“Solemnly I tell you the truth, all the wrong things that people do, and all the insulting things people say against God, can be forgiven.…” (Mark 3:28, based on various translations).
“For out of the heart come wicked thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, adulteries, thefts, false testimony, slanders, murders, acts of greed, destructive wickedness, as well as lying, indecent conduct, envy, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man” (based on Matthew 15:19 and Mark 7:20-23, from various translations).
“… let us also get rid of everything that stands in our way, and the sin which so easily stands around us [– those wrong things we think and do that cling so closely and readily hold us back; or the particular sin that can be so full of risk it easily involves us in serious trouble]…” (based on Hebrews 12:1).
“…deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.…” (1st Corinthians 5:5).
“… if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness…” (Galatians 6:1, NET).
“You have left your old sinful life and the things you did before. You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new [renewed and transformed] in the true knowledge of God and are becoming like the One who created you [your new self]” (Colossians 3:9, 10, The Expanded Bible).
“…as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble” (2nd Peter 1:10).
If we can recognise what is sinful, how can sins “easily” gather around us threatening to get the better of us and trip us up? We know only too well that followers of Christ can be held back by many sins. The Bible tells us that when we know the right thing to do but don’t do it, we are guilty of sin. To put it another way, if our hearts don’t accuse us, we will enjoy a confident walk with God (see James 4:17 and 1st John 3:21). Although our lives should be free of nagging guilt and characterised by a healthy conscience that keeps us on the narrow path, there will be occasions when this won’t be our daily experience. Sadly, many of us will fall into sin, hurting ourselves and those around us. Like ripples in a pond, sin can have far-reaching consequences.
The world tends to be highly critical of Christian hypocrisy, and rightly so. But some are clearly delighted when they hear of Christians slipping up, or committing serious crimes. (It’s worth noting that some of these people who say they are Christians may not be genuine followers of Christ.) Of course, we can’t seriously expect non-believers and our more caustic critics to systematically search through the Bible to try to understand why Christians fall into sin. It wouldn’t interest them. And some of them would rather gloat anyway! They see only hypocrisy, but for the Church its sins are a disgrace that tarnishes the Gospel message. Those who use the name that is above every name should be turning away from wickedness, not giving in to it (Philippians 2:9-11; 2nd Timothy 2:19).
We are all uncomfortably complex. Genuine faith is realised through the human condition and we all have stubborn traits that make us uneasy at times. Everyone in this world can chose to be loving, selfless, noble, honest and constructive, or unkind, destructive, wicked, cruel and selfish. Some people are an unpredictable mix of good and bad. It’s inevitable that true followers of Christ will also be subject to these conflicting forces, but in a unique way that brings the contradictions into very sharp focus.
In the Book of Galatians we are told to “walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh [those ungodly thoughts and actions that originate in our fallen human nature]” (5:16). Walking in or by the Spirit is the state of being fully submitted to God’s will in the power of the Holy Spirit Who lives within every believer. But if walking in the Spirit keeps us from giving in to “the desire of the flesh”, isn’t the reverse is true? When we don’t walk by the Spirit it’s only a matter of time before we will carry out the desire of the flesh. This can be a most painful struggle: “…the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please” (v.17).
What are these things that we really don’t want to do? Paul, the writer, lists many: “The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: being sexually unfaithful, not being pure, taking part in sexual sins, worshipping gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people, feeling envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like these. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not inherit God’s kingdom…
“We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit” (vs. 19-21; 25, The Expanded Bible; see also 1st Corinthians 6:9, 10).
When by faith we first give our lives to Christ and are truly saved, we embark on a relationship that continues until the day we die. In that moment of first faith we are born again spiritually and become a new creation. Old things pass away. We cross over from the polluted, broad road that leads to destruction onto a narrow path that leads to eternal life, and we discover that there aren’t that many travelling with us.
But even though we have willingly surrendered to Christ and our intentions are good, there will be times when we are tempted to go astray and offend Him. Human nature nurtures a defiant, fleshly streak that will do its best to work against God’s influence in our lives. It can undermine godly zeal and chip away at Christ-like character. When the mind is tainted by the things of the flesh it is hostile toward God (see Romans 8:7).
When we allow ourselves to be controlled by the sinful nature we cannot possibly please Him. Sin lives in us all (7:17; 21; 23; 25) and sometimes it’s a force to be reckoned with. Under the influence of the flesh, fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22, 23) will be lacking. Instead, what proceeds from within may defile us, just as Jesus said. Therefore, by the Spirit Who lives within, we must be those who actively and habitually put to death the deeds of the body and each day renew our minds according to “the teaching of Christ” (see Romans 8:13 and 2nd John v.9).
Following God faithfully with a pure heart is a very serious matter. If our relationship with Christ isn’t a conscious, daily commitment, we will stumble and possibly fall. The price for giving in to our base impulses and corrupting desires can be very high indeed, especially in a sexual context. Like King David we read about in the Old Testament, those who walk faithfully with God can shift away from Him over time and indulge in secret sexual desires, become devious, and even commit adultery. David also indirectly committed the most serious crime of murder. We remember from Scripture that the first murderer was Cain who was “of the evil one” (1st John 3:12). Our sinful behaviour furthers Satan’s work.
Because of David’s terrible sins, God sent someone to rebuke him to his face: “Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight?” This question is very revealing. If we apply it to our own experiences we can see that by indulging fully in sin we are in fact despising the truths that God has already revealed to us. We are setting ourselves against His holy nature. He opposes us in our wrongdoing but continues to love us in Christ.
