One of my jobs at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Nashville is to interview men who are new to our center. I have to ask them a series of questions about their drug and alcohol history. One of the questions is: "What kind of person are you?"

Men will openly tell me about their drug and alcohol abuse, about lying to their family, about leaving their children and refusing to pay child support, about all kinds of immoral sexual behavior, about stealing from family or friends, about their time in prison, about abusing their wife or girl friend, about suicide attempts, DUI's, crimes they have committed, and on and on. (Sometimes their stories even make Tennessee Titan, Pacman Jones, sound like a model citizen.) Then when I ask them the question; "What kind of person are you?" they almost all say; "I am a good person."

And it is not just alcoholics and addicts who believe they are "good" people. As our society continues to ditch the common views of morality from almost every human culture, religion, and time period; we still claim that we are "good" people. But are we?

Paul of Tarsus, who wrote a big portion of the New Testament said: "I am the chief of sinners," and "O wretched man that I am." While we, in our day, can even sing the song that says: "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me," all the while boasting in our self-proclaimed goodness.

In this puffed up, feel good, anything goes culture, we seem to have lost the ability to humbly and sincerely say: "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner."