Chapter Eleven: The Discipline of Choices
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE DISCIPLINE OF CHOICES
Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
ROMANS 6:19
A defining moment in my life occurred very quietly one evening in the first Bible study group I attended. The leader of the study said to us, “The Bible was not given just to increase your knowledge but to guide your conduct.” As obvious as that truth is to me now, at the time it was a brand-new thought. It was literally as if someone had turned on a light in my mind. I saw clearly what I had been completely oblivious to before.
It wasn’t that I was living what we would consider a sinful lifestyle. In fact, quite the opposite was true. I had grown up in a church setting, had trusted Christ as my Savior, had read the Bible every day, and had even memorized a few Bible verses. But the idea of applying Scripture to specific situations in my daily life had never occurred to me. That night I prayed a simple prayer, “God, starting tonight I want You to use the Bible to guide my conduct.” My whole approach to the Word of God changed overnight, and the Scriptures suddenly became very relevant to my daily life. That was the beginning of my own personal “pursuit of holiness.”
The Bible is indeed a very relevant book, giving instruction and guidance for our daily lives. In following this instruction, however, we are continually faced with a series of choices. Of course, life is a constant series of choices from the time we arise in the morning until we go to bed at night. Many of these choices have moral consequences. For example, the route you choose to drive to your work each morning is probably not morally significant, but the thoughts you choose to think while you are driving and the way you choose to drive are moral choices.
ONE CHOICE AT A TIME
We looked at Ephesians 4:25-32 in chapter 5 as illustrative of the putting-off–putting-on principle. Now let’s look at it in the light of choices we must make. For your convenience, I will reproduce that passage of Scripture:
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
As we go down the list of practical instructions the apostle Paul gave us, we see that we can choose to:
In other words, the practice of putting off sinful attitudes and actions and putting on Christlike character involves a constant series of choices. We choose in every situation which direction we will go. It is through these choices that we develop Christlike habits of living. Habits are developed by repetition, and it is in the arena of moral choices that we develop spiritual habit patterns.
We see this development of moral habits in one direction or the other in Romans 6:19: “Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.” The believers at Rome had formerly offered the parts of their bodies to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness. The more they sinned, the more they were inclined to sin. They were continually deepening their habit patterns of sin simply through their practice of making sinful choices.
What was true of the Romans can be just as true of us today. Sin tends to cloud our reason, dull our consciences, stimulate our sinful desires, and weaken our wills. Because of this, each sin we commit reinforces the habit of sinning and makes it easier to give in to that temptation the next time we encounter it. Paul wanted the Roman believers, and us today, to turn in the other direction and to develop habits of godly living. He said, “So now offer [the parts of your body] in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.” Righteousness, in this passage, does not refer to the righteousness we have in Christ (as in Romans 3), but to the ethical righteousness —the right conduct —we are to practice every day. Whereas righteousness in this verse refers to our conduct, holiness refers to our character. So it is through righteous actions that we develop holy character. Holiness of character, then, is developed one choice at a time as we choose to act righteously in each and every situation and circumstance we encounter during the day.
All that we have studied in the last few chapters has been leading us to this point. We do not become more holy either by discipline or by dependence. Neither do we become more holy by committing ourselves to God or by developing Bible-based convictions. We become more holy by obedience to the Word of God, by choosing to obey His will as revealed in the Scriptures in all the various circumstances of our lives.
It is just as true, however, that the discipline and dependence, the commitment and convictions are absolutely necessary to our making the right choices. We do not make our choices in a vacuum. They are determined by the convictions we have developed and the conscious or unconscious commitments we have made. And it is certainly true that, given the remaining presence of indwelling sin, we can make the right choices only through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. But all of these principles and means of spiritual growth find their ultimate fulfillment only when we obey God’s commandments one choice at a time. And as we obey one choice at a time, our righteous actions lead to holy character.
While I have been writing this book, my wife has begun to make a quilt. As I have observed her work, I have learned that she first makes a number of quilt “squares,” each one foot square. It is the design she sews into each of those squares that determines the overall pattern of the quilt. The particular design she has chosen, a mariner’s compass, is rather intricate, with each square containing about forty rather narrow triangles. Each quilt square is beautiful and is a testimony to her sewing ability. But those individual squares, as beautiful as they are, do not make a quilt. It is only when they are sewn together with a narrow strip of cloth between each row of squares that they become a quilt.
