Chapter 6: The Directions
CHAPTER 6
THE DIRECTIONS
So … are you ready to get specific about your sneaky sins? In the next section of this book we’ll identify some of the most common of these and look at practical ways to fight them. But before we do that, I’d like to make some suggestions for dealing with all of them — a general strategy for battling all our sins, whether scandalous or subtle.
ANTI-SIN STRATEGY #1: APPLY THE GOSPEL.
I have covered this truth already in chapter 4, but it needs repeating at this point. As soon as we begin to work on an area of sin in our lives, we tend to forget the gospel. We forget that God has already forgiven our sin because of the death of Christ. As Paul wrote in Colossians 2:13-14, He has “forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”
Not only has God forgiven us our sins, He has also credited to us the perfect righteousness of Christ. In every area of life where we have been disobedient, Jesus was perfectly obedient. Are we prone to be anxious? Jesus always perfectly trusted His heavenly Father. Do we have trouble with selfishness? Jesus was always completely self-giving. Are we guilty of unkind words, gossip, or sarcasm? Jesus spoke only those words that would be appropriate for each occasion.
For some thirty-three years, Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to God, then He culminated that obedience by dying on the cross for our sins. In both His sinless life and His sin-bearing death, Jesus was perfectly righteous, and it is that righteousness that is credited to all who believe (see Romans 3:21-22; Philippians 3:9).
As we struggle to put our subtle sins to death, we must always keep in mind that (1) our sins are forgiven and (2) we are accepted as righteous by God because of the sinless life and the sin-bearing death of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no greater motivation for dealing with sin in our lives than the realization of these two glorious truths of the gospel.
ANTI-SIN STRATEGY #2: DEPEND ON THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Again, we have already addressed this truth in detail in chapter 5, but it too bears repeating because we never get beyond our constant need of the Spirit’s enabling power. And we forget that so easily! The default setting for most of us is trying to get by with our own willpower, and we’re just not up to the task.
Our spiritual life may be compared to the motor of an electric appliance. The motor does the actual work but is constantly dependent upon the external power source of the electricity for its power. Keeping that analogy in mind can relieve us of a lot of unnecessary guilt and stress. It’s not all up to us.
ANTI-SIN STRATEGY #3: RECOGNIZE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
While depending on the Holy Spirit, we still need to diligently pursue all practical steps for dealing with our sins. I know it’s tricky to balance both these truths: our dependence and our responsibility. Our tendency is to emphasize one to the neglect of the other. Here the wisdom of some of the older writers can help us: “Work as if it all depends on you, and yet trust as if you did not work at all.”
ANTI-SIN STRATEGY #4: IDENTIFY SPECIFIC RESPECTABLE SINS.
This is one of the purposes of the next part of this book. As you work through each chapter, ask the Holy Spirit to help you see if it applies to you. You’ll have to be honest, humble, and brave. As you identify a particular sin, give thought to what situations trigger it. Anticipating the circumstances or events that stimulate the sin can help in putting it to death.
ANTI-SIN STRATEGY #5: MEMORIZE AND APPLY APPROPRIATE SCRIPTURES.
“I have stored up your word in my heart,” wrote the psalmist, “that I might not sin against you” (119:11). To store up means to lay aside for future need. Some people, for instance, store up nonperishable food, water, batteries, and other supplies to have on hand in the event of a natural disaster or a political disruption.
But how do we store up God’s word? First, by reading Scripture and choosing specific passages, then applying it to our lives, especially to our particular sin patterns. And second, by reflecting on those passages, praying over them, and committing them to memory. Unlike canned goods and water, these “stored” Scriptures can both be used in the present and stored in our hearts for those times when we are tempted to indulge our subtle (or even our not-so-subtle) sins.
Memorizing Scripture is no magic bullet. We have to actually apply it. But if we have memorized and prayed over Scriptures that address our subtle sins, the Holy Spirit will bring them to mind in particular situations to warn us, remind us, and guide us in our response to the temptation. As we work through specific sins in the chapters to come, I will recommend certain Scriptures that might be helpful.
ANTI-SIN STRATEGY #6: CULTIVATE THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER.
We’ve already talked about prayer, but I also want to single it out here because it is such an important weapon against our respectable sins. It is through prayer that we continually acknowledge the presence of persistent sin patterns in our lives and our need of the Holy Spirit. In my own life, I find I need both planned, consistent prayers in a daily quiet time and short, spontaneous prayers in the face of temptation.
ANTI-SIN STRATEGY #7: INVOLVE OTHER BELIEVERS.
Scripture tells us that “two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). In other words, we believers need each other — especially if we want to make progress in dealing with our sneaky sin. We need to encourage each other, pray for one another, and urge each other on. So don’t try to go it alone. Find someone you can trust — a friend or a couple of friends, even a teacher or family member — to share your efforts.
As you seek to apply these directions, remember that your heart is a battleground between the flesh and the Spirit (see Galatians 5:17). In this guerrilla warfare, the flesh will sometimes get the upper hand. In fact, when you zero in on a particular sin to put it to death, your situation may well get worse before it gets better. But don’t worry. The Holy Spirit can use even your times of disobedience and defeat to help you see how deeply rooted your subtle sins are and how totally dependent you are on His power to help you. And it will get better, eventually.
It usually happens gradually. Sometimes you’ll feel you’re making no progress or have even gone backward. And the task will never be completed in this lifetime. But we have God’s promise that the Spirit will not abandon the work He has begun: “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
What does that good work look like? Paul described it beautifully in Galatians 5:22-24: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.… And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
That’s the goal: showing more and more Christlike “fruit” in your life now and putting our sin nature to death in the future. That’s where you’re going when you walk in the Spirit. You can trust Him to get you there.
The most important thing to remember in all this is that no matter how powerful sin seems in your life, no matter how discouraged you might get in fighting your big and little sin issues, the outcome has already been decided.
Christ has already paid the penalty for our sins and won forgiveness for us.
He has already banished sin as a ruling power in our lives and sent His Holy Spirit to live within us and deal with those guerrilla stragglers.
The transforming message of the gospel is that both sin’s guilt and sin’s power have been taken care of in your life.
God wins, remember?
Sin loses.
Everything else is just cleanup, no matter how daunting it may seem. And we never, ever have to fight our sins — even the subtle, sneaky, respectable kind — alone!
YOUR TURN
“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)
ENGAGE
1. Write out the seven general strategies outlined in this chapter for dealing with sin. Based on the chapters you’ve already read and your own experience, can you think of any that should be added?
2. How might our lives change if we consistently follow these directions whenever we encounter situations that might trigger sins?
3. As we ask God to enable us to deal with our sin, what must we “store up” in our hearts (see Psalm 119:11)?
4. Before moving into the next section of this book, where we’ll look in some detail at the more common respectable sins, turn to the chart on pages 52–53. Read down the list of sins and check the columns at the right that seem to apply to you. Don’t spend a lot of time on your answers for now; just go with your gut. Later we’ll look back at the chart and see if anything has changed.
BRING IT TO GOD
In this space, write out 1 John 1:9 from your favorite translation of the Bible. Memorize this verse and reflect on its personal promise. Write out a brief prayer thanking God for the promise of 1 John 1:9 and what it means to you personally.