113. HOW TO OVERCOME THE POWER OF SIN IN MY LIFE? – Victory over sin only through our Triune God (e)

(continuation of Meditation 112)

“The mind of sinful man is death...” (Romans 8:6a**)

Last time we closed with the question: why is it that leaving God’s ways and disobeying His Word is such a serious matter for God’s reborn children?

The apostle Paul is shockingly blunt when he speaks about our sinful nature. The Greek word, that has been translated in Romans 8:6a with the mind, indicates ‘that what is on our mind, our thoughts and purposes’.

In our last Meditation we said that if my life is not controlled by God’s Spirit, my way of thinking and acting will show it. If there is no place for God’s love in my heart, my lifestyle will display my selfishness and sinfulness in a small or a big way.

If divine love for God and fellow-man does not fill my heart, God pronounces my heart as being ‘dead’, because it does not fulfil the requirement of God’s holy and perfect moral Law.

The New Living Translation renders Romans 8:6a: “If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death...”

The apostle Paul challenges the Christians in Rome: “What benefit did you reap at that time (before your conversion) from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!” (Romans 6:21**). Paul points again to the consequences of sinning in verse 23: “The wages of sin is death.”  

Paul urges these Christians not to return to their sinful ways: “If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die...” (Romans 8:13**)

Again, the apostle Paul reminds the followers of Jesus in Galatia (modern Turkey) of the devastating consequences of their former sinful lifestyle: “Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death.” (Galatians 6:8*)

We mentioned it in our last Meditation: till their dying day, God’s reborn children have the choice to follow the ways of God’s Spirit and be controlled by Him, or to return to the ways of their old sinful nature.

“The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's Law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (Romans 8:7-8**)

We saw in Meditation 110 that the apostle Paul often speaks about the depraved character of our sinful hearts and its resulting behaviour. Here, in Romans 8:7-8, the apostle takes us one step further and put our sinfulness in the context of our relationship with God. Selfish pride and action create deep down enmity with God. Because of our egoistical and sinful nature, we are ‘naturally’ unable to love God and our fellow-man in a perfect, Christlike way, as God’s moral Law requires. Consequently, there is no way we could ever by ourselves please a righteous and holy God.

Here are some other examples from the apostles’ letters that show how our sinfulness is a burning enmity for God since the fall of man (see Genesis 3):         

-- “God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts.

From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead.” (Romans 1:18-22*)  

-- “Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They don't care anymore about right and wrong, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and greed.” (Ephesians 4:18-19*)

-- “Once you (God’s children) were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour.” (Colossians 1:21**)

-- “You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful.

They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.

They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5*)  

-- “Don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred towards God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4**)

-- “When you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world.” (1 John 2:15-16*)

“... but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5*)

We wrote in Meditation 112 that all of those who are reconciled with God the Father through the sacrifice of God the Son have received God’s Spirit. It is God’s desire that all His reborn children no longer follow their sinful nature, but instead learn to follow God’s Spirit and overcome the power of sin.

The apostle Paul encourages the church in Rome: “Let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires.” (Romans 13:14*)

In the next meditation we will see what it means to be controlled by the Holy Spirit.

(to be continued)

Translations: * New Living Translation; ** New International Version

For more on the question ‘what is sin?’ see Meditations 101 to 103.

For more on ‘salvation’ see Meditations 19 to 26.

For more on ‘Christlike transformation by God’s Spirit’ see Meditations 29 to 34 and 49 to 56 and 105.

112. HOW TO OVERCOME THE POWER OF SIN IN MY LIFE? – Victory over sin only through our Triune God (d)

(continuation of Meditation 111)

“God destroyed sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the requirement of the Law would be fully accomplished for us... (Romans 8:3b and 4*)

We finished our last Meditation with these wonderful words: “This is the greatest display of love in the history of all humanity and the heart of the Gospel message: our Triune God sacrifices Himself to save humanity from its sinful disobedience to His holy Law and from His righteous anger and judgment.”

However, the above-mentioned verses from Romans 8:3b and 4 are at first sight not so easy to

understand. How can the apostle Paul say that the requirement of God’s Law of love would be fully accomplished for us by Jesus’ self-sacrifice?

Actually, the original Greek text says: “... so that the requirement of the Law would be fully accomplished in us...”

That makes more sense. Here we see our Triune God fully at work, solving the human problem of sin within Himself:

-- God the Father condemns our sinful disobedience to His moral Law.

-- God the Son bears that condemnation in our stead and gives His life at the cross of Calvary as a guilt offering for our sin. In this way He opens the door for our reconciliation with His heavenly Father and saves us from God’s anger and judgment. If we acknowledge our sinfulness before God and ask Him to forgive us on the bases of Jesus’ sacrifice, God will forgive us completely and adopt us as His children through the rebirth by His Spirit. That’s what Paul means when he cries out in verse 1: “Now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1*)

-- God the Holy Spirit, who (like God the Father) has the character of Jesus (see Meditations 14 and 28 ), is able to accomplish in us the requirement of God’s moral Law. What does that mean practically? It means that God’s Spirit wants to realise in us the sinless life of Christ which is the fulfilment of God’s moral Law. How will He do that? Let us read the next verse.    

