Universally Guilty!

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23

The Human Pain We Avoid
Bill Wilson, the cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous, began the twelve-step journey with a hard truth: We admitted we were powerless. It’s the hardest step because no one wants to acknowledge their powerlessness. Wilson observed that most of us are terrified of facing our hidden ugliness. We polish our image while ignoring our inner condition. Ego builds walls around our pain — walls so strong that even honesty struggles to break through.

But when we refuse to face our sin, guilt doesn’t vanish — it mutates. It morphs into shame, blame, fear, denial, and anger. These emotions don’t just “show up” one day; they take root and make themselves at home in the soil of unconfessed guilt.

Paul’s Diagnosis of the World
That’s why Paul began his monumental letter to Rome not with hope or love but with sin. He leveled the playing field — both the wild Gentile and the religious Jew had missed the mark. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.” The ungodly were enslaved by visible vices; the religious were blinded by invisible pride. Both needed grace.

Richard Rohr captured it well: “We come to God because we get it wrong, not because we get it right.”

The Roman Empire’s favorite sins were sexual indulgence, drunkenness, and showy luxury. America’s are subtler — worry, procrastination, gluttony, overspending, endless media scrolling, gossip, and anger. We may not carve idols of stone, but we still worship at the altars of self, comfort, and distraction.

Who, then, will stand in the gap and name these modern sins for what they are?

Grace Always Gets the Last Word
The good news — the euangelion (Greek for “good news”) — is that grace doesn’t wait for perfection. Grace meets us in the confession of our need. The moment we step out of denial and into truth, guilt gives way to forgiveness, and shame begins to lose its grip.

When we own our powerlessness, God releases His power. That’s where transformation begins.

Reflection Questions
    1.    What unacknowledged weakness or habit quietly rules your heart?
    2.    How does admitting powerlessness actually open the door to God’s strength?
    3.    Are there “modern sins” you’ve excused because everyone around you does them?

Grace to You,
Cedric
Traditionalwriter@yahoo.com