We all find ourselves thinking "I will never be as good as that person... but at least I'm better than this dingleberry." We shouldn't, because such thoughts smack of relativism, and relativism is bunk.
God is infinite and absolute. When one is infinite and absolute, one doesn't arse oneself with scorekeeping - something is or it ain't.
Sins are sins. All sins are abominations in the eyes of the Lord, from intentionally short-changing a busy and inattentive customer at Starbucks to murdering a busload of nuns.
Sinners are sinners. All have fallen short in the eyes of the Lord. From your own grandmother to your church deacons to criminals on death row, all the way down to politicians in Washington - all have sinned. (I know this, because all have been six years old on Easter and/or Halloween and giddily blown past his or her parents' limit on candy consumption.)
Therefore, we are all scum. Myself included. Wretched, befouled dung-crawlers unworthy to see the light of the sun. All of us. No exceptions.
However, redemption is redemption. For those of us who have truly taken the Lord Jesus into our hearts as our savior, He declares us clean and worthy. Even goobers like me who continually sin even after coming to the Lord are perfectly forgiven recipients of His grace and mercy.
I am clean. As is everybody who calls Jesus Lord with his or her soul as well as mouth.
And we're all just as clean. Forgiven is forgiven. My pastors are no more forgivener than I am, nor am I the most forgivenest meat puppet in the room right now - we are all forgiven. Done.
Thus, noone is better than you, nor are you better than anyone in the eyes of the Lord. Infinity works like that. Salvation is in truth a pass/fail course.
But studying is still a good idea.
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