The Right View of Sin

{ My Quiet Place }

The Right View of Sin

There are generally two responses to sin apart from what the Bible teaches. There is the moralist response and the user response. I'm sure all of us have struggled with at least one of the two.  Then there is the right response to sin, the repentant response. Tim Keller sums up the three beliefs perfectly: 

Religion stresses holiness over grace. Irreligion stresses freedom over holiness. Christianity is freedom through grace that leads to holiness. Timothy Keller 

Having grown up in a Christian home, Christian school, and the church, I, personally, have bought into the lies of a moralistic viewpoint of sin. Let's take a look at how the moralist sees sin compared to how God wants us to see sin. 

The moralist goes around judging others with a standard that is outside her own. 

The repentant knows her sin in light of God's mercy and; therefore, seeks to do good. She knows she does not deserve God's kindness and takes every chance God gives her to turn from sin and unto the Lord. 

The moralist depends on good deeds for happiness and a high self-esteem. 

The repentant finds her happiness and identity in God alone. She knows that the law cannot remove guilt. Only Jesus can do that. 

The moralist feels driven to repent. 

The repentant feels the Lord drawing her to confess. 

The moralist feels shame and remorse. 

The repentant feels joy and freedom when she turns toward an active service to God. 

The moralist looks to the law for salvation. 

The repentant knows that the law only has the power to reveal sin. It offers no solutions. 

The law cannot save us from God's judgement. We cannot make up for sin from yesterday by doing extra good deeds today. Your standard of righteous living is not dependent on your godly upbringing or your church-going, verse-memorizing, Bible study-leading background. God demands complete perfection no matter what you know or what religion you profess. Thank you Jesus for being perfect for us. 

The Lord doesn't care about your rituals (daily quiet time, church schedule, morning drive praise music). He looks at you and me and sees the position of our hearts before Him. He is pleased when we wake up eager to get in the word, when we ask for His forgiveness during the Sunday service, and when we offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving on our way to work through loud (sometimes obnoxious) singing. 

I tend to feel "safe" and "good" living in my little Christian bubble, snuggled up next to my big Christian privileges. I know a lot of Bible stuff and that makes me feel close to God automatically. But where is my heart? Often it is far from the Lord.

Seek, above all else, to dwell in His presence and live in fellowship with Him. Focus on your heart for the Lord more than what your lips, eyes, and ears are doing "for the Lord". It isn't our knowledge that pleases God, but our motive, attitude, and spirit. 

Let's take a look at the second view of sin. Again, declare me guilty!

The user thinks, "Although my sin is wrong, it points to God's righteousness so...on some levels, it's ok...right?!"

The repentant knows that, although God does use evil for His good, the sin she commits is still wrong. She understands that God also uses wickedness for His glory by judging the unrighteous. 

The user thinks to herself, "Well, I know that God has already forgiven me, so I'll just give in. I'm sure I will get some lesson out of it later". 

The repentant knows better than to pervert and mock God's grace. 

The user thinks she is free, but in reality, she is a slave to sin.

The repentant constantly reminds herself that she is a new creation, raised from the dead to a new life in Christ. Sin no longer bosses her around. 

The user relies on herself to fight sin. 

The repentant approaches the spiritual battle field prepared (Bible verses, an alert mind, a prayerful spirt, no opportunity for the flesh, a desire for good) and knows she cannot overcome temptation without the Holy Spirit's power. 

The user tries to justify her sinful actions.

The repentant hates evil and desires to please the Lord more than her fleshly passions. 

 "Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection.  That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you’ve been raised from the dead!—into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God." Romans 6 MSG 

People sin with the law and people sin without it. Doing good can't save us and taking advantage of God's goodness is no way to live. We are under the grace of God. What a gift! 

Lord, may we focus more on our hearts than our actions. Thank you for sending your Son because there is no way we could ever be perfect without Him. Give us a hunger and thirst for righteousness. May we see sin the way you do. Remind us that it isn't our knowledge that pleases you, but only our hearts. Amen. 

☎︎

The Girl Next Door