Everyone's struggle with sin

Romans 7:15-20 (NLT)

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.  And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

Years ago I was teaching an adult Bible class on the book of Romans.  When this passage from Romans 7 was read and discussed, everyone in the class agreed that this described themselves.  There may not be another passage in Scripture that strikes people the same way.  With very few exceptions, rational and introspective people will agree that we want to do what is right, but don’t do what is right all the time and we know what we should not do, but sometimes do it anyway.

Why do you do something you know is a sin?  Why do you sometimes commit the kinds of sins listed in Exodus 20 (Ten Commandments), Mark 7:20-23, Galatians 5:19-21 and elsewhere?  Why do you not do something that you know you should do, e.g. skip church, fail to give time, energy and money in needy circumstances, fail to help others, (remember Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan)?  Why do you, as Paul puts it in Romans 7:21, want to do what is right, but inevitably do what is wrong?  Right now, as you are reading this, you are being reminded of a sin of commission and/or a sin of omission and asking yourself, “why did I do that?” or “why didn’t I do that?”

There is an answer and also a solution.  Paul gives both, but you have to read further in Romans 7 and especially Romans 8.  The answer is that you do not do what is right because you were born into sin.   Paul writes in Romans 7:25 that “because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin”.   All human beings were born as sinners because of the original sin of Adam and Eve.   Romans 3:23 states that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.  Romans 5:12 states that “when Adam sinned, sin entered the world.  Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”  You hate to think of yourself as a sinner, but that’s what you are according to Scripture.   You hate to think of your children or grandchildren as sinners, but they are, not because they inherited sin from their parents, but because  we all are born into a fallen world that is filled with sin and death.  I do believe that if a child dies before he/she is capable of knowing the Law (Old Testament commandments), that child is with Jesus (Matt 18:3-6, Mark 10:5, Luke 18:17). 

The good news---in fact, great news---is that there is a solution to your sin nature.  This solution does not mean that you stop sinning, but it does mean that there exists forgiveness for your sin and you will not be condemned forever.  You must read Romans 8.  The first verse gives the conclusion, then subsequent verses 2 through 17 explain the conclusion.  Romans 8:1 states that if you belong to Christ Jesus, you are not condemned.  The condemnation of sin is that it separates you from God.  However, Christ, through His death on the cross, paid God’s penalty for sin.  By believing in Jesus and what He did for you, you are freed from the power of sin that leads to death and separation.  Again, you must read and meditate on Romans 8:1-17 to understand and appreciate what God through Christ did for you to deal with the sin nature you were born with.    

While these truths in Romans 7 should give you great comfort and encourage you not to beat yourself up and think of yourself as no good because you cannot stop sinning, Romans 8 does teach you must transform your body, mind, and will to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, not to be controlled by your sin nature (read, for example Romans 8:9).  This is a daily process of praying for forgiveness for your sins and asking the Holy Spirit to take control of your life that day.  All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God (Romans 8:14). 

In light of your struggles with sin, how do you feel after reading Paul’s conflict in Romans 7? Do his words help you to have a more realistic self-image?  What kind of sin are you most struggling with that you need to fight its dominance by allowing the Holy Spirit greater control of your life?

The compassion of the Lord

John 11:33-36 (NIV)

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” He asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

Jesus wept--the shortest verse in the entire Bible.  The Greek word used for wept simply means to ‘shed tears’.  This is the only time this word for wept was ever used in the Bible.   Why did Jesus cry?  He was deliberately late to respond to Mary and Martha’s pleas (11:6).  He had said that Lazarus’ illness would not end in death (11:4) so He knew that the eventual result would be happiness.  He is God Incarnate so He knows that earthly death is not the end.  So why did He weep?

Have you ever wept when you did not expect it?  You have watched movies where all of a sudden you start crying?  Something reminds you of a past experience with a loved one and you shed a few (or many) tears.  At the end of a long grueling day something is said or happens and you start crying unexpectedly.  Do you think that Jesus wept unexpectedly?

Jesus wept because He was human as much as He was/is divine.  He reacted to the grief He saw from the family and friends of Lazarus as any compassionate human being would react.  Plus verses 3 and 5 exclaim that Jesus loved Lazarus.  His weeping showed His emotions of not only compassion, but also love, mercy, sorrow, and even anger and frustration.  This shortest verse in the Bible reminds us that Jesus understands any and all emotions that you may have at any time.  It reminds us of His extreme caring for you.  You should never try to hide your emotions and feelings when you pray to Him.  Those who wrote the Psalms did not hold back emotions, even those that expressed rage and frustration against God.

However, I wonder if Jesus wept also because He was hearing such selfish words being expressed (verses 21 and 32).  Both Martha and Mary and likely others were complaining that Jesus had not arrived fast enough and had no concern (or understanding) about how God can be glorified through suffering and death.  Of course, that is true for all of mankind, we naturally only think of time and events here and now, not for eternity.  We only think of our own interests most/all of the time and not about God’s interests that transverses times and individuality.  Jesus might have been weeping over the attitudes He was seeing that are the same today, “what’s in this for me?” 