David’s reply is very telling: “I have sinned against the Lord.” (Read this sad account in 2nd Samuel 11 and 12.) He had become a criminal, and was guilty of manipulation and sexual lust, but ultimately his sin was directly against God Himself. By stubbornly living in disobedience we too can grieve away His Spirit and put a gulf between us and Christ. We don’t want to end up like King David who at one point in his life confessed, “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear” (Psalm 38:4, NIV; read too his lament in Psalm 51). He may well have been depressed and emotionally unstable, as many believers admit they are today. How many are on medication? Sin and a fleshly mind take their toll, as do suffering, worry and trouble.
When we willingly embrace wrong behaviour, or allow ourselves to think unrighteously, our loving Father will not hear us (consider Psalm 66:18). Yes, we are still spiritually secure in Christ and we still belong to Him, but because we have disobeyed and insulted Him we must repent to receive His full forgiveness. We must draw close to Him so He can “cleanse us from a guilty conscience” (Hebrews 10:22, NIV). When we eventually face up to our sinfulness in the presence of God’s perfect holiness, we must sincerely humble ourselves in full repentance. We must recognise our sin so we can be clean again. If we do we will find that His blood continues to cleanse us “from all sin”:
“If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us” (1st John 1:6-10).
There will be those who say that the one who has repeatedly sinned never truly placed his or her faith in Christ. Perhaps those who have given into sin had a meaningless religious experience and had never genuinely received God’s Life. We know them by their fruit, is the verdict. In some contexts this is probably true. But who can know for sure? Do you? Is it possible some who belong to Him will drift away over a period of years but eventually will be drawn back, just like the recklessly wasteful son in Jesus’ parable? God’s chosen will surely sin when they are led away by their own corrupt desires. They can indeed be overtaken by serious faults. They can even be delivered to Satan for the destruction of their flesh so their spirit will be saved.
The worst of sins can cast a lifetime of shadows. The passing of time won’t remove regret. What can we do to make sure we keep the flesh—our fallen nature—under control? What steps should we take? There are many, but we can start by lovingly encouraging and warning one another to live in Christ as we should (consider Malachi 3:16). We need to speak scripturally without compromise and listen carefully to those in authority who genuinely have the gift of teaching. Do we need revival? We certainly do need to be established, steadfast and consistent, day after day characterised by obedience to the Truth and our love for Christ. Only then can God’s will be accomplished through each local assembly.
We can be sure that the Lord will strengthen those “whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2nd Chronicles 16:9, NIV). Being “fully” obedient and committed is crucial. Half measures dilute our relationship with Christ and will pollute it eventually. We must regularly test and examine our ways (consider Lamentations 3:40; Psalm 119:59; 139:24). We must be those who walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and built up in Him, established in our faith, just as we were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude (see Colossians 2:6, 7).
We must be those who stubbornly continue in prayer. We must learn to recognise how the subtle influence of the world can loosen our grip on godly values. Through the power of the world around us our spiritual enemy seeks out those he can subdue and lead astray. Never forget that the whole world lies in his power. To stand firm we must be those with washed minds, who are grounded in Scripture each day. We must be those who prioritise our allegiances according to God’s Word. Sometimes Christ brings a sword and division among family members is inevitable.
We must be those who are willing to accept God’s discipline. We must learn to be patient in trials because we will surely experience lonely, dark days of suffering, pain and loss. Finally, we should take time to be mindful of God’s perfect holiness, remembering each day that He calls us to keep ourselves pure.
The worst of sins can cast a lifetime of shadows. The passing of time won’t remove regret. What can we do to make sure we keep the flesh—our fallen nature—under control? What steps should we take? There are many, but we can start by lovingly encouraging and warning one another to live in Christ as we should (consider Malachi 3:16). We need to speak scripturally without compromise and listen carefully to those in authority who genuinely have the gift of teaching. Do we need revival? We certainly do need to be established, steadfast and consistent, day after day characterised by obedience to the Truth and our love for Christ. Only then can God’s will be accomplished through each local assembly.
We can be sure that the Lord will strengthen those “whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2nd Chronicles 16:9, NIV). Being “fully” obedient and committed is crucial. Half measures dilute our relationship with Christ and will pollute it eventually. We must regularly test and examine our ways (consider Lamentations 3:40; Psalm 119:59; 139:24). We must be those who walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and built up in Him, established in our faith, just as we were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude (see Colossians 2:6, 7).
We must be those who stubbornly continue in prayer. We must learn to recognise how the subtle influence of the world can loosen our grip on godly values. Through the power of the world around us our spiritual enemy seeks out those he can subdue and lead astray. Never forget that the whole world lies in his power. To stand firm we must be those with washed minds, who are grounded in Scripture each day. We must be those who prioritise our allegiances according to God’s Word. Sometimes Christ brings a sword and division among family members is inevitable.
We must be those who are willing to accept God’s discipline. We must learn to be patient in trials because we will surely experience lonely, dark days of suffering, pain and loss. Finally, we should take time to be mindful of God’s perfect holiness, remembering each day that He calls us to keep ourselves pure.
“…put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Romans 13:14).
“…I urge you as foreigners and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires which wage war against your soul” (1st Peter 2:11, LEB).
“…let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2nd Corinthians 7:1).
“The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished…” (Exodus 34:6, 7).
Unless noted, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, 1995.
