Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Scared of the Dark! - How fear humbles us.
Interesting thing happened at work the other day during closing. The guys I work with started talking about the apparently creepy history of Priest Point Park here in Olympia. From Indian burial grounds to suicides, stories of the bizarre continued late into the night as we closed the park up. How factual these stories are is highly debatable, but I kept thinking how interesting it was that these modern rational guys all agreed that they would be terrified to be left alone in the dark forest of an empty park long after closing.
So the next time someone tells me there is no such thing as Satan, evil, demons, etc, I think I'll put their hypothesis to the test and offer to drop them off deep in the forest during the middle of the night by themselves for a more balanced approach to the subject. Something very honest and humbling happens to the human soul when it's plucked out of the simple, even unnoticed comforts of the city and placed in the middle of a dark forest where there is absolutely no one for miles. In the forest there are no street lights, no cell phone coverage, no cars, no shelter, nothing that can puff the soul up with pride and make is feel secure, its all gone way out there and the soul is faced with honest, humbling, pure, primal fear.
So the next time someone tells me there is no such thing as Satan, evil, demons, etc, I think I'll put their hypothesis to the test and offer to drop them off deep in the forest during the middle of the night by themselves for a more balanced approach to the subject. Something very honest and humbling happens to the human soul when it's plucked out of the simple, even unnoticed comforts of the city and placed in the middle of a dark forest where there is absolutely no one for miles. In the forest there are no street lights, no cell phone coverage, no cars, no shelter, nothing that can puff the soul up with pride and make is feel secure, its all gone way out there and the soul is faced with honest, humbling, pure, primal fear.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
We do what we want!
I've been thinking about the following statement; "We always do that which we most want to."
It's true, isn't it? The highest, deepest, strongest affections of our hearts really do control us. We never do anything, no matter how difficult, that ultimately isn't motivated by our strongest affections. At the core of all of our actions, even if it warrants momentary discomfort or displeasure, is a desire for infinite satisfaction.
When I sin, it's because I believe a the lie that twists my affections and causes me to commit divine treason by attempting to find satisfaction in those things which are only created as pointers, mirrors and shadows of the infinity beautifully, powerful, awe-inspiring, desire satisfying God almighty.
What I've learned is that when I don't pray humbly that God the Holy Spirit would change my heart so my deepest affections are to cherish and be satisfied in God. I begin to crossover into cruel, heartless, passionless, religiosity because I'm only operating on a knowledge level of what I "should" be doing while my affections or for sin. Without any deep abiding passion to delight in the law of God I will always ultimately sin because I do what I most want to. It's simple but I'm realizing the fuller significance of the difference in out comes between duty and delight.
Our life is constantly driven by desires seeking complete and infinite satisfaction. Join me in looking to Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith!
It's true, isn't it? The highest, deepest, strongest affections of our hearts really do control us. We never do anything, no matter how difficult, that ultimately isn't motivated by our strongest affections. At the core of all of our actions, even if it warrants momentary discomfort or displeasure, is a desire for infinite satisfaction.
When I sin, it's because I believe a the lie that twists my affections and causes me to commit divine treason by attempting to find satisfaction in those things which are only created as pointers, mirrors and shadows of the infinity beautifully, powerful, awe-inspiring, desire satisfying God almighty.
What I've learned is that when I don't pray humbly that God the Holy Spirit would change my heart so my deepest affections are to cherish and be satisfied in God. I begin to crossover into cruel, heartless, passionless, religiosity because I'm only operating on a knowledge level of what I "should" be doing while my affections or for sin. Without any deep abiding passion to delight in the law of God I will always ultimately sin because I do what I most want to. It's simple but I'm realizing the fuller significance of the difference in out comes between duty and delight.
Our life is constantly driven by desires seeking complete and infinite satisfaction. Join me in looking to Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
I Sinned...Now What? Part 5: Resolve to Keep Fighting
I Sinned...Now What?
Part 5: Resolve to Keep Fighting
The theological term for the process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification, and it is a concept that seems to be experiencing somewhat of a revival among Christians. A quick look around your local Christian bookstore or online will reveal thousands of books, sermons, and teachings resources that give techniques and strategies about avoiding, hating, and eliminating sin in the Christian life. I have access to plenty of information and techniques to avoid sin as I live my new life in Christ. But what if I sin anyway?
Christians have historically been very bad at answering this question. In the early church, a book called the Shepherd of Hermas heretically seems to imply that believers can only be forgiven for continued sin once after they’re baptized. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed that Christians could actually obtain perfection and never sin again. There is staggeringly little honest teaching throughout Christendom on the personal continual battle with indwelling sin, especially in regards to failure. However, the Bible does address this issue and it is good to sort through it and be reminded of the truth. The Apostle Peter says, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13). So let us be stirred up by way of reminder to continue our fight with sin both during and following failure.
Now What?
So what is the biblical response for Christians who struggle with sin? We continue this fight by feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repenting, confessing, accepting forgiveness, and resolving to continue the fight. In our past blogs we explored conviction, repentance, confession, and forgiveness. We will now finish our series with a discussion on moving forward by resolving to continue the fight.
Resolve to Fight
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
After sinning it can feel like we’ve failed completely, but the Holy Spirit’s conviction brings us to repentance, confession, and acceptance of God’s forgiveness offered in Christ. Then we must continue to fight against indwelling sin, remembering that we’re justified by Christ who gives a new nature. Because we’re treasuring Christ above all else, we remove any obstacles that would keep us from finding our joy in Christ as we continue fighting for holiness.
Justification and Lordship of Christ: New Creations
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
After we’ve messed up and the weight of sin begins to put pressure on our hearts, it can seem overwhelming. We may ask ourselves, “Am I hypocrite for saying that I am justified by Christ even when I continue to sin?” The answer is, maybe. The Apostle Paul warns us that, “If I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor” (Galatians 1:18). Is Christ’s Lordship gaining more and more control over your choices or are we still the Lords of our lives? We have to be very careful and soberly allow the Spirit to convict us because there is a temptation to dwell on our sin and failure rather than take into account our repentance, confession, and perseverance. What is the trajectory of our lives and what does that say about who we ultimately view as Lord? We may continue sinning but are we continuing to repent? Looking back on your life, can you see the work of the Holy Spirit transforming you by slowly and continuously helping you to consider your old nature dead? I believe that the true Christian can see real change. Change is usually so slow it’s only noticeable in hind-sight. For me it is often almost impossible to believe I have changed in the light of fresh sins, but God the Spirit graciously opens my eyes to see the glory of what He is “carrying on to completion” in my life.
There is a tension in our walk of sanctification because many say they are justified by Christ, but their lives show that Christ is not their Lord. They’re proven to be hypocrites because the pattern of life doesn’t reflected a growing understanding of the Lordship of Jesus but only growing habitual sin that rebuilds what was tore down. This isn’t a change of nature from being born-again but simply the outworking of a carnal heart that sees the benefits of playing the religious game. I want to remind my struggling brothers and sisters that Jesus didn’t come to show us how to be more disciplined but to die as our sin bearer and give us a new nature through the Holy Spirit. As they say, you can scrub a pig down and clean him up but he’ll always run back into the mud and get filthy all over again. Don’t blame that pig, that’s what he does, he’s a pig! The only way to keep a pig clean is if it had a new nature that hates mud. We must walk in the newness of life that hates sin and considers ourselves dead to it. This is the walkway of true Christian life.
“So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)
Making Christ our Treasure
The way we continue to fight against sin is to not give it dominion in our hearts. As Christians we have a new nature and a new treasure. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). After sinning due to our service to the masters of money, sex, approval, accomplishment, etc, it’s the inward master/idols of the heart that we must learn to hate so we can serve Christ.
As Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44). We must pray and plead with God that he would conform our hearts to see him as the most beautiful, most valuable, most precious treasure in our lives.
Removing Obstacles: Cutting Off Hands and Plucking Out Eyes
After sinning, we must repent, confess, and accept forgiveness, but our new nature demands that we assess how we can root that sin out of our lives. Out of our joy in loving Christ, who is better than anything else we can love in this world, we are compelled to remove every stumbling block. Jesus says:
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30)
Christ demands that we get violent on our sin! Brothers and sisters, don’t stop fighting for joy in Christ above all else!
Resolving to Continuing Fighting for Joy
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (Colossians 3:5-10)
Let us strength our resolve to continue our fight with indwelling sin, knowing that by the Spirit of God victory is assured in some measure in this life time as we become the new creations God has made us to be. And we have the certainty of our future hope built on Christ’s eternal victory over sin!
Remember, the fight isn’t over once we’ve sinned. Satan is a liar who has come to steal, kill, and destroy. As long as we are breathing he will continue to tempt us. And the temptation to give up in despair after sin is especially beguiling. But there is hope after failure! There is God’s grace, seen though the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repentance, confession, acceptance of God’s forgiveness, and the resolve to continue to fight! Praise be to God that:
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (Romans 16:20)
Part 5: Resolve to Keep Fighting
The theological term for the process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification, and it is a concept that seems to be experiencing somewhat of a revival among Christians. A quick look around your local Christian bookstore or online will reveal thousands of books, sermons, and teachings resources that give techniques and strategies about avoiding, hating, and eliminating sin in the Christian life. I have access to plenty of information and techniques to avoid sin as I live my new life in Christ. But what if I sin anyway?
Christians have historically been very bad at answering this question. In the early church, a book called the Shepherd of Hermas heretically seems to imply that believers can only be forgiven for continued sin once after they’re baptized. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed that Christians could actually obtain perfection and never sin again. There is staggeringly little honest teaching throughout Christendom on the personal continual battle with indwelling sin, especially in regards to failure. However, the Bible does address this issue and it is good to sort through it and be reminded of the truth. The Apostle Peter says, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13). So let us be stirred up by way of reminder to continue our fight with sin both during and following failure.
Now What?
So what is the biblical response for Christians who struggle with sin? We continue this fight by feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repenting, confessing, accepting forgiveness, and resolving to continue the fight. In our past blogs we explored conviction, repentance, confession, and forgiveness. We will now finish our series with a discussion on moving forward by resolving to continue the fight.
Resolve to Fight
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
After sinning it can feel like we’ve failed completely, but the Holy Spirit’s conviction brings us to repentance, confession, and acceptance of God’s forgiveness offered in Christ. Then we must continue to fight against indwelling sin, remembering that we’re justified by Christ who gives a new nature. Because we’re treasuring Christ above all else, we remove any obstacles that would keep us from finding our joy in Christ as we continue fighting for holiness.
Justification and Lordship of Christ: New Creations
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
After we’ve messed up and the weight of sin begins to put pressure on our hearts, it can seem overwhelming. We may ask ourselves, “Am I hypocrite for saying that I am justified by Christ even when I continue to sin?” The answer is, maybe. The Apostle Paul warns us that, “If I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor” (Galatians 1:18). Is Christ’s Lordship gaining more and more control over your choices or are we still the Lords of our lives? We have to be very careful and soberly allow the Spirit to convict us because there is a temptation to dwell on our sin and failure rather than take into account our repentance, confession, and perseverance. What is the trajectory of our lives and what does that say about who we ultimately view as Lord? We may continue sinning but are we continuing to repent? Looking back on your life, can you see the work of the Holy Spirit transforming you by slowly and continuously helping you to consider your old nature dead? I believe that the true Christian can see real change. Change is usually so slow it’s only noticeable in hind-sight. For me it is often almost impossible to believe I have changed in the light of fresh sins, but God the Spirit graciously opens my eyes to see the glory of what He is “carrying on to completion” in my life.
