The Horrible Truth of Indwelling Sin

 

The Horrible Truth of Indwelling Sin

or

The Worst Subject in the History of Mankind

Welcome to my original first post!

(This is a post that I made back in 2015 for another blog, so I am reprinting it here.)

I've been reading a book that my mentor gave to me.  It's a reprint/collection from the writings of John Owens, probably one of the greatest Puritan theologians.  I've heard of him, but never actually read anything by him up to this point, but I can see myself picking up some of his other stuff in the future.  This stuff isn't good: it's necessary!

Anywho, what I wanted to write about today is something that not a lot of people want to discuss, and I'm sure that not a of people will see the title of this missive and keep right on scrolling to the next cat video or picture of a baby with some cute caption above his or her head.  For the rest of you who actually decided to brave these murky waters with me and read along (hi Mom!), let me state something right off the bat:

Sin isn't a problem these days... and that's a problem.

Wait! You can't start your first blog post with a contradiction!

You see, indwelling sin is a fact of human existence.  The Bible has a lot to say about sin (all quotes are from the ESV):

     "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" -Romans 3:23

     "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." -Matthew 6:24

Sin is also a very serious thing:

     "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." -Revelation 21:8

      "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 6:23

Unfortunately, sin isn't looked at in the same way today.  If people even acknowledge sin, it's usually in favor of it!  I find myself bombarded by sex, unnecessary violence, foul language, blasphemy --- and that's just on television!  Everywhere I go, whatever I do, I am reminded that society doesn't concern itself with the things of God...

...and neither do I.

How often do I see something that must make God sick to His stomach (humanly speaking), and I deplore it... at first, but since I've seen so much of it, it gets less and less offensive, until I merely turn the channel because it's something I shouldn't see but causes no real disgust within my soul?  Or how often do I 'struggle' with finding a mere 15-30 minutes to devote to reading my Bible every morning or doing a devotional with my family, when God is the One who saved my soul from the effects of the sin with which I flirt?  My Lord is so forgiving, so faithful, so in love with me, and I treat Him as if I need to 'find time for Him'?  I was faced with this question today as I was mowing the lawn and listening to Alistair Begg on RefNet (Google it!):  Do I get up in the morning and say to myself, "Well, I had better make sure I put aside 15 minutes some time today to spend with my wife"? NO!  She's the one that I am in love with, and I want to spend as much time with her as I can.

If I am really a child of the living God, the One who made the heavens and the earth... the One who left His glorious throne in Heaven and chose to take on mortal flesh and all of the travails that come with it, just so I could be saved...  if I am a member of the Church, the bride of Christ, then shouldn't I be just a little more thankful, a little more in love with my Savior?!  The question isn't 'why does God seem so far away', it's 'where have I gone wrong?'

My answer and solution:

My problem is sin.  When I felt lazy and didn't want to get up and devote my self and my day to my God, I listened to it, again and again.  When I was faced with this or that temptation, I stopped resisting and gave in.  I spent more and more time away from God that, after awhile, I had forgotten what it was like to walk with Him, to talk with Him, to find my joy in Him, my pleasure in Him.  Now I find myself in a local congregation that takes their walk of faith seriously, with a mentor who is pushing me to take my walk with Christ seriously, and my objection is 'I keep struggling to be consistent with my Bible reading... or devotions... or...'!  Really?!  I am so thankful that God is the One who saved me, because I could never save myself!  I need Him, because I cannot live this life on my own, and I refuse to try any longer.  He has saved me from my sin, that I may be sanctified... made holy.  How can I continue on the broad way, when He has a place for me right beside Him on the narrow way?

I must fight against this indwelling sin... put it to death.  I know that as long as I live in this world, I will have to fight the sin that seeks to reign in me.  The wonderful truth, however, is that I have the One who died for my sin.  I have been given the ability to resist temptation, to flee from the devil, and to pick up my cross each and every day, mindful of the brand new mercies that await me, and picking up my cross, to die to self and sin.

So I repent.  I ask for forgiveness.  And I will start each day reminding myself that

     "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.'" -Lamentations 3:22-24

Do you find yourself far away from God?  Having once basked in His glorious Light, are you now hiding in the dark recesses of sin?  Please let me tell you that Christ is a loving and forgiving Lord.  He wants you to walk with Him, talk with Him, dine with Him, learn from Him, grow in Him.

Submit to Him.                                                                                                                                            ch