We may reflect deeper on the nature of sin, redemptive work and spiritual growth in our Christian walk.
Overcoming Sin
As Christians, we are called to overcome sin through the power of Jesus Christ and the Cross. There is no absence of this call. This process involves a deep transformation into the likeness of Christ, which at times we experience as difficult. A simplistic view of the Gospel limits our awareness and experience.
Spiritual Growth and Self-Examination
The process of spiritual growth involves self-examination and a genuine desire to change and become more like Christ. This process is not static as it requires continuous movement towards righteousness and holiness. As human beings we constantly move in one direction or another, being no neutral ground.
The Role of the Holy Spirit
True spiritual life is characterised by the presence of the Holy Spirit, which brings life. Without the Spirit, ideas, teachings and sermons lack the power of spiritual change.
Struggle with Sin
Sin presents a struggle. It is difficult to define why we do what we do, but we observe the effects of sin such as loss, degradation from what is best for us, bondages we cannot break, failures, bad behaviour and so on. The Apostle Paul lists some pretty obvious issues people live with, such as jealousy, gossip, hatred and so forth. These things ultimately humiliate us if we become aware of them and want to change. We can initiate change through prayer with honesty in our failings and cries to the Lord.
Importance of Fellowship and Community
Fellowship with other believers is crucial for spiritual growth. It allows for mutual encouragement, accountability, and the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood through shared experiences, prayers and testimonies. As we are not neutral beings, if we do not develop, we will move in further directions of risk – and so we see for example, odd behaviours, incorrect thinking and on goes the list. This places a burden upon the individual and takes away from proper freedom. There is no easy process involved here, and one day we will know why. But there are principles we talk about such as Jesus never leading us to a dead end. Anything that comes under the banner of sin is dealt with by the Cross. If people manufacture what they say is sin, there is no power to back it up. How often people want to imagine things in their minds that are not correct, and then pull down others, particularly younger Christians who are more sensitive to such things happening.
The Value of Each Person
We should think of each person as incredibly valuable, and owned by God. But as usual, under the cloak of sin on this earth, people can be unashamed at causing harm, boast of it, and encourage others to do – alas even pressure and force others to do so. These methods are characteristics of sin, not righteousness. Hence, if we learn more about the character and nature of sin versus righteousness we can detect these things for what they are rather than being under their yoke.
Perhaps think of people as young children from all over the world under the cover of a beautiful old tree with richly coloured large green leaves and shade from long extending branches. Along the tilted trunk of that tree, we see an endless line of children walking up the trunk in its shade and protection towards the sky where something wonderful awaits.
Misconceptions About Sin and Morality
It is way too easy to oversimplifying sin and morality. We need a deeper understanding of these areas in order to help our own selves, and then others. This presents a spiritual journey. We do not boast of progress against sin, as it lies in wait at every corner, so-to-speak. We develop our person and character over time in relation to becoming more of who we can be. This is a vision to head towards, but it is Jesus who actually knows what this is. From a human point of view, we want to move away from this when we assert our self, or simply find aspects of our lives too hard to change – which is in a sense encouraging as it means a need for more reliance on God.
Those who struggle against sin have no easy road ahead of them, but it always points to a narrow road or a door upon which the Cross rests.
Facts Versus Dynamics of Life
To a spiritual person, facts can be lifeless and dead. Life itself is dynamic, constantly moving. We do not work well by citing truck-loads of what may or may not be facts and knowledge. Today is important. May we learn to become more aware of what we are doing, how we are responding to what comes along in the day, give more time to pause and think what is happening to us or what someone else is doing.
How often has a person said how wonderful a sermon was, but on further inspection, they liked the way the person dressed, or their elegant speech. This is not spiritual bread. We need revelation. When was the last time you were in a shopping center and simply stopped, looked around and thanked the Lord for being with you? When was the last time someone initiated an action that effected you, you stopped and considered, how is this effecting me? How am I actually responding to this? Is there a better way to deal with what is happening in this moment? Rather than reactive responses, or continuing with the same cycle you always have been in. Why would we want to take major directions in our lives from people who do not have the Holy Spirit, or who have sins in their own life we do not know about. We have opportunity to learn the consistency, reliability and stability of Jesus’ voice. There are billions of people doing anything imaginable, so it is not possible for us to know all that as we come across each person. If we recognise the fruits of the Spirit within a born-again person, we have a better safeguard.