There is a tension in our walk of sanctification because many say they are justified by Christ, but their lives show that Christ is not their Lord. They’re proven to be hypocrites because the pattern of life doesn’t reflected a growing understanding of the Lordship of Jesus but only growing habitual sin that rebuilds what was tore down. This isn’t a change of nature from being born-again but simply the outworking of a carnal heart that sees the benefits of playing the religious game. I want to remind my struggling brothers and sisters that Jesus didn’t come to show us how to be more disciplined but to die as our sin bearer and give us a new nature through the Holy Spirit. As they say, you can scrub a pig down and clean him up but he’ll always run back into the mud and get filthy all over again. Don’t blame that pig, that’s what he does, he’s a pig! The only way to keep a pig clean is if it had a new nature that hates mud. We must walk in the newness of life that hates sin and considers ourselves dead to it. This is the walkway of true Christian life.
“So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)
Making Christ our Treasure
The way we continue to fight against sin is to not give it dominion in our hearts. As Christians we have a new nature and a new treasure. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). After sinning due to our service to the masters of money, sex, approval, accomplishment, etc, it’s the inward master/idols of the heart that we must learn to hate so we can serve Christ.
As Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44). We must pray and plead with God that he would conform our hearts to see him as the most beautiful, most valuable, most precious treasure in our lives.
Removing Obstacles: Cutting Off Hands and Plucking Out Eyes
After sinning, we must repent, confess, and accept forgiveness, but our new nature demands that we assess how we can root that sin out of our lives. Out of our joy in loving Christ, who is better than anything else we can love in this world, we are compelled to remove every stumbling block. Jesus says:
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30)
Christ demands that we get violent on our sin! Brothers and sisters, don’t stop fighting for joy in Christ above all else!
Resolving to Continuing Fighting for Joy
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (Colossians 3:5-10)
Let us strength our resolve to continue our fight with indwelling sin, knowing that by the Spirit of God victory is assured in some measure in this life time as we become the new creations God has made us to be. And we have the certainty of our future hope built on Christ’s eternal victory over sin!
Remember, the fight isn’t over once we’ve sinned. Satan is a liar who has come to steal, kill, and destroy. As long as we are breathing he will continue to tempt us. And the temptation to give up in despair after sin is especially beguiling. But there is hope after failure! There is God’s grace, seen though the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repentance, confession, acceptance of God’s forgiveness, and the resolve to continue to fight! Praise be to God that:
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (Romans 16:20)
I Sinned...Now What? Part 4: Forgiveness
I Sinned...Now What?
Part 4: Forgiveness
The theological term for the process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification, and it is a concept that seems to be experiencing somewhat of a revival among Christians. A quick look around your local Christian bookstore or online will reveal thousands of books, sermons, and teachings resources that give techniques and strategies about avoiding, hating, and eliminating sin in the Christian life. I have access to plenty of information and techniques to avoid sin as I live my new life in Christ. But what if I sin anyway?
Christians have historically been very bad at answering this question. In the early church, a book called the Shepherd of Hermas heretically seems to imply that believers can only be forgiven for continued sin once after they’re baptized. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed that Christians could actually obtain perfection and never sin again. There is staggeringly little honest teaching throughout Christendom on the personal continual battle with indwelling sin, especially in regards to failure. However, the Bible does address this issue and it is good to sort through it and be reminded of the truth. The Apostle Peter says, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13). So let us be stirred up by way of reminder to continue our fight with sin both during and following failure.
Now What?
So what is the biblical response for Christians who struggle with sin? It can be outlined as the following: feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repenting, confessing, accepting forgiveness, and resolving to continue the fight. In past blogs we explored conviction, repentance, and confession. We will now discuss the next step, accepting forgiveness.
Accepting Forgiveness
“In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.” (Ephesians 1:5-8)
The heavier our sinful actions weigh upon us, the more apparent the just and right consequences for those sins, the more and more beautiful the Gospel becomes as we believe, accept, and cherish what God has done for our Joy and his Glory through the cross of Christ Jesus.
Believe: Understanding Gospel Forgiveness
After we’ve sinned we understand the weight of our iniquity better then any gifted writer or preacher could ever communicate. It’s in these dark moments, when the glow and seduction of sin has vanished and we find ourselves caught on Satan’s hook that we realize forgiveness is never a flippant act. God, justice, Satan, angels, demons, even our own hearts, demand a payment for unrighteous lawlessness against the God of heaven and earth. The very fabric of reality cries out for our destruction because of our unrighteous lawlessness in the sight of God almighty! Thankfully, the Bible offers this hope: “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:21-24). The Gospel is the answer to our ever-longing heart! The Gospel is the answer to those of us who know that we can never be good enough and to those of us who wrongly believe we deserve favor! The total and complete forgiveness offered through the Gospel is God’s gracious, precious, completely undeserved gift to us! We have not done anything within ourselves to deserve God forgiveness. The Biblical understanding of forgiveness is that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God the Father is most glorified because His perfect wrath was vindicated by crushing our sins completely on the bloody cross of Christ. Forgiveness is bought, and brought through the cross to be poured out abundantly on all those who would believe. “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25)
Accept: Trusting God’s total forgiveness
Many of us have a very difficult time accepting forgiveness. While we understand the Gospel intellectually, there is a strange disconnect between our brains and our hearts. I encourage those brothers and sisters who struggle with forgiveness to dedicate themselves to prayer, fasting, and purposeful community with fellow Christians while you mediate on biblical forgiveness. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us”(Psalm 103:12). Fight to have your mind and emotions in alignment so that you can say, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Fight against living in condemnation and don’t allow conviction over your sin to deteriorate into soul-numbing condemnation.
