Dwight Longenecker
The Christian who is furthest along the journey repeats a constant prayer which is simply, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me a Sinner.” He has developed a metanoia mentality. He is constantly turning around; constantly checking his instinct to be right and acknowledging that he is wrong.
Isn’t it curious how confession is acceptable—fashionable even, within the realm of self help and group therapy while it is considered dark, neurotic and “guilt-ridden” in the realm of religion? If you go to a therapist you will be encouraged to spill the beans because it is healthy. If you receive counseling you will be expected to haul all the skeletons out of all the cupboards without shame. In an Alcoholics Anonymous group the person next to you will be encouraged to say, “I’m George, I’m an alcoholic.” But if you go to church and the person next to you shakes your hand and says, “I’m Mildred, I’m a sinner,” you will have your fears confirmed that the church is full of fruit loops.
But Mildred shouldn’t be blamed for being honest anymore than George should. Surely one of the most obvious things any human being can say about themselves is, “I’m a sinner.” Being a sinner simply means that we haven’t reached the unbelievably glorious potential for which we were created. As the New Testament puts it, “All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” If we are created in God’s image and are destined for divinization, then to have fallen short of God’s glory means we have missed the target. This fact ought to be an almost constant nagging realization within our lives. Our first waking moment when we decide to stay in bed for an extra twenty minutes is our first little realization that we’re doing less than our best. » Read More
https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2025/04/metanoia-mentality-quest-creed-dwight-longenecker.html