Sin is Like an Iceberg... but so is the Gospel!
You know how icebergs work.
Large pieces of a glacier break off into the ocean to form frozen islands.
Some are small, while others are enormous.
In fact, the English word iceberg is derived from the Dutch, ijsberg, which literally means ice mountain.
Some are larger than mountains.
The largest iceberg on record was discovered in the South Pacific Ocean by the (appropriately named) USS Glacier on November 12, 1956.
This iceberg measured over 12,000 square miles, making it larger than Belgium!
But still, according to Archimedes's Principle of Buoyancy, what is above the waterline is roughly 10% of the entire mountain (or country) of ice.
This is where our story begins…
Sin is like an iceberg.
What we perceive outwardly in words and actions is at most 10% of the problem.
Under the surface exist motives and desires to which many of us are oblivious.
Thus, we minimize the significance of our sin as a relatively small thing we can manage.
As long as nobody sees the ijsberg under the waterline, I can maintain my posture as a reasonably decent guy.
But there is a deeper problem.
The only way to understand and truly grasp the significance of the gospel is to go beneath the waterline.
I'm not sure where I read it, but it's true. I want to credit John Calvin, I'm just not sure.
The principle is this: we are only aware of (at most) 1% of our sinfulness.
You see, the gospel doesn't use Archimedes's Principle. Our standard for the buoyancy of holiness isn't salt water. It is the perfection of God.
On the surface (literally), this sounds like bad news.
But actually, recognizing the 1% principle leads to amazingly, astonishingly good news.
Are you ready for it?
If I'm only aware of 1% of my sin, that means I am only aware of 1% of God's grace!
There is so much more of the height, depth, width, and breadth of God's love, kindness, mercy, and goodness to explore!
Because of the enormity of the cross, we are safe to explore the true depth of our sinfulness.
We’re free to confess, be honest, real, and transparent about our need for the blood of Christ.
We are not condemned.
For those who look to Jesus in faith as their sin-substitute, every sin has been nailed to the cross and we bear it no more.
We are not merely forgiven.
It's so much better.
We are treasured beyond our wildest imaginations as adopted, dearly loved sons and daughters.
When we begin to explore that, grace begins to grow, the Spirit fills the branch, and we start to change in ways we never expected.
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Of course brother. I meant it too. I don't have many subscribers but I cross-posted your article today because it means a lot. More generally, I came to substack hoping to encourage and build a free grace community. I am tired of the 'grace guy'always being by himself. Anything I can do to help you or a brother please let me know.
This is really good McKay. I appreciate it so much. I have always thought that this is why the early Reformed focused so much on Total Depravity. The whole point is that anything that is sinful is in need of, and can hope for, redemption. Claiming that we, any part of us, is ok is a recipe for it to stay the way that it is. But anything that is 'confined under sin' should anticipate being shown mercy, not being left in its present state. This is the reason to not look for righteousness in ourselves, well one of many good reasons. I don't want just my 'appetites' redeemed, which the Scholastics say is the only part of us corrupted by sin. I want my will-called free only as a sick joke, my reason-rightly accused of being captured by the devil, even my emotions, my whole Psyche and let's not forget my body identified as sinful so that all of me might be redeemed. I really appreciate your Mustard Seed a lot.