Final Encouragement
We should be encouraged in how the Lord helps us change, and in our prayers to have a genuine relationship with Christ, embracing the possibilities of His spiritual transformation within us that makes us more Christ-life in all aspects of our life.
Rather than Jesus one day saying to us, “I do not know where you come from”, [Luke 13:22-30] we want confidence to stand before the Lord who says in joy, “I know you, and I have a name for you that only you and I will know.” Jesus wants to speak to each of us individually, in the way that we recognise and build reliably upon.
Sin does work in some very specific ways, such as an inner transaction to commit to a sin with our will power. These processes are further detailed by Christian authors, and in particular by Watchman Nee.
The narrow door – overcoming sin
Luke 13:22-30 includes these words, “I do not know where you come from”.
If we are not known, how can we overcome that which Jesus has overcome?
The fact that the Lord wants us to be enabled to overcome sin, which was demonstrated, validates that God wants to give us His blessings. Unfortunately, there are those who only proclaim heavenly salvation, rather than the fullness of the Gospel.
Why would we have a simplistic Gospel? This is like going to the supermarket and spending hundreds of dollars on a few items. We would be very annoyed at the trickery and deceit played upon us, indicating we value ourselves. Perhaps value of who we are is less in those who want less for us.
What would Jesus say to each of us individually? This is the central question.
As we have one life here that ends with finality, we should ask what we are meant to be doing, now, in the face of this irreversible fact. God has told us that death is a result of sin, so he is justified in offering what is meant to be according to His plan for eternal life.
Surely, the more I change unto the nature or likeness of Christ, the more I depart from sin. It is impossible to be otherwise. Therefore, I am able to offer more to myself and others. There is no shame in blessings. If I have a pseudo change into that likeness it cannot be validated by spiritual means, yet it will be justified as if it is so in my own mind. False validation will be sort wherever it is possible, but even then, never fully. It is just like the pattern where those who sin want to find others who do the same, but in actuality, want those who are identical, which is never satisfied as it cannot be. There is only one unity in the Holy Spirit that provides an actual oneness. The pursuit of “oneness” in sin I would venture to say is prolific.
As stated elsewhere, we are not neutral beings. We constantly move in a direction. We are either drawn to righteousness and holiness, or we are afraid or repelled by it. This does not mean we are bad people, but indicates how we react to God. As we move out of sin, we may become aware of those aspects where we know we are not ready, where we still not only like sin, but love sin. We have to have more fundamental change before we can be ready to receive more from God. Otherwise we would say, go away.
There are two central conditions all face. One is to develop a belief system and life style based on self-realised constructs, supported by other people in diverse ways, or by consequence of life in the Spirit to reflect a belief system based on interaction with God’s Holy Spirit, an actual ongoing experience and process. It cannot be static due to the non-neutrality proposition. If we do not know this process, we tell others about “facts”.
To a spiritual person, facts are lifeless and dead. It grates heavily or simply absent of life to their own spirit. A spiritual person knows when a preacher’s sermon is dead. Yet, another person may jump up and down on how wonderful the sermon was. If we question the person further as to why, we find lifeless reasons. For instance, we hear about knowledge, structure, or even how well a person dresses. When inspired by the Holy Spirit, words always carry life. This is why two persons can say the same things, one without life and the other with. If a person relates teachings or content that has other substances in the foundations, the Holy Spirit will not witness, or if the person is not producing fruits of the Holy Spirit, or has a bad or hidden agenda, the same. A person can be very young in the Spirit and still produce life by the Spirit, which is a joy. “Let the children come unto me.”
Man is excited by many things. If an underlying desire for answers exists within us already, (God created) there will be struggle to fulfill that. It is logical that some excitement is evidenced in spiritual pursuits whether they are born of God or not.
Jesus taught that a man may be born of Spirit, a second birth after his birth from water (the womb). If this is not the case, supposed life in the spirit is false. Men will want to proclaim they have life while not having life, due to not having this born-again condition. This genuine birth is by the Holy Spirit and has nothing to do with man’s power. Rather it is brought into his existence by faith that is according to God’s will, which is belief in his Son, Jesus Christ.
There is an immediate and contractual transfer from what the bible calls the dominion of darkness to the Kingdom of God. The bond of sin is severed, so that the flesh, or body will still die due to its origin in sin, but the soul and spirit of a man will be saved. The wholeness of man, in God’s image, is the union of body to soul, mind, spirit. Hence a non-corruptible resurrection body is promised. There is an unfathomable cohesion between spirit and body.
