Stop Sinning?

What type of a relationship should a Christian have with his or her sin? Is it possible to improve in this area, and mortify the flesh and achieve an increase in holiness? This topic has been a challenge to me in many ways. I can look at significant markers in my life that indicate I’ve “made improvements.” I can also see where I haven’t. Does this indicate I’m a worse Christian than I once was, or does it show that I’m closer to Christ because I can identify things that never bothered me before?

All of these questions are not easy to answer. I’ve spent a lot of time over the previous five years discussing or pointing out flaws (or false teaching) in a certain theological (ultra fundamentalist cult) system that we came from. One of those flaws is the consistency to use sin as a battering ram. Sin is and can be a problem. Sin causes problems in countless ways. However, we should also reorient ourselves to the truth of our relationship to Christ.

As believers, our debt has been paid. Not in part, but in whole, as the songwriter said, and it is well with my soul. Therefore, we should not have to bear a load of guilt laid upon us by those well-intended, or not so well-intended, individuals that wish to use that battering ram to bring us under their yoke of bondage.

The second chapter of Colossians clarifies this with abundant authority. Paul makes these issues so crystal clear that it is not even difficult to understand and digest the section which shows us the beauty and clarity of salvation. In verse 6 he says, “as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him…” Here is the call for the Christian to live like Christ. We should seek to glorify God in our lives. This means living holy and sanctified before him.

Verse 9 is my favorite. “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Paul draws a distinction to the man-made rules and regulations that legalists always want to bind upon their people.

Verses 11 through 12 show the reader that it was the work of Christ that saved the believer from their sins, and it is the work of Christ that will maintain them. You were circumcised by the circumcision of Christ, and buried with him in baptism, and then raised through faith. God made us alive, and the text says the most remarkable thing, “having forgiven us ALL our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.” All our sins were nailed to the cross. It is finished.

Now because of this reality it should be your joy to live in light of the gospel and live to the glory of the Savior. Here is the issue though. We won’t. I won’t and you won’t. We will not live holy lives, at least according to the standard the gospel sets. It is a dual reality. I saw a Facebook post recently where a well-intended guy said we need to stop sinning. He urged his readers to mortify their flesh, or as John Owen said, “be killing sin, or it will be killing you.” Yeah, I get it. I have a desire to mortify my flesh, and be killing my sin, but my sin sometimes has a pretty firm grip on my life. Our fundamentalist friends might take this as a sign I’m about to lose my salvation, yet Colossians 2, says I’m firm in Christ, even despite my sin.

That is where this navel-gazing, fishbowl watching society is so dangerous. If the “well-intended” church goer is fixated upon other people’s sins the society in which they reside becomes one of hawking the other person. We need to help our brother along they aver. We should point out their sin, we should be practicing to “win our brother over.” Not only are the dangers in this society real and imminent, but they are also damaging to the soul. Those trying to live their lives in such a system will feel caught in a trap they cannot escape. It is devastating and the outcome is joylessness and often hopelessness.

The first thought that crossed my mind when I saw this well-intended brother’s post was to ask the question, how are you doing? How are you doing in the quest to stop sinning? Has it worked? I mean, where are you on the scale to holiness? It’s a great bumper sticker, or Facebook post, it probably got a ton of likes from others in this mindset, but did it really convince anyone to stop sinning? Did he rise up the ladder in his quest for holiness? These are some of the questions I legitimately want to ask people without sounding like a jerk. No need to toss Romans 6 my way, I know the text. I’m not advocating for living however you please, but what I’ve seen is that when the holiness card is played too often it ends up having more negative effects on the person than allowing the Spirit to work in the lives of God’s children.

I had breakfast with a friend, mentor, and one that has been in pastoral ministry for over 34 years. He told me a mentor of his once told him if there should ever be an 11^th commandment it would be, “In thy Christian life, maintain balance.” I couldn’t agree more. Of course, we all think we are balanced, but are we? I think it might encourage us to ask questions of ourselves and from others about what they really see in our lives. Somewhere is a balance that can be struck giving us freedom in Christ, holiness, and joy in living without being fixated on sin, especially the sin of others.

Kevin