“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15
“And He has said to me. My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly therefore I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
Though Jesus cannot relate to sinning, He can relate to being tempted to sin and therefore understands our weakness. Having been tempted in all things, He doesn’t condemn us for our weaknesses, but instead He sympathizes with our vulnerability to sin and He is our victory when tempted. I remember when I was first discovered the reality that Jesus Christ had come to live inside of me to live His life through me, how frustrated I was with myself because of my weaknesses. I was convinced that if I could just get my weaknesses straightened out then Jesus could live his life through me victoriously. The idea of being in Christ and experiencing Him living the life he lives in and through my humanity was both fascinating and potentially liberating, but unfortunately I was convinced that my tendencies to sin (my weaknesses) disqualified me and if I could just get my sin issue cleaned up then Christ would be able to live His life through me. What I did not realize was that Jesus was not offended with my tendency to sin, but instead, he understood what temptation felt like and was prepared to demonstrate his power through my weaknesses. Galatians 5:16 is a remarkable verse that gave me insight into the liberating truth that Jesus wasn’t waiting for me to stop being weak so that He could live his life through me, instead, he was prepared to live his life through me in light of my weaknesses so that he could set me free from the power of those weaknesses. Look at what that verse in Galatians says, “But I say, walk in the spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.” Paul doesn’t say stop carrying out the desires of the flesh so that you can walk in the spirit, but he says if you walk in the spirit, (that is, let Jesus Christ his life through you), then you will stop fulfilling the desires of the flesh. I was so ashamed of the fact that I was so weak, not realizing that my weakness actually postured me to look to Christ alone to live the Christian life. Verse 10 in two Corinthians 12 says, “… When I am weak then I am strong.” When I realized that my weakness didn’t disqualify me, but instead, were the very things that qualified me to allow his power to be demonstrated through my life, then I was able to stop hating myself and start celebrating Him. There is such freedom when you get your eyes off of you and what is wrong with you and set your eyes on Christ instead. Paul said “Most gladly therefore I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ (the supernatural ability of Christ) may abide in me.” Paul is not saying that he is boasting about sinning. He is saying that he most gladly now can be transparent about his weaknesses, because in doing that he’s admitting that he cannot live the Christian life in his own strength, because his own strength is full of holes, and he is boasting in the fact that his weaknesses crowd him to Christ so that now Jesus’s ability, and Jesus’s victory can be demonstrated through him. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not ourselves.” God loves to demonstrate his ability through our inabilities that his glory may be on display.
It is okay if you are weak, because only the weak find Christ as their strength and their life.