This resurrection, eternal power is amazing, yet impossible to fully expound. However, it is the power to overcome sin as part of God’s plan now that we are his children. Why would God be hiding what he has unveiled and then proven by witness?
Why did the Pharisees hate Jesus? Apart from the basic accounts that make general sense, there is one account we miss. The sins of the Pharisees are written in more detail in the Jewish Talmud. These sins are so shocking, that for Jesus to expose them would fall nothing short of painful death by guilt, a threat so great they could not allow it.
We were never meant to know the full extent of what sin is in this present life. All we know in principle is that we cannot overcome death. Only Jesus did that, so only He knows how to tackle it with us each. I tend to believe that in Heaven we will know more. Even then, I don’t think all, as that is Christ’s to know as the slain Lamb of God.
God as a “being” eternal, uncreated, is like a force of energy that continuously gives out love and fullness of life. It is who he is. Imperfect bodies have to heal in his presence. Some call this healing as being in the presence of his Glory. Sinful practices have to flee. No secret of the sinful heart remains hidden in God’s glory. If we have not had the old paint stripped away from the walls, we don’t have that new experience that we could have. So, what happens? The Lord seeks out those whose hearts will believe in Him. This is a scriptural axiom. This is what evangelists are doing.
The state of the person will vary, and so too will be the long-term outcomes. It is not up to us to feign God by how a person must develop or what we impose upon them when it is not God’s will. People will demand diverse things upon others, without conscience. Sometimes this is in pursuit of power and control, arrogance, self-delusion, demonic influence, unresolved anger, jealousy and more. For example, if at some stage of life a person is faced with a choice, intentionally taking the bad option because others wanted conformity to their bad actions, this impact will never go away until it is confessed and healed. People may smile, look peaceful, sound knowledgeable in spiritual matters, which does not matter as the foundations need repair.
People also jump to conclusions about what works or does not work with God, based on limited views or experience. For instance, if someone is not healed it is because they did not do what the other person said they have to do. This may have merit in some cases, such as refusal to forgive if that is the origin cause preventing healing, but it can also be a terrible threat upon another person that has no inherent truth in the words they are told.
So, we need to engage our direction out of sin carefully. In my experience this includes increase in awareness. It includes times where others threaten or take action against us as the Spirit within us will not allow us to go along with sin.
Every conceivable thing that mankind can do, is done. Amongst the billions of us, it means we will come across all manner of outcomes. Some will reject life in the Spirit, saying it is a phase that never did anything. Some will determine to be religious rather than know God. Some will be caught up in strong battles either with or without spiritual victory even if the physical outcome is life or death either way.
If we grow in Christ, we will most likely be ashamed of our sin and inability to help others. How often we hear people say that they are good because they are not drug addicts, etc. This is a self-determined justification. I would suggest that the Bible defines all men’s actions as vile in the truer sense, of being out of relationship with him.
If we accept Christ in his role as Shephard, we will learn to know the characteristics of his voice. If not, we will say we are Christians while developing a “godly” construct that lacks divine miracles and power. We will then attribute false claims to miracles and power, as we have to find answers, being the nature of who we are, and that we cannot remain neutral.
As we share this life now in the Holy Spirit, miracles related to such power happen, as God is faithful and without favouritism, and he is real. If He said, I like you because you are better by worldly standards than someone else, we would have a problem. The problem we face is that men enunciate what they think is better. Somewhere in this is factual truth and error. But we want to learn of life.
There is no perfect man, excepting Jesus who was without sin, born of God as His Son through the virgin Mary, so there is no perfection in anyone, despite all the systems constructed to present perfection. What we are left with is the covering of our sins by Jesus according to his act on Calvary and His blood on the Cross. Scripture says we cannot be ultimately presented to God until through Christ’s work we are clean.
We continually substitute for what is truth, or change further into his likeness, which means that change cannot be taken away from us. This gives more power to overcome sin. Once on that path, we can go further with it, like having a driver’s license and a car. This likeness cannot be accomplished by acts generated by the self, or the flesh and its own mind. It must be via the operative, and co-operative work of the Holy Spirit. Man’s own mind isolates, placing importance on what he determines.
Until we face this truth, it is easy to move ourselves into confusion, where we try to pin down answers that are fallible. We strive to uphold our beliefs with our own energy. This causes side effects such as anger and frustration. It is difficult to keep maintaining. It is hard for man to surrender what he does not want to give up, as he always wants what is his own. He is continually restless.