“... who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.” (Romans 8:4*)

All of us who are reconciled with God the Father through the sacrifice of God the Son have received God’s Spirit. Now it is God’s desire that we no longer follow our sinful nature, but instead learn to follow God’s Spirit and overcome the power of sin.

It is important to notice here that with our rebirth our sinful nature has not totally disappeared! That would be the easiest way out. Listen to what the apostle John writes to Jesus’ followers about this important matter: “If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth.” (1 John 1:8*)

Only later our sinful nature will completely disappear. The apostle John writes in his first letter to all God’s reborn children: “Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, and we can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.” (1 John 3:2*)

The apostle Paul teaches the Christians in Corinth: “Just as we are now like Adam, the man of the earth, so we will someday be like Christ, the man from heaven.” (1 Corinthians 15:49*)

To the Christians in Rome he writes: “God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn (from the dead, see Colossians 1:18), with many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:29*)

In Paul’s letter to Jesus’ followers in the Greek town of Philippi, he writes that one day not only our very beings will be like God the Son, but even our bodies: “We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere.” (Philippians 3:20-21*)

So, why is it that following our old sinful nature remains an option for God’s reborn children as long as they live on earth? Does God want us to learn ‘to live by faith’? Does He want to test our hearts to see if we truly love Him and want to follow and obey Him? Does He want to use this option to help us grow in Christlike humility? Does He want to make us strong in our battle against sin? Does He want to teach us self-control? There are Bible verses in abundance that give an answer to these questions. However, for the moment we need to concentrate on what it means to follow God’s Spirit.          

  

“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5*)

That is so very true. If my life is not controlled by God’s Spirit, my way of thinking and acting will show it. If there is no place for God’s love in my heart, my lifestyle will display my selfishness and sinfulness in a small or big way.

The apostle Paul severely warns Christians of a life dominated by their sinful nature when he writes: “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21*)

However, the apostle continues by saying that the Holy Spirit wants to generate a Christlike life in us: “When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the Law.” (Galatians 5:22-23*). This is the life of Christ and therefore the fulfilment of God’s moral Law!

Till their dying death God’s reborn children have the choice to follow the ways of God’s Spirit and be controlled by Him, or return to the ways of their old sinful nature. Sometimes people wonder how it is possible that Christian leaders and church members who lived a God-pleasing life, can then return to an unholy and sinful lifestyle. We just found the answer in the above paragraphs: the options to keep following God’s Spirit or returning to the domination of our sinful nature remain open throughout our life time on earth.

God’s Word gives ample warnings:

-- The apostle Paul writes about his co-worker Demas who “because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.” (2 Timothy 4:10**)

-- Paul mentions others Christians who “craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10*)

  

-- The apostle warns the church in Corinth of idol worship and sexual immorality, of testing God and other temptations: “These events (after God’s people had been saved from bondage in Egypt) happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did or worship idols as some of them did. For the Scriptures say, ‘The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged themselves in pagan revelry.’

And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.

Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites.

And don't grumble as some of them did, for that is why God sent his angel of death to destroy them.

All these events happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us, who live at the time when this age is drawing to a close.

If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin.

But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.” (1 Corinthians 10:6-13*)

The prophets in Old Testament times constantly warned God’s people not to turn away from God and follow the sinful lifestyle of their neighbouring countries. More often than not their warnings fell on deaf ears. Here are some examples.  

God laments by mouth of the prophet Jeremiah (7^th century B.C.):

-- “‘My people are foolish and do not know me,’ says the LORD. ‘They are senseless children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no talent at all for doing right!’” (Jeremiah 4:22*)

-- “The stork knows the time of her migration, as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane. They all return at the proper time each year. But not my people! They do not know what the LORD requires of them.” (Jeremiah 8:7*)

God declares through His prophet Hosea (8^th century B.C.):

-- “My people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don't truly honor me.” (Hosea 11:7*)

The New Testament is full of warnings not to desert God’s Word and His ways. In earlier Meditations (see below) we gave countless examples of individuals and entire churches that departed from God’s teaching and the guidance of God’s Spirit and returned to the sinful ways of our world.

Why is it that leaving God’s ways and disobeying His Word has such far reaching consequences for God’s children? That will be the theme of the next Meditation.

(to be continued)

Translations: * New Living Translation; ** New International Version

 

For more on ‘Christlike transformation by God’s Spirit’ see Meditations 29 to 34 and 49 to 56 and 105.

For more on ‘How will I be saved?’ see Meditations 19 to 26.

For more about the question ‘What is sin?’ see Meditations 101 to 103.

For more on ‘What does it mean to love God?’ see Meditations 57 to 62.

For more on ‘How to love God together as a church community?’ see Meditations 63 to 100.

For more on ‘How do I and my church pursue Christlike holiness?’ see Meditations 76 to 99.

