Radical

We're Christians; we know. Sin is a bad thing. Don't do it. Well, if by "we know" I mean "we acknowledge" then we know because we don't act like we know. We sin. Despite all the places in Scripture that warn, order, command, cajole, urge, and demand that we avoid sin, we sin. Sin of all types. We are forgiven sinners, but we still sin. What are we to do?

We have strategies. Read our Bibles. Get in an accountability group. Memorize verses. Get counseling. We've got a million of them. And how is that working for you? We still sin.

So what does the Bible recommend? Scripture takes a somewhat radical approach. While we're trying to legislate and mediate and provide therapy for our sin, God urges us to kill it. You can find things like "I am crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ in me." (Gal 2:20) Or, "You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:3) The command is "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me." (Matt 16:24) Jesus said, "Whoever would save his llife will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it." (Mark 8:35) We must "lay aside the old self" (Eph 4:22-24) and "consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed." (Col 3:5) Paul wrote, "I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Rom 12:1) "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Gal 5:24) "If you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Rom 8:12-13)

There is a pattern, and it is radical. Do you want to beat sin? Die. Don't medicate it. Don't treat it. Don't give it therapy. Don't send it to reform school. Kill it. Take it out back and beat it to death with a shovel. Then burn it and bury it. Hyperbole? Sure, like Jesus's, "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." (Matt 5:29-30) Radical? Absolutely. Literal? I don't think so. But to take it as anything less than serious is to ignore it completely, and we've gotten to be pretty good at that.