No difference between them and me?

“But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant. Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath.”

Psalm 78:36-38 NIV

 The more things change the more they stay the same. I spent this past weekend at a secular motorcycle rally with my CMA (Christian Motrocyclists Association) brothers and sisters. I find it curious that everyone that stops by our booth or that we meet at the rally claim to believe in God. They flatter God with their mouth. But they are not loyal to him. I witnessed many actions this past weekend that go directly against the covenant with God. Yet, God is merciful. He lives theses people just as much as he does me. God doesn't see any difference between my sins, which are many, and the sins of the people I met this weekend. He restrains his anger even as his heart breaks for them just like he restrains his anger towards me and is merciful to the sins  and mistakes of my life.

I am constantly amazed how the typical Christian is so judgemental and ranks their sins as insignificant while the sins of others are extreme. Yet, that is not biblical under any interpretation. We destroy our witness, we destroy our faith when we  become the judge of  others. Our commission, the great commission says nothing about judging. One of my CMA brothers this weekend said, How can we expect the lost to act like the saved?. That is so true. God does not expect us to change BEFORE we accept him. Once we accept him, then we WILL be changed from the power of our savior. So this weekend I met a lot of sinners just like me. The only difference is they have not made the decision to let Jesus begin the process to change their lives. He is waiting on them. He is merciful and slow to anger. His love for us is unimaginable and beyond any other love we have had. I am humbled that while I was still a sinner, he loved me! Praise God for that love!