How does our view of God impact our view of ourselves and of sin?

John Snyder explains in this video that we must change the way that we think about God. If we have a biblical view of the majesty of God, it will put us in our place. We will correspondingly have a small view of ourselves. We also will have a right view of sin. Reformation begins with a proper understanding of who God is and how sinful our sin is. 

In contrast, if we have a small view of God, we will have a correspondingly large view of ourselves, making ourselves the center. Sin will be merely something that we want relief from, but not a cure.

Revelations 4:11 (NKJV) – “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”

When we think of the reformation of an individual life or the reformation of a home or a church or even a nation and its connection with repentance, We ask ourselves often, what can I do? Perhaps I'm not a pastor, I'm not a denominational leader, maybe I'm not even married, I don't have a spouse or children. How can I do my part in this? One of the greatest things we can do is to begin to reform the way we think of God. There is a connection between what we think of God and what we think of ourselves.

If we have a big view, a biblical view, a lofty view of the majesty of God. It will put us in our right place. We will have a correspondingly small view of ourselves. We are grateful to belong to Him. We're grateful for the opportunity to become self-forgetful and for Him to be everything.

But if we have a small view of God, then we will have a correspondingly large view of ourselves and we will be the center of everything. We'll be the center of our homes And so if things aren't going well in the home, we're angry because we're the center of the home. If things aren't going well in our marriage, we're angry because we're the center of our marriage. We're the center of our church, perhaps. We come in on Sunday, we don't receive the respect we think we deserve, we look for another church.

We need to rethink God and ourselves. But there's a third thing. When we think rightly of God, we think clearly of ourselves, then we will have an accurate view of sin. A big view of God and a small view of myself puts sin in its right light. Sin is a thief of the glory of God.

But if I have a small view of God, then I'll have a big view of myself and sin will simply be a thing that's troubling me. It's a thing that brings consequences that I don't want. It's a thing that I want relief from, but not a cure. Augustine in the early centuries of the church, before he was a Christian, while he was under conviction, he gave this famous prayer, God save me from my sin, but not yet.