The pursuit of holiness may be likened to a quilt. We have the quilt square of discipline, the square of dependence, of commitment, of convictions, and of beholding the glory of Christ in the gospel. Each one of these “squares” is beautiful in and of itself. But if we just look at these principles and means of holiness individually, we still do not have the “quilt” of holiness. What joins all these principles and means together to form the “quilt of holiness” is obedience. And we obey one choice at a time.
TRAIN YOURSELF IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
In an earlier chapter, we looked briefly at 1 Timothy 4:7, where Paul exhorted Timothy to “train yourself to be godly.” We saw that in the word train Paul used a word from the athletic arena, a word used to describe the training activity of young men as they prepared themselves to compete in the athletic games of that day. Just as those young men trained themselves physically in order to compete in the games, so Paul wanted Timothy, and now us, to train ourselves spiritually toward godliness. Though godliness is a broader concept than holiness (see my discussion of godliness and ungodliness in chapter 5), holiness is a major part of it, so training ourselves to be godly certainly includes training ourselves in holiness.
The important point, however, is that we train ourselves through exercise. In fact, the King James Version translates this phrase as “exercise thyself rather unto godliness.” And how do we exercise ourselves in the spiritual realm? Through the choices we make.
What happens when we make wrong choices, when we choose to sin instead of obey God’s Word? We train ourselves in the wrong direction. We reinforce the sinful habits we have already developed and allow them to gain greater strength in our souls.
Consider 2 Peter 2:14: “With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed —an accursed brood!” This is part of the apostle Peter’s description and scathing denunciation of false teachers, and in verse 14, we are right in the middle of it. The key phrase in verse 14 for our present purpose is “they are experts in greed.” The New American Standard Bible says they have a “heart trained in greed.” The word trained is the same verb Paul used when he wrote, “train yourself to be godly.” Peter said the false teachers had trained themselves to be greedy. They had trained themselves to the point where, in the very colorful but accurate expression of the New International Version, they had become “experts in greed.”
All of us have watched the Olympic Games on television. After each event, the three top competitors stand on a platform while a representative of the Olympic committee hangs around each of their necks a ribbon with a gold, silver, or bronze medal on it. They are the “experts” in that particular event. Peter’s description of the false teachers reminds me of that aspect of the Olympic Games. It is as if he has hung around the necks of each of these false teachers a ribbon with a medal that says “Expert in Greed.”
How had these teachers become experts in greed? For one thing, they had obviously committed themselves to the pursuit of financial gain through their false teaching. Beyond that commitment, however, they had made a continuous series of choices to teach false doctrine that would line their pockets. (Verse 3 says, “In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up.”) They had pursued those choices so long that they had become experts in greed. They had trained themselves in greed one choice at a time.
These false teachers had become experts, but in the wrong direction. Instead of becoming experts in generosity and self-giving sacrifice, they had become experts in greed. Instead of training themselves to be godly, they had trained themselves to be greedy. The word translated as “train” in the New International Version can just as accurately be translated as “discipline,” and is in fact translated that way in the New American Standard Bible in 1 Timothy 4:7. So these false teachers were disciplined, but in the wrong direction.
The message implied in 2 Peter 2:14 is very sobering. It is possible to discipline ourselves in the wrong direction. We usually think of disciplined people as those who “have their act together” and do the things they should do when they should be done. But the truth is, we are all disciplined to some degree. The question is, In which direction are we disciplined? Every day in some areas of life, we are disciplining ourselves in one direction or the other by the choices we make.
WHERE THE GOING GETS TOUGH
God wants us to train ourselves in the right direction. He wants us to make the right choices. Frankly, this is where the going gets tough. We will agree with the teaching of Scripture about some particular sin, and even make a commitment of sorts to put it out of our lives. But then the temptation to indulge that sin comes once again, and we are unwilling to say no. We are unwilling to make those tough choices. We would like to be rid of that sin, and even pray to God to take it away, but are we willing to say no to it?
Remember, every day we are training ourselves in one direction or the other. Every day we are training ourselves toward
lying
or
truthfulness
selfishness
or
unselfishness
anger
or
forgiveness
impurity
or
purity
irritability
or
patience
covetousness
or
generosity
pride
or
humility
materialism
or
simplicity
Think of the persistent sin patterns in your life that you have already identified and hopefully have made specific commitments about, are praying daily over, and perhaps have even memorized some Scripture verses to help you in your struggle against. We need to be especially vigilant in these areas to make the right choices. We have already made too many wrong choices; that is why these sin patterns are so deeply entrenched in us. It is only through making the right choice to obey God’s Word that we will break the habits of sin and develop habits of holiness. This is where we desperately need the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to make the right choices. So cry out to God every day for His help for that day, and then cry out again each time you are confronted with the choice to sin or to obey.
Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, used to say, “You are going to be what you are now becoming.” And what you are now becoming is dependent on the choices you make. So commit yourself to making the right choices, and then look to the Holy Spirit to work in you “to will and to act” (Philippians 2:13) in carrying out that commitment.
THE DISCIPLINE OF MORTIFICATION
Making the right choices to obey God rather than the desires of our sinful natures (or flesh) necessarily involves the discipline of mortification.[69] Mortification? What is that? We don’t use that word much anymore. People used to say, “I was mortified,” when they meant they were deeply embarrassed or humiliated. To mortify, however, actually means to put to death. I suppose the word mortician comes from that root meaning, although morticians don’t put people to death. They simply prepare for burial the bodies of people who have already died.
What, then, does mortification have to do with holiness? Why is it involved in making the right choices? The apostle Paul gave us the answer in Romans 8:13: “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death [mortify] the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”
We see, then, that to make the right choices it is necessary to mortify, or put to death, the misdeeds of the body. The misdeeds of the body are the sinful actions we commit in thought, word, or deed. Paul was more explicit about these misdeeds in Colossians 3:5: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” This list of sinful deeds is not meant to be complete but is only typical of the expressions of sin Paul had in mind when he said to put them to death.
As we look at Romans 8:13, one thing we clearly see is that mortification, or putting sin to death, is our responsibility. Paul said, “You put to death” (emphasis added). This is something we must do. It is not something we turn over to God. Rather, it is our responsibility, as Paul also emphasized in Colossians 3:5.
We should also note that Paul said, “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die.” Paul was talking about spiritual, not physical death. The opposite is also true. If we live according to the Spirit —that is, if by Him we “put to death the misdeeds of the body” —we shall live in the spiritual sense. Once again, as he did so frequently, Paul stressed the inextricable link between justification and sanctification. Paul clearly taught that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8), but he also stressed that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), that is, without presuming on the grace of God.
Romans 8:13 is another of those sobering passages that calls for healthy but honest self-examination. Does our pursuit of holiness evidence that we have been saved by grace? This question does not suggest we will ever reach the place where we do not have to contend against the flesh. It does mean that the life of a Christian should be characterized by an earnest desire and sincere effort to put to death the sins of the body.
Although mortification is our responsibility, it can only be done through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Paul said, “But if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (emphasis added). John Owen wrote, “All other ways of discipline are in vain. All other helps leave us helpless. Mortification is only accomplished ‘through the Spirit.’ . . . by Him alone is it wrought. No other power can accomplish it.”[70]
We have already studied the relationship between human discipline and dependence on the Holy Spirit in chapter 8. We saw that the Scriptures emphasize both, but that we tend to emphasize one to the neglect of the other. To some, it seems more spiritual to “just turn it all over to God” and trust Him to do the mortifying. Any mention of our responsibility is dismissed as being only “a work of the flesh.”
To other people who stress discipline, it seems more responsible to “just do it.” But mortification attempted only by human willpower always ends in self-righteousness or frustration. The more naturally disciplined person tends toward self-righteousness and wonders why everyone else can’t be as successful in mortification as he or she is. But all that person has done is exchanged one sin for another. The problem of impure thoughts, for example, is exchanged for pride and self-righteousness. Another person who tries to mortify some particular sin by his or her own willpower fails and becomes frustrated and guilty. So pride or frustration is always the result of attempts to mortify sin that are carried on apart from utter dependence on the Spirit.
HOW TO PUT SIN TO DEATH
What then does it mean to mortify or put to death the misdeeds, that is, the sinful expressions, of the body? First of all, Paul did not say to mortify indwelling sin, but rather sins, which are the various expressions of indwelling sin. We cannot eliminate indwelling sin in this life. It will be with us until the day we die.
To mortify a sin means to subdue it, to deprive it of its power, to break the habit pattern we have developed of continually giving in to the temptation to that particular sin. The goal of mortification is to weaken the habits of sin so that we do make the right choices.
Mortification involves dealing with all known sin in one’s life. Without a purpose to obey all of God’s Word, isolated attempts to mortify a particular sin are of no avail. An attitude of universal obedience in every area of life is essential. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit” (2 Corinthians 7:1, emphasis added). We cannot, for example, mortify impure hearts if we are unwilling to also put to death resentment. We cannot mortify a fiery temper if we are not also seeking to put to death the pride that so often underlies it. Hating one particular sin is not enough. We must hate all sin for what it really is: an expression of rebellion against God.
