One of the disconcerting — and delightful teachings of the Master was: “God is closer to sinners than to saints.”
This is how he explained it: “God in heaven holds each person by a string. When you sin, you cut the string. Then God ties it up again, making a knot and thereby bringing you a little closer to him. Again and again your sins cut the string and with each further knot God keeps drawing you closer and closer.”