Struggling With Sin

Do you struggle with sin? Congratulations, you are a sincere Christian!

I’ve observed (as undoubtedly some of you have) that many professing to be Christians seem to be completely unconcerned about whether they’re living a holy life or not, and indeed seem at a loss if you mention you’re “struggling with sin”. Either the person is a) the second coming of Christ, or, more likely, b) does not regularly read the bible and is unfamiliar with what God regards as sin, or c) reads the bible but puts their own interpretation on it and/or is not really interested in obedience. The self-centered gospel of today seems to be: “Christ died for Me (capital M), and it doesn’t make any difference how I live, because God is such a God of love”. 

Several years ago in my own walk I was tired of being a fraud. I had been a Christian for almost 10 years*, and I had a couple particular “besetting sins” I could not overcome (see Hebrews 12:1). I thought: “If God demands a holy life from us (and He does: see 1 Peter 1:15 and Hebrews 12:14, for starters), surely He would provide a way for us to achieve it!”

It was then I received a random package of CDs in the mail from an obscure ministry in the Midwest, asking me whether I was interested in “overcoming sin in my life”**.  I tell you friends, God’s timing is always perfect! It was then the teaching of the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 6 began to become real to me, and not just theology I’d read one hundred times: “... our old man is (was) crucified with him (Christ), that the body of sin (i.e., our sinful nature) might be destroyed (i.e., put out of business), that henceforth we should not (i.e., don’t have to) serve sin” (Romans 6:6). My sins flowed from my sinful nature, which had been dealt with at the cross of Christ! Hallelujah!

Paul goes on to say in Romans 6: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body” (Romans 6:12). You see, what God has done is given us a choice. Before we accepted Christ and asked the Holy Spirit to dwell in us we really didn’t have a choice. We were sinners by default, through our forefather's choice (see Romans 5:12). This also confuses the world and many who profess Christ. They don’t see the world and themselves as inherently wicked (despite the headlines), and is the reason why the gospel isn’t truly being preached in many of our churches. If we are not naturally wicked, then why did Jesus come? What is there to be saved from?

Am I a sinless Christian today? Of course not, no one is or ever will be. But I do know where my power to overcome sin lies, through faith in what Christ did at the cross of Calvary (see Romans 6:11)

So friends, let us “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1), because “without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14)

* Although I value it, I do not count my upbringing in a Christian church and the time after that up until receiving Christ as "being Christian” (see John 3:3)
** The name of the ministry is "Worldwide Victorious Life Bible Tapes" - email me at tarbell8@gmail.com if you are interested

Birdsong

Are you up when the first light of dawn is appearing? Me neither. But if you are, you are familiar with the amazing symphony of birds songs filling the air. It's quite amazing the way they complement each other, and it's a beautiful way our heavenly Creator has arranged to start the day.

One recent rare occasion when I was up at this time, I was wondering why they do this, and a reason came to me. (I've since read that scientists believe it's males attracting mates, but I like my reason better and I'm sticking with it.) The reason that came to me is that, at some point they started doing it, and they've being doing it for so long that they associate it with the sun rising. And being creatures of instinct and survival, they now figure that if they don't do it the sun won't come up!

This got me thinking about our prayer lives. Are we praying for things (like revival*) as if our prayers are absolutely necessary for it to come to pass? For some reason, in God's divine ordering of things, they are! It goes with the free will thing. Just as man's love for God cannot satisfy His (God's) heart without a free will (choice) engaged, so God's [good] purposes for man cannot be accomplished without man's active cooperation.

I will give you an example. A couple years ago my friend was in a coma and dying from surgery complications. I had a distinct, heavy feeling in my spirit that he was going to die. There wasn't any rest in my spirit like it was his time to depart, just heaviness and despair. Now, should I have just sat there and said "it's all good!"? (A phrase I hate incidentally - it is NOT "all good"). No! I prayed fervently that my friend would live. And he miraculously did.

Now do I believe that my prayers alone saved this man? No. But the fact is I really don't know, maybe they did!

Let us commit (or re-commit) ourselves to fervent prayer, even rising as early as the birds in the morning, and pray His will be done. If we don't do it, who will?

* one definition of revival is "a spiritual reawakening from a state of dormancy or stagnation"

No Looking Back

 

 

As I was running during my lunch break (yes, I try) around a beautiful pond near where I work, a carved wooden sign jumped out at me (not literally) to my left which read “one way – no exit”. Immediately, for some reason, this made me think of what those of us who have “signed up” for following Jesus knew what we were getting into.

You may have watched or read the biography of a famous rock star: almost invariably for those who had the greatest success there was no “Plan B”. They threw themselves into their commitment and never looked back.

The bible contains many instances of the consequences for having a “Plan B” for following God wholeheartedly:: the Israelites (a symbol of the individual Christian) longing to go back to Egypt (i.e., sin) after their miraculous deliverance; Lot's wife looking back to Sodom (sin) while it was being destroyed, and turning to a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26), and Jesus Christ himself and His example, who said “he who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

Is there something holding you back from following God wholeheartedly? Often it is the “fear of man” (i.e., looking foolish). Well, the Bible has positive things to say about being foolish! (see 1 Corinthians 1:27). The solution to these fears, is to put ourselves aside, and let Christ live through us (Ephesians 4:22-24). Because our old corrupt nature will always fear, but God has no fear! “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). With God’s righteousness covering us, we are “bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).