The self does not like dying, and the proof of this, is that when it does commence to die, it is painful. You may think this is not convincing, but we are not talking about self-discipline. We are talking actual dying to self. That is not like denying of one’s self. That is temporary and a different kind of pain. This is the crying out of the inner most part of the soul, from where it cries to remain alive, but knows it cannot. This is only accomplished by spiritual work, or what we call the sword of the Spirit under Gods direction.
This is in part why Jesus talks of a seed dying before it can grow. Until the “self” of a man undergoes death, in this life as a process, that life is built on a foundation of straw that helps no one. Sin has no regard for men or you. It has no care for how long a man continues to build on sand.
It is imperative for the inner being of a man to be crucified under God’s sovereign hand, as there is no other genuine way to move into His Spiritual life. Intellectual life only knows what it thinks it knows. It will substitute this death in Christ with something else, and find whatever excitement it can in doing so. Anything not derived from God will behave this way and has no power to stand before God in the face of his true being.
So, we come to the discussion of overcoming sin. We know of people who their whole life have been seen as saintly, good people, who never showed the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
We know those who we cry out for in our prayers. We know those who we would wish for better, but our prayers are ineffective because the person will not change. We have no power over another person’s will. This is a harsh reality we may one day experience.
We wish to enjoy the blessings of God for which we were created, and to fully be in God’s purposes. God is non-exhaustive in his eternal divine nature. Think of it like rays of light coming out from the sun. It cannot stop, as the sun is what it is. If we are in God’s presence we must heal. Jesus was without sin, and for our sake told us God hears everything the Son says. There was nothing Jesus could not ask, as being one in the father. This life-giving power was fully available to all who did not block out those allegorical rays of sunlight.
In true revival, those who come closer to God are profoundly impacted for the rest of their lives. If we do not see this impact by spiritual sight and observation, we could easily mistake revival for something else less profound, thinking our revival is the best, but naively not recognising it is less than what there could be. We cannot manufacture revival. We need the greatest presence of God on earth at some point in time not only for the contrast to the increase of darkness around us in these present times, but to show the Church of saints are real. Why would the world’s trouble escalate until the return of Christ with ridiculous weakness in the Church?
In the meantime, do we want to overcome sin as best we can?
We struggle for healing, even plead for it. We come to recognise we do have faith, but we have no ability to dynamically go beyond our reality. Many try to go beyond by assuming various positions and activities. I believe the human being must learn to recognise futility as a reality before God can act on certain matters.
The Holy Spirit can take us where we have not been, in many matters that do not conflict or disregard the “sanctity” of who we are in God’s sight. If we have reached our very end, we may only then understand in truth that this is where we are, and then in utter distress tell God we cannot accomplish some matter ourselves, and therefore, we may even die as a result! It is this profound declaration that cannot be made intellectually, or by understanding the description of these words I am writing. At other times, we may have help that is not dependent on this total declaration. If a person cries out from the depths of their trouble, is it to God, or is it just a cry?
We can experience deep healing beyond words to describe, but still not apparently be healed of other things. It is no use saying, well why! as that gets us nowhere. We are on a journey in faith and development of character in spirit, soul, body and mind.
The depth of our experience with God is on God’s terms. We encourage each other to grow in Spirit, and all this helps, of course.
Some matters that relate directly to illness or infirmity based on bondage to sin, may need a “clock” that God sets and moves us through over that period of time. If we truly understood the nature and extent of the fall of the Adam, we may be so shocked that we could not bear it. Even so, partial understanding may help us realise the horror and extent of sin and evil. In this perspective, bondage and chains to sin are no longer as simplistic as saying, well, just don’t sin and you will be free. This is highly immature. Many there be who say this.
Let us put it this way. God cannot go against himself or the “laws” he has established in the universe. He wants to help us. One way to help is for us to understand step by step how sin works upon a person. So often people give testimony as to their progressive release from bondage to things like alcohol addiction or other things, not understanding the principles of why, so they are left scratching their heads, and in some cases, unable to proceed more effectively. Is this fair? It seems there is always more to go through.
We can find people in great trouble and attempt to explain some principles relevant to them, but it is like pouring water onto wax, with no effect because it is not able to take effect. When people in leadership positions battle the enemy, and claim victories, if the principles are not well founded in their understanding and experience, they may think of a victory that simply is not. The ocean is very large. Is it any wonder, some will be swamped when they thought they were okay. We find people attributing victorious works to the Holy Spirit, when this presumption may be mistaken. This is not saying He is not working for us of course, but the assumptions can exist.
