SIN is the Problem!

I hate this flesh!  I hate how it continually fights against the life Jesus has redeemed to give me.  I hate how my flesh screams against the hard disciplines of the Christian life and refuses to take no for an answer.  I hate it how it comes up to reveal in me my sinful state and how much more work God still has to do in me.  I am sure you can sympathize with me – sin keeps us back, shuts us down, trips us up and locks us in.  It is ruthless in how it creeps up when we least expect it AND faithfully appears when we do expect it!

Remarkably, the greatest of God’s people understood how their depraved and corrupt flesh so easily fights against God’s will and can quickly disqualify them.  One such person is of course the Apostle Paul.  Read this classic battle that Paul wrote about in Romans 7:15-25 (ESV):

“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”

What a battle!  Two laws operating against each other.  But only one law can prevail – which will it be?

Charles Finney in his classic collection of revival sermons, “Revivals of Religion”, wrote an extensive list of sins that we can use to check the state of our heart and holiness.  He includes both sins of omission (not doing what we should do) and sins of commission (doing the things we should not do).  So take some time to evaluate yourself, but be sure to pray first, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what displeases Him and then be quick to confess it to God, repent and humbly pray His forgiveness to wash over you.  Here we go:

SIN OF OMISSION:

Ingratitude – Have you neglected to thank God for His many blessings and favours?  How many can you remember?  I am sure there are numerous mercies you have received.

Lack of Love for God – Imagine the feeling of discovering the love of your spouse, children or friends has diminished and become weak.  What if you saw another person capturing their heart and devotion?  Would you be jealous?  In a similar way, God calls Himself a jealous God (Exodus 20:5).  Have you given your heart to other loves and greatly grieved Him?

Neglecting Your Bible Reading – Has the Word of God not occupied your time and mind for awhile?  Has your Bible reading been so careless that you cannot remember what you have read only moments earlier?  What about instances of unbelief?  Have you read it so casually that God’s promises don’t have power in you?  Have you accused God of lying?

Neglect of Prayer – Think of the times when you have neglected to pray for family, friends, town and nation.  What about the times when you purposefully avoided the prayer gathering or meeting to do other things.  Remember when you have prayed in such a way that offended God because of your empty phrases and faithless words.

Poor Spiritual Attitude – Have you been unnmoved by God’s presence?  Have you questioned, mocked and despised what God has done or is doing?  Have your prayers become meaningless chatter that is totally lifeless and careless?

A Lack of Love for the Souls of Fellowmen – Look at your friends and relatives and remember how little compassion you have felt for them.  You have stood by and watched them going right to hell, yet it seemed as though you did not care.  How many days have passed that you have not prayed about their sinful condition?

A Lack of Concern for Unbelievers – Perhaps you have not cared enough for unbelievers to learn about their condition.  Do you really care for their hell-bound souls?  Do you desire their salvation?

Sin of Hypocrisy – Do you deny yourself?  Does your talk coincide with your walk?  Are you only pretending to be a Christian?  Your faith is an insult to Jesus Christ!

Neglect of Family and Private Duties – Think of how you have lived, putting yourself before your family.  How have you prayed?  What example have you set before them?  What duties for their sake have you neglected?  Are you watchful of your own life?

Neglecting to Watch over Fellow Believers – We have many brothers and sisters in Christ and it is wrong to not watch over them.  How little do you care about the state of their souls?  Have you become aquainted with them?  With how many of them have you taken enough interest to know their spiritual state, let alone their names?  Have you been silent so as not to offend?  When they fall into sin, what is your response?

Neglect of Self-Denial – Is Jesus asking too much?  Are you willing to do anything for Jesus as long as it does not require self-denial and death to self?  Are you unwilling to deny yourself comfort or convenience for the sake of serving our Lord?  What about luxuries you cannot afford?  Do you have the audacity to complain about others who give less than you?

Of course, there are more sins that relate under this category.  Ask God to show you…

Let’s move on…

SINS OF COMMISSION:

Worldly – Mindedness – What has been the state of your heart in regard to your worldy possessions?  Have you looked at them as really yours – as if you had a right to dispose of them as your own, according to your own will?  Do you see the things of this world capable of gratifying your lust for more?

Pride – Remember all of the instances when you have found yourself thinking of yourself more highly than you ought.  How many times have you been vain about your dress and appearance without even considering the inner state of your heart?  How many times have you thought more about and taken more trouble and time decorating your body to go to Church than preparing your mind to worship God?  Do you long to be worshipped by others?

Envy – Have you envied those you thought were above you?  Have you envied those who are more talented or more useful than yourself?  Has it been more pleasant to you to dwell on their faults rather than their virtues, their failures rather than their successes?

A Critical Spirit – Remember the times you have had a bitter spirit and spoken of Christians in a manner that did not show love.  Do you look for what is wrong and dwell on it and perhaps make sure your opinion is known?

Slander – The times you have spoken unnecessarily about the faults, real or imagined, of members of the Church or others behind their backs – this is slander.  You don’t have to lie to be guilty of slander.  Telling the truth with the intent to injure is slander.

Lack of Seriousness – How often have you been lighthearted before God, forgetting His divine and holy presence can literally crush you?  Have you forgotten there is a God?  Or perhaps you have had less respect for Him and His presence than you would show toward an earthly judge.

Lying – Have you intended to deceive others?  Have you decided to make an impression contrary to the naked truth?

Cheating – Have you dealt with others in a way that you would not like to have done to you? (See Matthew 7:12)

Hypocrisy – Does hypocrisy exist in your prayers and confessions to God?  How many times have you confessed sins that you did not mean to stop committing?

Robbing God – Think of the times you have misspent your time, your money and your affections.  What about misapplied your talents and giftings?  Have your lusts and greeds stolen what is reserved for God?

Bad Temper – Perhaps you have abused your spouse, children, family, coworkers, or neighbours.

Hindering Others from Being Useful – Have you weakened another Christian’s influence by saying things against him?  Have you stood in the way of others being used by God because of your arrogance and pride?  Have you taken people’s time needlessly?  Have you used others to serve your purposes thus preventing them to serve God in His?

There you go, that is an extensive list but one that can no doubt be added to.  I offer this to you as a starting point towards a life of clean hands and a pure heart.  At CityWest Church we are really being drawn deeper into repentance and holiness as God steps closer than ever before.  But as Rob Cartledge wrote in God’s Heart Cry For Revival ““The closer you get to God, the cleaner He expects you to be.”  Be quick to repent as there is too much at stake.

So if you are willing to join me in asking God to search us and see if there is any offensive way in us, then we can expect God closer than He has ever been and we can walk in the joy of His salvation.  Don’t reject this, embrace it!