111. HOW TO OVERCOME THE POWER OF SIN IN MY LIFE? – Victory over sin only through our Triune God (c)

(continuation of Meditation 110)

“God put into effect a different plan to save us...” (Romans 8:3*)

We finished our last meditation with the following questions:

-- If God’s Law of love is holy, perfect, eternal and unchangeable, and I am unable to fulfil its requirements because of my sinfulness, how could I ever escape God’s anger and judgment?

-- How could I ever get right with God?

-- Could God compromise His own Law to save me?

Here we arrive at the heart of the Gospel message and the stakes are high! We read in Meditation 110 that God’s Law of love is holy, perfect, eternal and unchangeable, but what about God Himself?   

The Holy Scriptures speak a lot about God’s character. Here are some examples:

God is love:

In Exodus we read how God revealed Himself to Moses (ca. 13^th century B.C.), saying: “I am the LORD, I am the LORD, the merciful and gracious God. I am I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6*)

King David (10^th century BC) repeats these words of God’s self-revelation to Moses in Psalm 86:15*: “You, O Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to get angry, full of unfailing love and truth.” (Psalm 86:15*)

The prophet Jonah (8^th century B.C.) reproaches God for being merciful to the repenting town of Nineveh, thereby quoting the words of God's self-revelation to Moses. He complains: “Didn't I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. I knew how easily you could cancel your plans for destroying these people.” (Jonah 4:2*)

The prophet Joel (probably 6^th century B.C.) urges God’s people to repent. He also quotes the words of God to Moses: “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” (Joel 2:13*)

In a prayer of national confession after returning from 70 years of captivity in Babylon (5^th century B.C.), the people of Israel acknowledged what God had revealed about Himself to Moses: “You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and full of unfailing love and mercy.” (Nehemiah 9:17*)

The evangelist John points to God’s love when he writes: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16*)

The apostle Paul writes to the Christians in Rome: “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8*)

The apostle John explains to us: “This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10*)

God is holy:

When the Bible speaks of God’s holiness, it wants to describe His divine and perfect love, grace, His mercy, purity and righteousness in contrast to our unholy and sinful human condition. It is His holiness that characterises Him as God.

After the liberation from bondage in Egypt (ca. 13^th century B.C.), God revealed Himself to His people Israel as the holy God: “I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God. You must therefore be holy because I am holy. (Leviticus 11:45*)

  

The Palms of Asaph (10^th century B.C.) praise God's actions, saying: “O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you?” (Psalm 77:13*)

The prophet Isaiah (8^th century B.C.) proclaims: “The LORD Almighty is exalted by his justice. The holiness of God is displayed by his righteousness.” (Isaiah 5:16*)

God points to His own divine character when He says by mouth of the prophet Hosea (8^th century B.C.) to His people Israel: “I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you...” (Hosea 11:9*)

Regarding God’ holiness, the prophet Habakkuk (7^th century B.C.) acknowledges: “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.” (Habakkuk 1:13**)

The apostle Peter writes to the Christian community in some regions of modern Turkey: “You must be holy in everything you do, just as God-- who chose you to be his children-- is holy. For he himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy (see Leviticus 11:45*).” (1 Peter 1:15-16*)

God is righteous:

King David proclaims: “The LORD is righteous, and he loves justice.” (Psalm 11:7*)

Daniel, a Jewish statesman in the court of Babylon (6^th century B.C.), confesses in a prominent prayer of penitence: “The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.” (Daniel 9:14**)

Ezra was probably a kind of Secretary of State for Jewish affairs in the Persian kingdom (5^th century B.C.). He prayed to the Lord another well-known prayer of penitence: “O LORD, God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.” (Ezra 9:15**)

It is clear from these quotations and many other biblical passages that God is love and He is righteous and holy. That means practically that He loves us dearly and wants to save us from our sins and from His righteous judgment following our disobedience to His Law of love. Yet, how could He ever save us without compromising His own righteousness and holiness, and His righteous and holy Law?

He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. ( Romans 8:3*)

The answer we find in the fact that God is a Triune God! Sinful man cannot save humanity from its own sinfulness, but God can! That’s why God the Father sent His own divine and sinless Son into our sinful world to die as a guilt offering, taking upon Himself the sin, the blame, the punishment and the judgment of our entire humanity.

The apostle Paul explains this to the Christians in the Greek town of Philippi: “Though he (Jesus Christ) was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-11*)

Paul shows that Jesus, in His life and death, obeyed and fulfilled God’s righteous and holy Law completely! Therefore, “Christ has accomplished the whole purpose of the Law. All who believe in him are made right with God.” (Romans 10:4*)

The apostle Peter says it in this way: “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18**)

This is the greatest display of love in human history and the heart of the Gospel message: our Triune God sacrifices Himself to save humanity from its sinful disobedience to His holy Law and from His righteous anger and judgment.

To be truly saved from our sinfulness and God’s righteous judgment, He ‘only’ asks us to trust and believe Him when He says that the death of Jesus, His divine Son, is enough to reconcile us completely and eternally with Himself! There is nothing more we need to do!    

  

(to be continued)

Translations: * New Living Translation; ** New International Version

 

For more on ‘salvation’ see Meditations 19 to 26.