Cherish: trusting God’s forgiveness and extending it to others
“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:20)
We cherish God by rejoicing in the forgiveness he has given us in the gospel and announcing his offer to all those who will listen. Cherishing God’s glorious forgiveness in Christ means we put to death the hypocrisy of wanting justice for others when we’re wronged by them and forgiveness from others when we wrong them. We joyfully extend the complete, undeserved grace that God has shown us to others. We show others grace out of a deep desire to rejoice in what God has done by being a living picture of the Gospel to those around us. We want to live a life of forgiveness that demands an explanation. We continuously rejoice and praise God for redeeming us from dead religion to a living hope; all bets are on Jesus’ righteousness. Let us give thanks for what God has done! Let’s believe, accept and cherish the good news of Christ’s total and complete work for our forgiveness and God’s glory! And out of this, flows the last piece of our biblical response to sin in our life, the resolve to continue fighting, which will be expounded on in our next blog.
“Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
(Colossian 1:12-14)
Part 4: Forgiveness
The theological term for the process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification, and it is a concept that seems to be experiencing somewhat of a revival among Christians. A quick look around your local Christian bookstore or online will reveal thousands of books, sermons, and teachings resources that give techniques and strategies about avoiding, hating, and eliminating sin in the Christian life. I have access to plenty of information and techniques to avoid sin as I live my new life in Christ. But what if I sin anyway?
Christians have historically been very bad at answering this question. In the early church, a book called the Shepherd of Hermas heretically seems to imply that believers can only be forgiven for continued sin once after they’re baptized. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed that Christians could actually obtain perfection and never sin again. There is staggeringly little honest teaching throughout Christendom on the personal continual battle with indwelling sin, especially in regards to failure. However, the Bible does address this issue and it is good to sort through it and be reminded of the truth. The Apostle Peter says, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13). So let us be stirred up by way of reminder to continue our fight with sin both during and following failure.
Now What?
So what is the biblical response for Christians who struggle with sin? It can be outlined as the following: feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repenting, confessing, accepting forgiveness, and resolving to continue the fight. In past blogs we explored conviction, repentance, and confession. We will now discuss the next step, accepting forgiveness.
Accepting Forgiveness
“In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.” (Ephesians 1:5-8)
The heavier our sinful actions weigh upon us, the more apparent the just and right consequences for those sins, the more and more beautiful the Gospel becomes as we believe, accept, and cherish what God has done for our Joy and his Glory through the cross of Christ Jesus.
Believe: Understanding Gospel Forgiveness
After we’ve sinned we understand the weight of our iniquity better then any gifted writer or preacher could ever communicate. It’s in these dark moments, when the glow and seduction of sin has vanished and we find ourselves caught on Satan’s hook that we realize forgiveness is never a flippant act. God, justice, Satan, angels, demons, even our own hearts, demand a payment for unrighteous lawlessness against the God of heaven and earth. The very fabric of reality cries out for our destruction because of our unrighteous lawlessness in the sight of God almighty! Thankfully, the Bible offers this hope: “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:21-24). The Gospel is the answer to our ever-longing heart! The Gospel is the answer to those of us who know that we can never be good enough and to those of us who wrongly believe we deserve favor! The total and complete forgiveness offered through the Gospel is God’s gracious, precious, completely undeserved gift to us! We have not done anything within ourselves to deserve God forgiveness. The Biblical understanding of forgiveness is that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God the Father is most glorified because His perfect wrath was vindicated by crushing our sins completely on the bloody cross of Christ. Forgiveness is bought, and brought through the cross to be poured out abundantly on all those who would believe. “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25)
Accept: Trusting God’s total forgiveness
Many of us have a very difficult time accepting forgiveness. While we understand the Gospel intellectually, there is a strange disconnect between our brains and our hearts. I encourage those brothers and sisters who struggle with forgiveness to dedicate themselves to prayer, fasting, and purposeful community with fellow Christians while you mediate on biblical forgiveness. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us”(Psalm 103:12). Fight to have your mind and emotions in alignment so that you can say, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Fight against living in condemnation and don’t allow conviction over your sin to deteriorate into soul-numbing condemnation.
Cherish: trusting God’s forgiveness and extending it to others
“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:20)
We cherish God by rejoicing in the forgiveness he has given us in the gospel and announcing his offer to all those who will listen. Cherishing God’s glorious forgiveness in Christ means we put to death the hypocrisy of wanting justice for others when we’re wronged by them and forgiveness from others when we wrong them. We joyfully extend the complete, undeserved grace that God has shown us to others. We show others grace out of a deep desire to rejoice in what God has done by being a living picture of the Gospel to those around us. We want to live a life of forgiveness that demands an explanation. We continuously rejoice and praise God for redeeming us from dead religion to a living hope; all bets are on Jesus’ righteousness. Let us give thanks for what God has done! Let’s believe, accept and cherish the good news of Christ’s total and complete work for our forgiveness and God’s glory! And out of this, flows the last piece of our biblical response to sin in our life, the resolve to continue fighting, which will be expounded on in our next blog.
“Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
(Colossian 1:12-14)
I Sinned...Now What? Part 3: Confession
I Sinned...Now What?
Part 3: Confession
The theological term for the process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification, and it is a concept that seems to be experiencing somewhat of a revival among Christians. A quick look around your local Christian bookstore or online will reveal thousands of books, sermons, and teachings resources that give techniques and strategies about avoiding, hating, and eliminating sin in the Christian life. I have access to plenty of information and techniques to avoid sin as I live my new life in Christ. But what if I sin anyway?
Christians have historically been very bad at answering this question. In the early church, a book called the Shepherd of Hermas heretically seems to imply that believers can only be forgiven for continued sin once after they’re baptized. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed that Christians could actually obtain perfection and never sin again. There is staggeringly little honest teaching throughout Christendom on the personal continual battle with indwelling sin, especially in regards to failure. However, the Bible does address this issue and it is good to sort through it and be reminded of the truth. The Apostle Peter says, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13). So let us be stirred up by way of reminder to continue our fight with sin both during and following failure.
Now What?
So what is the biblical response for Christians who struggle with sin? It can be outlined as the following: feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repenting, confessing, accepting forgiveness, and resolving to continue the fight. In our first two blogs we explored conviction and repentance. We will now discuss confession.
