For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me ... For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom 7:15-17, 22-24)We (believers) struggle with sin. We struggle because on one hand we do it (1 John 1:8, 10) and on the other hand we have the seed of God in us that causes us to hate it (1 John 3:9). So what are we to do? Well, we have two basic possibilities: fight or flight.
Scripture, as it turns out, argues for the latter. We are told to "Flee from sexual immorality" (1 Cor 6:18). Paul told Timothy to "Flee these things" (1 Tim 6:11) (where "these things" were things like conceit, slander, depravity of mind and deprivation of truth, the love of money (1 Tim 6:3-10)). Again he warned young Timothy, "Flee youthful passions" (2 Tim 2:22). Run away. Flee. The first line of defense against sinning is to run.
As it turns out, that's incomplete. Running from sin is a good start, but it doesn't stop there. We are supposed to run from sin but also run to something else. In that 1 Timothy 6 passage Paul goes on to tell him to "Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness" (1 Tim 6:11). In the 2 Timothy passage he continues, "and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (2 Tim 2:22).
Run from; run to. That is the strategy. Run from sin; run to righteousness. Don't merely run away from something evil; run to something good. Most impressive, then, is the "to" of the 1 Corinthians reference. We are to "flee from sexual immorality," sure. Flee to what? "You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor 6:20).
I would suggest that those believers who make it their practice to flee sin and run toward glorifying God in every aspect of life will find a decrease of sin and an increase of joy in glorifying God. I think it would be a much better strategy in our personal struggle with sin than simply trying to "muscle through it" ourselves.
6 comments:
I know too many people who instead of acting like King Arthur when confronted with the rabbit, decide to see how close to the line they can go and still stay “safe”.
Of course to run from sin, and towards righteousness, you first have to have a proper view of your own sinfulness. To be able to admit the existence of sin as a direct affront to the Holiness of God. To be able to admit that we as humans aren’t basically and fundamentally good. It would probably help to acknowledge that it’s pis to know what constitutes sin (so you know what to flee from) and what constitutes righteousness.
"you first have to have a proper view of your own sinfulness."
Which is a larger problem for unbelievers than believers. Of course, the magnitude of sin is elusive to most because, as you indicate, we have an incomplete notion of the Holiness of God. And, of course, if you have no reference for "sin" ("Whatever I think it is" is not a reference), fleeing sin and pursuing righteousness is impossible. But I don't think that believers have no reference. Some are just more aware of it than others.
I well I agree with you for the most part, I think that the miss perception of sin is a growing problem within the church.
I agree with that.
If only we had a rule book to help us out with that whole "sin" thing.
Right? But, of course, even when it's in writing they don't agree.
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