If we who claim to be Christians are honest with ourselves, we shall have to admit that many of us tend to have a self-image that over-accentuates the negative. Many of us commonly see ourselves through the purple-colored glasses of our depravity—sometimes even called “total depravity.” I do not deny that according to the Scriptures we are all by nature depraved or sinful in every aspect of our being, but the same Scriptures teach us about redemption and renewal. Sad to say, however, many of us tend