A man came to me wanting help in dealing with sexual lust in his thoughts and habits. I knew, however, that he had a greater problem in interpersonal relationships. He was critical and judgmental and very vocal about it. His lust bothered him because it made him feel guilty and defeated. His judgmental spirit and critical words didn’t bother him, so he was making no effort to deal with those sins. He needed to learn to mortify all sin, not just what made him feel bad about himself.
Not only must there be a universal fight against sin; there must also be a constant fight against it. We must put sin to death continually, every day, as the flesh seeks to assert itself in various ways in our lives. No believer, regardless of how spiritually mature he or she may be, ever gets beyond the need to mortify the sinful deeds of the body. John Owen said, “Even the choicest saints who seek to remain free from the condemning power of sin need to make it their business, as long as they live, to mortify the indwelling power of sin.”[71]
To mortify sin, we must focus on its true nature. So often we are troubled with a persistent sin only because it disturbs our peace and makes us feel guilty. We need to focus on it as an act of rebellion against God. Our rebellion is of course against the sovereign authority of God. But it is also rebellion against our heavenly Father who loved us and sent His Son to die for us. God our Father is grieved by our sins. Genesis tells us that when “the LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on earth had become . . . the LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain” (Genesis 6:5-6). Your sin and my sin are not only acts of rebellion; they are acts that grieve God. And yet, He sent His Son to die for those very sins that fill His heart with pain.
The verb mortify, or put to death, is used eleven times in the New Testament. In nine of those instances, it refers to a literal putting to death of a person. In each of those nine times there is in the context an underlying hostility, not only toward the person, but also toward what that person stood for. For example, in Matthew 10:21, the Bible tells us that “children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.” The hostility is not only toward the parents but also toward their authority. It is only authority that can be rebelled against. Several of the nine instances refer to putting Jesus to death (Matthew 26:59; 27:1). He was not put to death because of who He was but because of what He stood for. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was put to death because of his bold, uncompromising witness for Jesus Christ (Acts 7).
Now apply that sense of hostility toward the sin you wish to mortify. See it for what it is and for what it stands for —a rebellion against God, a breaking of His law, a despising of His authority, a grieving of His heart. This is where mortification actually begins, with a right attitude toward sin. It begins with the realization that sin is wrong, not because of what it does to me, or my spouse, or child, or neighbor, but because it is an act of rebellion against the infinitely holy and majestic God who sent His Son to be the propitiation for my sins.
Think of an unusually persistent sin in your life —perhaps some secret lust that lies in your heart that only you know about. You say you cannot overcome it. Why not? Is it because you exalt your secret desire above the will of God? If we are to succeed in putting sin to death, we must realize that the sin we are dealing with is none other than a continual exalting of our desire over God’s known will.
MORTIFY YOUR SINFUL DESIRES
We must realize that in putting sin to death we are saying no to our own desires. Sin most often appeals to us through our desires, or what the older writers called our affections. Not all desires, of course, are sinful. We can desire to know God, to obey Him, and to serve Him. There are many good, positive desires.
The Scriptures, however, speak of deceitful desires (Ephesians 4:22), evil desires (James 1:14; 1 Peter 1:14), and sinful desires (1 Peter 2:11). It is evil desire that causes us to sin. All sin is desired, or perhaps the perceived benefits of the sin are desired, before it is acted upon. Satan appeals to us first of all through our desires. Eve saw “that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom” (Genesis 3:6). Note how the concept of desire is implied in “good for food” and “pleasing to the eye,” as well as explicitly mentioned in “desirable for gaining wisdom.”
John Owen is once again very perceptive on this subject. He wrote,
Sin also carries on its war by entangling the affections [desires] and drawing them into an alliance against the mind [our reason]. Grace may be enthroned in the mind, but if sin controls the affections, it has seized a fort from which it will continually assault the soul. Hence, as we shall see, mortification is chiefly directed to take place upon the affections.[72]
Mortification involves a struggle between what we know to be right (our convictions) and what we desire to do. This is the struggle depicted by the apostle Paul when he wrote, “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want” (Galatians 5:17). The person who tends to overindulge in sweets will struggle between a conviction about the importance of self-control and the desire to eat that delicious, tempting dessert. The man who has developed a habit of undisciplined and wandering eyes will struggle between a conviction regarding purity and the desire to indulge a lustful look. Whatever our particular areas of vulnerability to sin are, mortification is going to involve struggle —often intense struggle —in those areas.
