Sin Déjà Vu

"The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

In a message titled, "Disobedience Déjà Vu," a pastor was speaking on Abraham's propensity to lie and say that his wife, Sarah, was really his sister and then tried relating it to our own personal struggle with sin. He said we should, "never presume on our own weaknesses." By this he was warning us against giving sins we struggle with an opportunity to master us. As examples of this he said, "If you're an alcoholic, it is not wise to rent an apartment above a bar; it's foolish. You stay away from even the smell of alcohol. You spend time with those to whom you become accountable so you can live your life free of the addiction." Secondly, he said, "If you're given to lust, you are wise if you were to block off your internet the possibility of getting into pornographic sites because you can't handle it. You'll go there. And you'll go there again." For his last example he said, "If you're obese, you are foolish to spend your meals at one buffet after another." In general, I agree with taking whatever steps you feel are necessary to avoid succumbing to temptation and falling into sin. However, what I see in these three examples is a life still being controlled by your sin; rather than indulging in it, you are just trying to avoid it at all costs. It is two sides of the same coin. If you're an alcoholic, yes, living above a bar will make it easier to give in to the temptation to drink. However, how does this make the desire to drink alcohol in excessive amounts go away? Any place alcohol is available becomes a place you may have to avoid. Not just bars, but grocery stores, sports stadiums, restaurants, etc. And don't forget to turn off your TV, close your newspaper and avoid those billboard advertisements while driving. When it comes to avoiding lust, you may as well just close your eyes altogether. Similar to the struggle with alcohol, there are few places to go to avoid the temptation to lust. Besides blocking internet sites on your computer and other electronic devices, be careful not to walk down the magazine aisle at the bookstore. And good luck avoiding attractive looking people as you go about your daily life. And as far as being obese, avoiding the buffet is one thing, but what is stopping you from just ordering massive meals at other restaurants or just overloading your basket at the grocery store? You have to eat. If you multiply these behaviors times all the sins we as human beings struggle with, you will find yourself living in isolation at best and trapped in sin your entire life at worst. I do not intend to make light of the real struggle people have with these and other sins. We all struggle with something to varying degrees. But, putting ourselves under various forms of law designed to modify our behavior is only going to increase our desire to fall into sin.

Recently, I heard the story of a married man who committed adultery. When confronted about his sin, he said that the reason he had an affair was because of the religious pressure put on him by his wife and her family. Now, this may explain his behavior, but it doesn't excuse it. Adultery is wrong and this man is fully to blame for his actions. However, the religious pressure he felt to try and live a life he could not live made him look for relief outside of his marriage. Sadly, because he was tired of trying to live a sinless life, he committed sin as a way out of that life. The Bible says that the "strength of sin is the law." Whether we are trying to avoid sins by putting ourselves under laws we believe will weaken sins pull on us or we are under the laws of a church or denomination we believe will help us live holy and righteous lives, the end result, in many cases, is falling into sin. We fall into sin because we need a rest from our repeated failures at trying to live a life we cannot live. And being accountable to people who are only encouraging you to keep trying to live that impossible life, only makes things worse. Thankfully, there is a way out that doesn't involve sinning. Jesus Christ said, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name ...(John 1:12)" As a born again Christian, you have the right to call yourself a child of God. This is your new identity. At the moment of salvation, the indwelling Holy Spirit of God begins meeting the deepest desires of your heart for unconditional love, total acceptance, meaning and purpose to life. As an inheritance of your faith, you are forgiven of all your sins, holy, righteous, blameless, justified, sanctified, freed from the law and much more. This is what allows you to rest from the disobedient works of trying to live a life you cannot under the law. While you will still sin, your focus is no longer on overcoming your sin, but on Jesus Christ who overcame sin for you. And as you grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, sins grip on you begins to diminish as a side effect of receiving the love of God you were designed by Him to receive. Titus 2:11-12, says, "For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age ..." It is the grace of God that teaches us to say "No" to sin, not the law of God. Grace teaches us to say "No" to sin because we are no longer looking for love, acceptance, meaning and purpose to life outside of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Therefore, as we continue to rest in the love of God, through our faith in Jesus Christ, and not rely on our ability to control our flesh, we begin to live "self-controlled, upright and godly lives." Sins like drunkenness, adultery and gluttony begin to lose their appeal because we are resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf, not looking for rest from our unfinished work of trying to perfect our flesh. This is the victory we have through our Lord Jesus Christ!