Simul justus et peccator and Strange Fire

I've been to many meetings.  Charismatic, Catholic, Calvinistic Baptist and Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican (high, broad, and low), Pentecostal, ecumenical, and tons of Lutheran ones.  They have all involved people, and therefore they always involve justus et peccator (sinful saints or sainted sinners).  That phrase "simul justus et peccator" is the old way of describing the Romans 7 paradox that you get when people are involved, myself included (just ask my wife, kids, congregation, and/or anyone who knows me.)

There are many videos on the worldwide interwebz that are perfect examples of how the peccator is certainly present where the justus is, when two or three of any variety of Christian gathers.  

1. Peccator does NOT surprise me where people are.  It doesn't surprise God either.

2. Other people's peccator drive me more crazy the my own. This is not a sign of their great guilt, but my own.  Of blessed memory, Chuck Smith said, " How ugly our sins look on other people."

3. The list of peccator variety is vast.  I typically (graciously) overlook my own.  Let me just scratch the surface of peccator variety: show off peccator, pious peccator, impious peccator, prayerful Pharisee peccator, prayerless peccator, "just here for the tingling Holy Ghost goosebumps" peccator, "Who does that person think they are" peccator, sarcasm peccator, judgement peccator, going through the motions peccator, traditional peccator, contemporary peccator, "I want worship-my way" peccator, emotionalism peccator, intellectualism peccator.  This is just the beginning.  I bet you could add more.  None of them surprise me.  All of them are strange fire.  All of them forgiven and purified by the All-Consuming Fire.

If you are worried about worshipping around others who may have some peccator here and there, you may find yourself all alone.  Even then you will find enough offending peccator. You may have to separate from yourself.  Maybe that's what Isaiah meant when he said he was "undone."  Quit looking at other's peccator.  Quit looking at your own.  Look at the One who comes to you with a burning coal and touches your profoundly peccator lips and heart and makes you justus!