The ceaselessness of this struggle is suggested to us in Proverbs 27:20:
Death and Destruction are never satisfied,
and neither are the eyes of man.
Our eyes, of course, are often the gateway to our desires. But whether the appeal to our desires comes through the eye or another avenue such as the memory, our desires are never satisfied. But it is these sinful desires that must be mortified, that is, subdued and weakened in their power to entice us into sin.
It is always emotionally painful to say no to those desires, especially when they represent recurring sin patterns, because those desires run deep and strong. They cry out for fulfillment. That is why Paul used such strong language as “put to death.”
TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE
Because mortification is a difficult work, aimed at subduing strong desires and deeply ingrained habits, we need the help of one or two friends to engage in the struggle with us. These friends should be believers who share our commitment to the pursuit of holiness and who are also willing to be mutually open with us about their own struggles.
The principle underlying this aid to mortification is called synergism and is well expressed in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10:
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
In everyday language, synergism means that two people working together can accomplish more than the same two working by themselves.
In the battle of putting sin to death, we need the mutual encouragement, challenge, and prayer support of one another. That is why spiritual synergism is so often taught in the New Testament. For example, we are to admonish one another (Colossians 3:16), encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13), confess our sins to one another (James 5:16), bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), and pray for one another (James 5:16). Although the principle of spiritual synergism applies to every aspect of the Christian life, it is certainly helpful in the pursuit of holiness. We need at least one other person of like heart to pray with us, encourage us, and if necessary, admonish us. This person (or persons) must be someone who is also involved in the struggle to mortify sin in his or her own life, so that he or she can enter into our struggles and not be scandalized by the nature of our deepest sins. It is said that the Puritans used to ask God for one “bosom friend” with whom they could share absolutely everything. This is the type of friend we should also pray for and seek out to help us in our struggle to mortify sin in our lives. Remember, however, it is a mutual effort. Each of us in a “one-another” relationship should be committed to both helping and receiving help.
MORTIFICATION AND VIVIFICATION
As we emphasize the importance of putting to death the sinful deeds of our bodies, we must not neglect to clothe ourselves with the qualities of Christlike character. Remember the scissors illustration in chapter 5? Both the blade of “putting off” (mortification) and the blade of “putting on” (clothing ourselves with Christlike character) must be working together. Each must receive equal emphasis. The old Puritan preachers used to speak not only of mortification (putting sin to death), but also of vivification (bringing to life the traits of the new person in Christ).
And just as it is “by the Spirit” that we put to death the misdeeds of the body, so it is by the Spirit that we put on the virtues of Christlike character. That is why Paul could say in Colossians 3:12-14 that we are to clothe ourselves with these qualities (emphasizing our responsibility), while in Galatians 5:22-23 he refers to Christian character traits as the “fruit of the Spirit” (emphasizing our dependence on the Spirit). The same Spirit who enables us to mortify sin also enables us to put on godly character.
CHOICES AND THE GRACE OF GOD
I have already addressed in chapter 8 the absolute necessity of depending on the Holy Spirit to enable us to pursue holiness. But because we have just looked at Galatians 5:17, we should direct our attention to the immediately preceding verse, which says, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” It is as we live by the Spirit —that is, in dependence on and obedience to Him —that we will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
We must realize that the Spirit’s dwelling within us to instruct us and enable us is a gift of God’s grace. In 2 Timothy 2:1, Paul urged Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” but in Philippians 4:13 he spoke of “him who gives me strength.” To be strong in the grace that is in Christ is to be strong in the power of the Holy Spirit, whose presence is a gift of His grace. So all that we accomplish in mortifying our sinful deeds and putting on godly character is a result of God’s grace to us.
We must also realize that the discipline of mortification will be attended by a certain amount of failure. In fact, as we initially begin to mortify a particular sin, we will often fail more than we succeed. This is where we need to realize that we stand before God on the basis of His grace rather than our performance.