This may sound insensitive, but battle is not sensitive.
In my own life, the person of perhaps greatest help for understanding the human condition better, was the author Watchman Nee. Here we can relate processes he describes to our own determinations. We may decide to learn. We may start to look for more awareness.
The basic principle is that we are tempted, a fast transaction occurs where we decide to accept the temptation. This proceeds to our agreement of will. No matter how long the action of sin is delayed, it is contracted and will take place by a strong irreversible driver within us. Once completed, we repent, but the cycle continues. This is bondage to sin.
We believe there is a process that may be long-term, or for some reasons cut short by God, to remove this recurrent process, thus causing absence of sin, rather than a continual tug of war. It does not mean there is no place for future care.
As sin is removed, it is shaken up. Two steps forward, one step back. We can imagine in our inner sight, a freedom from sin’s bondage. We know when we are under bondage when there is a weight upon our shoulders, a black cloud, an inability to change, a cycle we cannot break free of. Sin will not teach you that it is sin. It only destroys. We may suffer tragedy and loss. We will still want the sin despite what it does to us. God will determine the time frame for our struggle as we battle. As we change, sin no longer has as strong a hold. We do not want what we did or who we were before, but we are not yet free. This continues until we are in victory. This changes our character in profound ways. We now have ability to help others more effectively as one offshoot.
Those who say, simply do not sin, are shallow, as chains are chains. You cannot break a chain by your own hands. This battle can be savage, and produces real life within a person. Not all are called to such extremes. When under strong power of evil, whatever the causes for it, there will be tears, there will be nightmares, hopelessness, and loss. Afterwards, there will be determination against sin, greater love for others, and higher value of what is of Christ. If one has a continual tug of war with some issue, like anger, self-satisfaction, whatever it is, there is a path one can pray for if it is really meant, then God can commence the work. We can always pray to want to want if we are having trouble wanting.
I know from earlier years that I was taught we can never be as spiritual as the elect few. Who had special revelation. This was a falsehood. Jesus wants us all to stand in Him. When we are born again of Spirit, we receive the gift of discernment. This is a vital part of new life the Lord gives to us with purpose. When younger, we will of course mix up things – what is the Lord saying, what is of the Spirit, what is of ourselves?
I feel it is of no further help to describe some of the details that happen as we move out of sin, but certain things do happen. There are obvious sensible things we know of. But what we must say is that if the power of the Cross is not effective against some sin, is it sin? This raises a whole lot of questions about sin and morality, how these concepts interplay, why, and how people use them.
There is often confusion involved, whereas righteousness stands on its own without confusion or change. To justify a position, a man may come up with all sorts of never-ending explanations, serving some purpose we may not even understand. In Christ there are no dead-end streets. Such dead-ends lead to hopelessness and they have no truth or life obtainable. Our struggle is not only against sin at our own doors, but the sins others commit against us.
If we love Christ, we will not walk in darkness, and the Advocate will help us. If our focus is on something else, we divert from the honesty we are meant to hold onto dearly with our personal saviour. We will all have areas of our lives that need change. His light brings such things to mind if we wish to develop such awareness. In this we trust as we cannot know everything. Jesus is our light and will not walk in darkness. We will struggle as we journey with our Lord on all these matters.
If we are in fellowship we change more rapidly, as the blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sins in such discourse. We can describe obvious sins that need change and hear of personal testimonies. We also benefit from miracles of healing we did not expect. The concept of fellowship is sadly non-imaginable to some people.
Modern society, religion, church, all has its own set of problems, but Christ is the same yesterday and today. If we get that right, we have no fear in our spiritual development. If truth is out of scope, we do other things as we are not created as neutral beings. Jesus took on board our sins, which means we can do something about the problem. Out of scope means we justify doing nothing, saying it is not in our understanding. That response alone should cause concern as it cannot be resolved in Spirit. There is a dead-end in refusing to deal with sin, saying it was dealt with once and for all, and all we do now is wait until we are in Heaven. This also goes against all historical witness and experience. We do not like what we do not wish to face. If we face sin, we do it on the Lord’s terms, not our own. Many are those who use various methods of great harm in order to face the impacts of sin. If sin has such extensive but constrained power, why go in that direction?
I would encourage any reader to think of Christ’s love for them, to seek a genuine approach to one’s life in becoming more in the image of Himself. The subsequent changes that become real cannot be taken away. They remain.
