Hi Farlsborough,
But I see what you mean: my sinful state is no better than anyone elses
That's the main point I believe we all need to come to.
1Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Why would Paul make a statement like this, he was one of the most outspoken of the Apostles... but as Saul he actually lead them to find believers, where they would then be imprisoned and sometimes put to death.
Act 22:4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,
Act 22:5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.
He stood by and watched 'with approval' as the Jews stoned Stephen. So yes he viewed his own sins worse than anybody else's, certainly he would say he was guilty of all.
But I think that we all have to come to this same realization about ourselves... that whatever our own sins are, they qualify us as the worse of all sinners. I do not mean this only in a relative sense, but a sincere reality that we are not only worthless, not only capable of wickedness, but vile our self, just like Paul thought of himself. It is coming to that conclusion about what we really are that makes us truly humble, by knowing full well that we are not any better than the lowliest of sinner, we have to see ourselves as vile as we really are in our carnal wretchedness.
If we hope to rule with Christ then we have to realize that every single human being is of great value to God and we are no better than any one of them. "No one is good but One, that is God."
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
mercy, peace and love
Kat