I realize there is a fine line between using grace as an excuse for sin and using grace as a remedy for our sin. John Owen once again had keen insight as he addressed using grace as an excuse for sin. He wrote,
Here then is where the deceit of sin intervenes. It separates the doctrine of grace from its purpose. It persuades us to dwell upon the notion of grace and diverts our attention from the influence that grace gives to achieve its proper application in holy lives. From the doctrine of assured pardon of sin, it insinuates a carelessness for sin. . . . The soul —needing frequently to return to gospel grace because of guilt —allows grace to become commonplace and ordinary. Having found a good medicine for its wound, it then takes it for granted.[73]
The solution to staying on the right side of the fine line between using and abusing grace is repentance. The road to repentance is godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10). Godly sorrow is developed when we focus on the true nature of sin as an offense against God rather than something that makes us feel guilty. Sin is an affront to God’s holiness, it grieves His Holy Spirit, and it wounds afresh the Lord Jesus Christ. It also gratifies Satan, the archenemy of God. Dwelling on the true nature of sin leads us to godly sorrow, which in turn leads us to repentance.
Having come to repentance, however, we must by faith lay hold of the cleansing blood of Christ, which alone can cleanse our consciences. In fact, it is faith in Christ and the assurance of the efficacy of His cleansing blood that leads us to repentance.
David’s experience is very helpful to us in the relationship of repentance and grace. David wrote,
Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD” —
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
PSALM 32:1-5
David stated the conclusion first in verses 1-2, where he spoke of the blessedness of being forgiven. Then he explained why he spoke of such blessedness by acknowledging his own guilt and his miserable condition before his repentance. But with genuine repentance came the deep assurance that he was forgiven. In sequence of time, verses 1 and 2 actually come after verse 5. But as we often do, David gave the “bottom line” before explaining how he got there.
We must do as David did if we want to experience the grace of God in our failures at mortifying sin. It is not that repentance earns God’s forgiveness. Only the blood of Christ does that. God, however, does deal with us as a loving but firm father deals with his children. He accepts us unconditionally because we are His sons and daughters in Christ, but He disciplines us for our good. And in the administering of His discipline He withholds the assurance of His forgiveness until we, through repentance, are ready to receive it.
THE MOTIVATION OF THE GOSPEL
We must, however, keep going back to His grace. Only the grace of God revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ will give us the courage to get up again and keep on going even after we have failed for the umpteenth time. It is only grace that will allow us to be as honest about our sin as David was about his. Remember the statement that “discipline without desire is drudgery.” Where will the desire to engage in the discipline of mortification come from? It will only come from the gratitude and joy of knowing that however miserably I have failed, God’s grace is greater than my sin.
Over one hundred years ago the godly Scottish pastor Horatius Bonar wrote the following words, which are so applicable to this subject of grace and forgiveness:
It is forgiveness that sets a man working for God. He does not work in order to be forgiven, but because he has been forgiven, and the consciousness of his sin being pardoned makes him long more for its entire removal than ever he did before.
An unforgiven man cannot work. He has not the will, nor the power, nor the liberty. He is in chains. Israel in Egypt could not serve Jehovah. “Let my people go, that they may serve Me,” was God’s message to Pharaoh (Exod. 8:1): first liberty, then service.
A forgiven man is the true worker, the true Law-keeper. He can, he will, he must work for God. He has come into contact with that part of God’s character which warms his cold heart. Forgiving love constrains him. He cannot but work for Him who has removed his sins from him as far as the east is from the west. Forgiveness has made him a free man, and given him a new and most loving Master. Forgiveness, received freely from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, acts as a spring, an impulse, a stimulus of divine potency. It is more irresistible than law, or terror, or threat.[74]
We have all experienced the joy and motivation of this forgiveness that Bonar wrote about. But too many of us have lost sight of it and have slipped into a performance relationship with God. The only cure for this is to come back to the gospel and begin to preach it to ourselves every day. It is only the gospel that will keep us living by grace. And it is only grace that will give us the courage and motivation to mortify sin and to keep seeking to make the right choices even when we fail so often.
[69] The Greek word translated as “sinful nature” in the NIV literally means “flesh.” Today we use the word flesh to refer to the soft tissue of our physical bodies. The apostle Paul used it to refer to the sin principle that continues to dwell within us, even though we have been freed from sin’s dominion. I prefer the word flesh instead of sinful nature, because the latter term can imply that the believer has two natures: a sinful and a new nature. We have one nature indwelt and spiritually animated by the Holy Spirit, but also handicapped by sin that continues to dwell within us.
[70] John Owen, Sin and Temptation, ed. James M. Houston (Portland, OR: Multnomah, 1983), 153.
[71] Ibid., 152.
[72] Ibid., 28.
[73] Ibid., 41–42.
[74] Horatius Bonar, God’s Way of Holiness (Durham, England: Evangelical Press, 1979; originally published 1864), 51-52.