:6), but I'm one of God's chosen people.  I am part of His bride.

WOW.

Just let that soak in for a minute.

…

Okay. Now go back and read that line again - 

                             plank-eyed saint, dirty hands, heart divided. 

That's still me.  Saved, but still screwing up. 

                    A sinning saint.  With a God who loves me.

Jesus, friend of sinners.

The second verse states this: May the memory of your mercy bring your people to their knees.

I pray that the Gospel never stops bringing us to our knees.