Each of us faces a gap at different times in our life. It’s just part of being human.

I remember when I used to be able to walk any hill around and never get winded. I’m not saying I am older and out of shape. I am just saying that I am finally old enough to see the importance of taking a good long rest at the end of a big hill-climb.  And maybe a couple rests in the middle of such climbs. There’s a gap between how I see myself — 25 years of age, and how I really am — nearly twice that.

There’s another place you often see a gap. It’s the gap between how you see yourself in terms of morality and how you really are, morally. I think that often, those who are caught in a sexual compromise are people who saw themselves as being above temptation. Then when the chance came along, they learned of the gap between who they thought they were and who they were.

Everyone who is a Christian has seen the gap. We’ve seen that we are not good, moral people who are better than others. And coming to terms with that reality, we’ve repented of our pride and other sins. And we’ve turned to Jesus, asking him to forgive us. That’s the most basic way there is to mind the gap: To admit you’re not, ethically speaking, who you need to be. And to see that Jesus died to forgive you and transform you into who you need to become.

This gap between who we think we are, morally, and who we really are, morally is the gap Jesus speaks of in the passage this sermon springs from.

You can listen to it below.

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