Confessing
“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)
Whether we’ve sinned in public or in private, against God, family, friends or whoever else, the last thing the prideful, unregenerate heart wants to do is humbly confess guilt. Yet for those who have been reborn into the image of Christ, even within the struggles of confessing, the Holy Spirit emboldens our hearts to confess our sin by rooting our identity in Christ as we agree with God so that we can walk honestly and humbly with others as the Church.
Biblical Confession
From the early Protestant Reformation in the 15th century to post modernity of the 21st century, confession has undergone a massive change from its medieval Catholic form, both in theology and practice. Modern Protestants are appalled at the theology of saying 10 Hail Mary’s to atone for sin, but in an effort to reclaim the biblical understanding of confession, the American evangelical church has thrown the baby out with the bath water. While trying to stay away from formulaic traditions and to keep faith fresh, personal biblical confession is largely ignored. I believe that this neglect hinders the spiritual maturity of modern Christians and leads to the loss of meaningful relationships within the church. We must recover and practice the mandate to confess.
Biblical confession is (1) agreeing with God; (2) finding our identity in Christ; (3) being honest with God, ourselves, and other people; and (4) reassuring our hearts.
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).
Agreeing with God
Confession is our way of agreeing with God, agreeing with what He calls righteous and what he calls wicked. We can confess to God and to those who we’ve wronged because we agree with God that we have truly sinned. When we confess our sin, we name it what God calls it; i.e. pornography is called adultery, hate is actually called murder, and rebellion to authority is called disobedience, discord or even witchcraft. In naming our sins biblically we’re agreeing with God’s standard and law.
Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me." And Achan answered Joshua, "Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath." (Joshua 7:19-21)
Confession functions like putting a spiritual label on our actions by agreeing with what God says about anger, lust, greed, selfishness, etc, and not seeking to justify or excuse ourselves in an attempt to re-label our sin into something we can manage. As Christians we confess sin by the power of the Holy Spirit (Who causes us to even care) through the cross of Christ (allowing the Father to justly forgive us) to the Glory of God the Father.
Identity in Christ
“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3)
We can confess our sin because we’re dead to our former need to have everything we do meet the approval of others, dead to being justified in front of God by our worthless works alone, and dead to constant condemnation of our spiritual enemy. Finding our identity in Christ is the constant task of a Christian and confession is the mark of humbled maturity in Christ.
Fellowship with God and Man
I’ve heard a statistic that cross-culturally all of humanity’s greatest fear is to be known fully. This is freighting because we’re all deeply sinful and during true moments of honesty, like after sinning, we’re profoundly aware of it. After we’ve sinned we must realize that the sin we just committed separates us from God and from others. After sinning, it seems like it would be safer to cut others off and stay a safe distance away from everyone where we can still keep the illusion of control and where we can avoid the need to ever admit we’re wrong. If we’ve just sinned and refuse to confess it to others by either keeping it secret and hidden or refusing to admit the obvious, we will quickly become sick with a spiritual malignancy that will slowly eat away at our relationships with others and our own hearts. The Apostles teach us that confession brings us into true fellowship with other flawed and struggling Saints. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Especially after we’ve sinned confessing is a painful and difficult practice much like a doctor setting a broken bone back into place so the natural healing process can begin. We have to acknowledge our sin against God and others before the healing process can even begin. This act of confession is the painful daily duty of all Christians: “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:2-3).
Assurance
“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure.”
(2 Peter 1:10)
How can we be sure we know that we really know God? After sinning grievously against God our enemy would love for us to doubt our salvation and have us blaspheme God’s Word by altering what is written for the sake of our ever changing feelings. If we embrace Satan’s condemnation after we sin and doubt our salvation, this is actually a false humility. It’s really demonic pride that is attempting to overrule what God has already decreed: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Don’t allow Satan to tempt you to doubt Christ’s atoning salvation. Our sanctification is now a fight for holiness to reflect more of Jesus in this world, not to gain God’s approval. If you begin to doubt Christ’s work on the cross because you haven’t stopped sinning, then you’re missing the fact that you’re now recognizing it as sin and confessing it as sin. Recognizing and confessing are the first step in killing habitual sin in your life.
Confession is essential in building an assurance that we know God. In truly repentant confession, we’re verbally agreeing with God over our pride and arrogance. In truly repentant confession, we’re pursing deep, rich, gospel friendships instead of shallow acquaintances built on hobbies. In truly repentant confession we’re seeking forgiveness, which we will discuss in our next blog.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Part 3: Confession
The theological term for the process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification, and it is a concept that seems to be experiencing somewhat of a revival among Christians. A quick look around your local Christian bookstore or online will reveal thousands of books, sermons, and teachings resources that give techniques and strategies about avoiding, hating, and eliminating sin in the Christian life. I have access to plenty of information and techniques to avoid sin as I live my new life in Christ. But what if I sin anyway?
Christians have historically been very bad at answering this question. In the early church, a book called the Shepherd of Hermas heretically seems to imply that believers can only be forgiven for continued sin once after they’re baptized. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed that Christians could actually obtain perfection and never sin again. There is staggeringly little honest teaching throughout Christendom on the personal continual battle with indwelling sin, especially in regards to failure. However, the Bible does address this issue and it is good to sort through it and be reminded of the truth. The Apostle Peter says, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13). So let us be stirred up by way of reminder to continue our fight with sin both during and following failure.
Now What?
So what is the biblical response for Christians who struggle with sin? It can be outlined as the following: feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repenting, confessing, accepting forgiveness, and resolving to continue the fight. In our first two blogs we explored conviction and repentance. We will now discuss confession.
Confessing
“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)
Whether we’ve sinned in public or in private, against God, family, friends or whoever else, the last thing the prideful, unregenerate heart wants to do is humbly confess guilt. Yet for those who have been reborn into the image of Christ, even within the struggles of confessing, the Holy Spirit emboldens our hearts to confess our sin by rooting our identity in Christ as we agree with God so that we can walk honestly and humbly with others as the Church.
