Book Comment: Yes Lord, I have Sinned, but I Have Several Excellent Excuses

 

In his book, Yes Lord, I have Sinned, but I Have Several Excellent Excuses, James W. Moore, discusses the one real sin from which all other sins flow; idolatry of the self, and the numerous excuses we offer to God in our feeble attempts to explain why we are really OK and not to blame for our failures. We can convince ourselves, but not God, that we have good reasons for what we have done or what we are planning to do. Luke 14:15-24. The title of this book is a quotation of a line of dialogue from Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

ἁμαρτία (amartia: sin, missing the mark). Strong’s Greek Concordance says that this word derives from a (not) and meros (a part or a share of). The word is associated with archery and carries the idea of loss because of a failure to hit the mark, the target of the standard set by God.

Some of the sins discussed in this book include: talking a good game, half-heartedness, spiritual arrogance, deception, overreaction, hostility, and presumptuousness, all of which reduce down to the one sin, worship of self.

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As with most books such as this, what you get from the book depends on what you bring with you. You may not agree with everything the author says. Luke (see below) advises you to think for yourself. Read your Bible and to listen to what it says. Do not believe anything just because someone else told to believe it; let the Holy Spirit guide you to the truth.

A general caution: books may give you wonderful new insights and explanations of subjects, but you should never base your Christian beliefs on any one book or the teachings of one person, no matter who they are. All teachings must be consistent with scripture. Read as the Bereans did, with discernment. “… for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11 NASB

Any doctrines must be consistent with the historical full body of Christian thought. Doctrines or teachings inconsistent with scripture in any way must be rejected. You would not eat cheese which had a fuzzy fungus growing on it.

Information you will need to search for this book: Moore, James W., Yes Lord, I have Sinned, but I Have Several Excellent Excuses (Nashville, Tn., Abingdon Press, 1991)