Is That With a “K”?
By Lisa Boyer
“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us
alive together with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions - - it
is by grace you have been saved.”
Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)
She had given me her last name, but
I was sure I had heard wrong and gave her a chance to correct me, “Is that with
a K?” I asked. “No,” she replied, “Sinner - - like in the Bible.”
Wow! I’d never met anyone with
Sinner as their last name. I wondered... was her last name proudly displayed in
her home in the same way as yours and mine are? Did her parents send out a
Christmas letter and sign it The Sinners? What was it like growing up as a Sinner?
Truthfully, I know what it was like
growing up as a sinner. I didn’t say it out loud as part of my official name,
but sinner was definitely my title. While I regularly earned that title, I had
a very difficult time owning up to it and claiming it. I had no problem
professing my faith and stating that I was a Christian, but under no
circumstances did I want anyone to know that I was a sinner, EVER.
Those days are over for me, and I
now own up to my title. I am certainly not proud of it, but if I deny that I am
a sinner, am I not in essence denying my need for a Savior? How can I truly
share what God has done in my life without starting at the beginning, that I
was a sinner?
I am so grateful that God doesn’t
wait until we sinners clean up our lives before He’ll love us! Romans 5:8 says,
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us” (NIV).
I recently saw a paraphrase of that
verse which said “I loved you at your darkest.” At my darkest - - while I was
actively in sin - - He loved me. Even now, in dark moments - - when I’m caught
in sin - - He still loves me, forgives me and restores me to a right
relationship with Him.
My name is Lisa Boyer and I am a
sinner, but because of God’s love for us, I have a Savior, Jesus Christ.
GOING
DEEPER:
1. Have you acknowledged that you
are a sinner and found a Savior in Jesus, the One who died for you? (For more
information, go to Following Jesus at Oakwoodnow.org.)
FURTHER
READING:
Lisa is married to Ted and they have
two sons in college. Lisa serves as an event photographer at Oakwood and
wherever else she is needed.