Biblical Confession
From the early Protestant Reformation in the 15th century to post modernity of the 21st century, confession has undergone a massive change from its medieval Catholic form, both in theology and practice. Modern Protestants are appalled at the theology of saying 10 Hail Mary’s to atone for sin, but in an effort to reclaim the biblical understanding of confession, the American evangelical church has thrown the baby out with the bath water. While trying to stay away from formulaic traditions and to keep faith fresh, personal biblical confession is largely ignored. I believe that this neglect hinders the spiritual maturity of modern Christians and leads to the loss of meaningful relationships within the church. We must recover and practice the mandate to confess.
Biblical confession is (1) agreeing with God; (2) finding our identity in Christ; (3) being honest with God, ourselves, and other people; and (4) reassuring our hearts.
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).
Agreeing with God
Confession is our way of agreeing with God, agreeing with what He calls righteous and what he calls wicked. We can confess to God and to those who we’ve wronged because we agree with God that we have truly sinned. When we confess our sin, we name it what God calls it; i.e. pornography is called adultery, hate is actually called murder, and rebellion to authority is called disobedience, discord or even witchcraft. In naming our sins biblically we’re agreeing with God’s standard and law.
Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me." And Achan answered Joshua, "Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath." (Joshua 7:19-21)
Confession functions like putting a spiritual label on our actions by agreeing with what God says about anger, lust, greed, selfishness, etc, and not seeking to justify or excuse ourselves in an attempt to re-label our sin into something we can manage. As Christians we confess sin by the power of the Holy Spirit (Who causes us to even care) through the cross of Christ (allowing the Father to justly forgive us) to the Glory of God the Father.
Identity in Christ
“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3)
We can confess our sin because we’re dead to our former need to have everything we do meet the approval of others, dead to being justified in front of God by our worthless works alone, and dead to constant condemnation of our spiritual enemy. Finding our identity in Christ is the constant task of a Christian and confession is the mark of humbled maturity in Christ.
Fellowship with God and Man
I’ve heard a statistic that cross-culturally all of humanity’s greatest fear is to be known fully. This is freighting because we’re all deeply sinful and during true moments of honesty, like after sinning, we’re profoundly aware of it. After we’ve sinned we must realize that the sin we just committed separates us from God and from others. After sinning, it seems like it would be safer to cut others off and stay a safe distance away from everyone where we can still keep the illusion of control and where we can avoid the need to ever admit we’re wrong. If we’ve just sinned and refuse to confess it to others by either keeping it secret and hidden or refusing to admit the obvious, we will quickly become sick with a spiritual malignancy that will slowly eat away at our relationships with others and our own hearts. The Apostles teach us that confession brings us into true fellowship with other flawed and struggling Saints. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Especially after we’ve sinned confessing is a painful and difficult practice much like a doctor setting a broken bone back into place so the natural healing process can begin. We have to acknowledge our sin against God and others before the healing process can even begin. This act of confession is the painful daily duty of all Christians: “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:2-3).
Assurance
“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure.”
(2 Peter 1:10)
How can we be sure we know that we really know God? After sinning grievously against God our enemy would love for us to doubt our salvation and have us blaspheme God’s Word by altering what is written for the sake of our ever changing feelings. If we embrace Satan’s condemnation after we sin and doubt our salvation, this is actually a false humility. It’s really demonic pride that is attempting to overrule what God has already decreed: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Don’t allow Satan to tempt you to doubt Christ’s atoning salvation. Our sanctification is now a fight for holiness to reflect more of Jesus in this world, not to gain God’s approval. If you begin to doubt Christ’s work on the cross because you haven’t stopped sinning, then you’re missing the fact that you’re now recognizing it as sin and confessing it as sin. Recognizing and confessing are the first step in killing habitual sin in your life.
Confession is essential in building an assurance that we know God. In truly repentant confession, we’re verbally agreeing with God over our pride and arrogance. In truly repentant confession, we’re pursing deep, rich, gospel friendships instead of shallow acquaintances built on hobbies. In truly repentant confession we’re seeking forgiveness, which we will discuss in our next blog.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
I Sinned...Now What? Part 2: Reptentance
I Sinned...Now What?
Part 2: Repentance
The theological term for the process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification, and it is a concept that seems to be experiencing somewhat of a revival among Christians. A quick look around your local Christian bookstore or online will reveal thousands of books, sermons, and teachings that give techniques and strategies about avoiding, hating, and eliminating sin in the Christian life. I have access to plenty of information and techniques to avoid sin as I live my new life in Christ. But what if I sin anyway?
Christians have historically been very bad at answering this question. In the early church, a book called the Shepherd of Hermas heretically seems to imply that believers can only be forgiven for continued sin once after they’re baptized. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed that Christians could actually obtain perfection and never sin again. There is staggeringly little honest teaching throughout Christendom on the personal continual battle with indwelling sin, especially in regards to failure. However, the Bible does address this issue and it is good to sort through it and be reminded of the truth. The Apostle Peter says, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13). So let us be stirred up by way of reminder to continue our fight with sin both during and following failure.
Now What?
So what is the biblical response for Christians who struggle with sin? It can be outlined as the following: feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repenting, confessing, accepting forgiveness, and resolving to continue the fight. Our first blog explored the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We will now tackle repentance.
Repenting
In the last section we looked at the three different reactions we might have immediately after sinning: condemnation, passivity, or conviction. After we sinned, the Christian receives the gift of conviction brought by the Holy Spirit , which is designed to propel us to repent of the sin we’ve just committed. Repentance is turning, even right after we’ve sinned, from rebellion to Jesus Christ who is the Truth. This is important because repentance isn’t an end within itself as both our culture and Christians alike tend to mistakenly believe. The popular concept of “repentance” is based on emotional regret, where feeling really bad equals being repentant. Biblical repentance isn’t just feeling bad. The Bible has a fuller, meatier meaning to the concept of repentance that deals with our hearts, with our desires, and with our joy. When John the Baptist was preaching repentance to the religious folk in the Bible-belt of that time, he didn’t say, “Feel bad and get baptized.” Rather, he said, “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance”(Luke 3:8). It is crucial to realize that Christian repentance isn’t just a feeling or even a one-time action, but a consistent lifestyle of repenting, confessing, accepting forgiveness, and resolving to continue the fight. Martin Luther summarized this point when he nailed The Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral. The very first thesis states: “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ….willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”
After we’ve sinned and felt convicted of our rebellious action or thought, we must repent. Practically that means we confess, accept forgiveness and resolve to continue fighting sin, which will be further detailed in upcoming blogs.
“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”
(Revelation 3:19)
Part 2: Repentance
The theological term for the process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification, and it is a concept that seems to be experiencing somewhat of a revival among Christians. A quick look around your local Christian bookstore or online will reveal thousands of books, sermons, and teachings that give techniques and strategies about avoiding, hating, and eliminating sin in the Christian life. I have access to plenty of information and techniques to avoid sin as I live my new life in Christ. But what if I sin anyway?
Christians have historically been very bad at answering this question. In the early church, a book called the Shepherd of Hermas heretically seems to imply that believers can only be forgiven for continued sin once after they’re baptized. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed that Christians could actually obtain perfection and never sin again. There is staggeringly little honest teaching throughout Christendom on the personal continual battle with indwelling sin, especially in regards to failure. However, the Bible does address this issue and it is good to sort through it and be reminded of the truth. The Apostle Peter says, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13). So let us be stirred up by way of reminder to continue our fight with sin both during and following failure.
Now What?
So what is the biblical response for Christians who struggle with sin? It can be outlined as the following: feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repenting, confessing, accepting forgiveness, and resolving to continue the fight. Our first blog explored the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We will now tackle repentance.
Repenting
In the last section we looked at the three different reactions we might have immediately after sinning: condemnation, passivity, or conviction. After we sinned, the Christian receives the gift of conviction brought by the Holy Spirit , which is designed to propel us to repent of the sin we’ve just committed. Repentance is turning, even right after we’ve sinned, from rebellion to Jesus Christ who is the Truth. This is important because repentance isn’t an end within itself as both our culture and Christians alike tend to mistakenly believe. The popular concept of “repentance” is based on emotional regret, where feeling really bad equals being repentant. Biblical repentance isn’t just feeling bad. The Bible has a fuller, meatier meaning to the concept of repentance that deals with our hearts, with our desires, and with our joy. When John the Baptist was preaching repentance to the religious folk in the Bible-belt of that time, he didn’t say, “Feel bad and get baptized.” Rather, he said, “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance”(Luke 3:8). It is crucial to realize that Christian repentance isn’t just a feeling or even a one-time action, but a consistent lifestyle of repenting, confessing, accepting forgiveness, and resolving to continue the fight. Martin Luther summarized this point when he nailed The Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral. The very first thesis states: “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ….willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”
After we’ve sinned and felt convicted of our rebellious action or thought, we must repent. Practically that means we confess, accept forgiveness and resolve to continue fighting sin, which will be further detailed in upcoming blogs.
“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”
(Revelation 3:19)
I Sinned...Now What?
I Sinned...Now What?
Part 1: Introduction and Conviction
The theological term for the process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification, and it is a concept that seems to be experiencing somewhat of a revival among Christians. A quick look around your local Christian bookstore or online will reveal thousands of books, sermons, and teachings resources that give techniques and strategies about avoiding, hating, and eliminating sin in the Christian life. I have access to plenty of information and techniques to avoid sin as I live my new life in Christ. But what if I sin anyway?
Christians have historically been very bad at answering this question. In the early church, a book called the Shepherd of Hermas heretically seems to imply that believers can only be forgiven for continued sin once after they’re baptized. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed that Christians could actually obtain perfection and never sin again. There is staggeringly little honest teaching throughout Christendom on the personal continual battle with indwelling sin, especially in regards to failure. However, the Bible does address this issue and it is good to sort through it and be reminded of the truth. The Apostle Peter says, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13). So let us be stirred up by way of reminder to continue our fight with sin both during and following failure.
Now What?
So what is the biblical response for Christians who struggle with sin? It can be outlined as the following: feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repenting, confessing, accepting forgiveness, and resolving to continue the fight. This first blog will explore the first step, conviction of the Holy Spirit, addressing the rest of the topics in subsequent blogs.
Feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit
Depending on the sin committed and the person’s personality, the effects of sin can feel like an instant rollercoaster ride of confession, doubt, passivity, and guilt. People seem to have one of three immediate major reactions to sin: condemnation, passivity or conviction.
Condemnation
We’ve all been in the horrible place of condemnation and guilt after we’ve sinned. It can feel overwhelming; some of us may have even questioned our salvation. Are all those promises in the bible of change and new desires just wishful thinking? You may feel the strong impression or hear a voice that tells you, “You’re a hypocrite; you haven’t changed at all! God’s won’t ever forgive you!” Satan and demons helped along by our flesh (the old self) desperately desire to glorify themselves over God by having us believe their version of reality. In the book of revelation John has a vision that describes Satan’s constant accusations against those who believe in Christ for their righteousness:
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” (Revelation 12:10).
The truth is that apart from the glorious grace of God the Father demonstrated in the cross of Jesus Christ, Satan’s accusations would be completely and totally right! But thanks be to God that, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). So we no longer need to listen to or submit to the accusations of Satan because we’re freed from condemnation to delight ourselves in God’s lavish grace. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12).
Passivity
Another reaction is nothing at all. You’ve just sinned and you’re not deeply affected. You don’t feel guilt or sorrow or anything. You’ve become numb to it. Perhaps you’ve just completely submitted to a particular sin or perhaps you’ve taken the time and energy to do the mental gymnastics to justify it in your own mind. Right after you have sinned grievously, does your mental defense attorney flood your mind with countless justifying arguments in order to alleviate you from any real emotion? If this is you, pray that God would give you eyes to look outside of yourself because the supreme, authoritative, sovereign God has declared you trapped in your own self-deception: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us… If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10). So, if you find yourself completely checked out from any spiritual battle or just simply justifying your actions and continued (unchecked) habitual sin, wake up brother! You’re deceiving yourself and calling God a lair by doing nothing and conforming to the pattern of this world. There is no such thing as inactivity in a spiritual sense; you’re either making war on your sins or, even by passivity, being conquered by it and conformed more and more into the exact image of God’s enemy. Wake up brother or sister! Wake up! Work and school and friends and family and church – it’s all a spiritual battleground and you may be so self-deceived you can’t even see that spiritually you’re horribly wounded and bleeding out fast. My prayer is that God would grant you the great gift of deep conviction by His Spirit so that you would not be another number in the growing body count of the spiritual dead.
Conviction
The third possible response our sin is conviction. Conviction is evidence of the objective working of God the Holy Spirit in the heart of a believer. Jesus tells us that the outworking of the Spirit’s ministry is His ability to take the fullness and weightiness of the Gospel and gently bring it to bear on our rebellious hearts. This includes after we’ve sinned: “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). God the Holy Spirit isn’t a pseudo-new age “force” but the indwelling presence of God himself within the Christian. God the Spirit makes his residence within the true Christian convicting us of sin and reminding us of Christ’s prefect righteousness, which we have access to through faith. The conviction brought by the Holy Spirit over sin motives Christians towards repentance, which we will discuss in Part 2 of this blog series.
Part 1: Introduction and Conviction
The theological term for the process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification, and it is a concept that seems to be experiencing somewhat of a revival among Christians. A quick look around your local Christian bookstore or online will reveal thousands of books, sermons, and teachings resources that give techniques and strategies about avoiding, hating, and eliminating sin in the Christian life. I have access to plenty of information and techniques to avoid sin as I live my new life in Christ. But what if I sin anyway?
Christians have historically been very bad at answering this question. In the early church, a book called the Shepherd of Hermas heretically seems to imply that believers can only be forgiven for continued sin once after they’re baptized. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed that Christians could actually obtain perfection and never sin again. There is staggeringly little honest teaching throughout Christendom on the personal continual battle with indwelling sin, especially in regards to failure. However, the Bible does address this issue and it is good to sort through it and be reminded of the truth. The Apostle Peter says, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13). So let us be stirred up by way of reminder to continue our fight with sin both during and following failure.
Now What?
So what is the biblical response for Christians who struggle with sin? It can be outlined as the following: feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repenting, confessing, accepting forgiveness, and resolving to continue the fight. This first blog will explore the first step, conviction of the Holy Spirit, addressing the rest of the topics in subsequent blogs.
Feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit
Depending on the sin committed and the person’s personality, the effects of sin can feel like an instant rollercoaster ride of confession, doubt, passivity, and guilt. People seem to have one of three immediate major reactions to sin: condemnation, passivity or conviction.
Condemnation
We’ve all been in the horrible place of condemnation and guilt after we’ve sinned. It can feel overwhelming; some of us may have even questioned our salvation. Are all those promises in the bible of change and new desires just wishful thinking? You may feel the strong impression or hear a voice that tells you, “You’re a hypocrite; you haven’t changed at all! God’s won’t ever forgive you!” Satan and demons helped along by our flesh (the old self) desperately desire to glorify themselves over God by having us believe their version of reality. In the book of revelation John has a vision that describes Satan’s constant accusations against those who believe in Christ for their righteousness:
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” (Revelation 12:10).
The truth is that apart from the glorious grace of God the Father demonstrated in the cross of Jesus Christ, Satan’s accusations would be completely and totally right! But thanks be to God that, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). So we no longer need to listen to or submit to the accusations of Satan because we’re freed from condemnation to delight ourselves in God’s lavish grace. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12).
Passivity
Another reaction is nothing at all. You’ve just sinned and you’re not deeply affected. You don’t feel guilt or sorrow or anything. You’ve become numb to it. Perhaps you’ve just completely submitted to a particular sin or perhaps you’ve taken the time and energy to do the mental gymnastics to justify it in your own mind. Right after you have sinned grievously, does your mental defense attorney flood your mind with countless justifying arguments in order to alleviate you from any real emotion? If this is you, pray that God would give you eyes to look outside of yourself because the supreme, authoritative, sovereign God has declared you trapped in your own self-deception: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us… If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10). So, if you find yourself completely checked out from any spiritual battle or just simply justifying your actions and continued (unchecked) habitual sin, wake up brother! You’re deceiving yourself and calling God a lair by doing nothing and conforming to the pattern of this world. There is no such thing as inactivity in a spiritual sense; you’re either making war on your sins or, even by passivity, being conquered by it and conformed more and more into the exact image of God’s enemy. Wake up brother or sister! Wake up! Work and school and friends and family and church – it’s all a spiritual battleground and you may be so self-deceived you can’t even see that spiritually you’re horribly wounded and bleeding out fast. My prayer is that God would grant you the great gift of deep conviction by His Spirit so that you would not be another number in the growing body count of the spiritual dead.
Conviction
The third possible response our sin is conviction. Conviction is evidence of the objective working of God the Holy Spirit in the heart of a believer. Jesus tells us that the outworking of the Spirit’s ministry is His ability to take the fullness and weightiness of the Gospel and gently bring it to bear on our rebellious hearts. This includes after we’ve sinned: “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). God the Holy Spirit isn’t a pseudo-new age “force” but the indwelling presence of God himself within the Christian. God the Spirit makes his residence within the true Christian convicting us of sin and reminding us of Christ’s prefect righteousness, which we have access to through faith. The conviction brought by the Holy Spirit over sin motives Christians towards repentance, which we will discuss in Part 2 of this blog series.
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