Jesus may have wept because of all the cynicism that He was seeing and hearing.  Read the words of verse 37; don’t you feel the underlying sarcasm?  All the good that Jesus did and does, yet if He doesn’t respond the way we want him to at any time, do we not have the same kind of attitude as those whose words are recorded in verse 37?  Isn’t it so human to view others as only as good as whatever they were or did the last time you interacted with them?  It’s this prevalent attitude we see all the time—“If you don’t meet expectations every time, well, that’s not good enough for me”.

Jesus wept for many reasons.  He continues to weep at times today.  A main learning point I take away from this shortest verse of the Bible is that I hope that Jesus weeps with me not because of me because of my sin and rebellion.  I hope that readers take away the same point.  May my life (and your life) be full of love and compassion and caring for others that sometimes will cause me to weep and knowing that my Lord weeps with me.  May my life (and your life) be empty of any cynicism, grumbling, or selfishness that will cause my Lord to weep because of me.  May my life (and your life) be full of the character of our Lord, full of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  May Jesus not weep because we quench the Spirit and do not exhibit these Christlike qualities in our daily lives.  May He rejoice and we rejoice with Him every day for the rest of our lives. 
 

The fruit of the Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Verse 22 starts with the word “But” that is a contrast preposition to the previous verse or passage.  Previous verses (19-21) speak of sins (deeds) of the flesh.  Sins of the flesh are in the plural form meaning that each sin is separate from the others.  However, the fruit of the Holy Spirit is in the singular form (fruit, not fruits) meaning that each fruit is connected with the others.   Therefore, sinful man will sin in multiple ways (15 specific sins listed), but not all of them.  The Spirit-filled man is filled with all 9 spiritual fruits, not just a few of them.  If you have sincere love in heart because of the filling of the Holy Spirit, then you also have joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control in your heart.  You cannot have one with also having all eight others. 

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the character of Christ being formed in the Christian who is filled with the Spirit.  Nine attributes are the result of the fruit of the Spirit.  Love, joy, and peace are fruits of mental attitude, inward thinking that reflects the lack of mental attitude sins and the relaxation that comes from knowing Bible truth.  These first three fruits directly related to God; it is the love, joy and peace of God that is in you and allowing you to manifest (demonstrate) these qualities that you and others notice. Patience (some translations state long-suffering), kindness, and goodness are outward, or directed toward "neighbors."   Long-suffering, for example, is a relaxed attitude toward the human race; a result of having love, joy, and peace.  People and circumstances will always bring stress and pressure into your life, but spiritual fruit evident in your life will enable you to handle/manage stress with patience and kindness and goodness.  Faith, gentleness, and self-control are fruits directed inwardly first that, as developed and practiced, then are directed upward, or God-ward.  Gentleness (humility), for example, is a grace attitude with regard to divine provision that gives glory to God for all support and blessing in life, rather than taking the attitude that one is self-made.

When you sincerely ask God every morning to fill you with His Holy Spirit, after confessing your sins and asking for forgiveness, His fruit appears within you.  Have you ever sensed this after praying for forgiveness and filling?  It’s truly a supernatural feeling.  You suddenly feel affection for others that prior to your prayer you felt nothing.  You feel joy and peace in your heart despite the turmoil going on around you.  You feel exuberance for life balanced by serenity.  You feel an inner strength to keep pursuing what you are convicted you must do.  You feel a sense of compassion in your heart for others and able to direct your energies in ways that benefit others.  Oh, it’s a mind-blowing experience to be living your life as a Spirit-filled Christian with the accompanying fruits and what they do for you and what you do for others. 

Psalm 1:2-3 describes the person who loves God’s Word and follows it.  He is like a tree firmly planted by streams of water that yields fruit.  This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  This is outward manifestation and application of why God created humankind, to be like God Himself.  The fruit of the Holy Spirit is God’s works in our lives.  The mark of an obedient Christian life is to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus emphasized this at least three times-

·  John 15:1-6—When branches, representing people, fail to bear fruit, the vinedresser, representing God, cuts them from the vine, representing the kingdom of God and burns them.  Only branches bearing fruit remain on the vine that are continuously pruned so that they will bear even more fruit.

·  Luke 13:6-9—God is patient with people (fig tree) who do not bear fruit, but if the fig tree continues to fail to bear fruit, it will be cut down.  

·  Luke 8:5-15—the parable of the soils where the good soil, representing people who hear and respond to the Word of God, bear fruit in their lives abundantly.

Do others see fruit in your daily life?  Do you know for sure that your life is bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God?  Are there areas of fruit and fruit bearing in your life that need strengthening, e.g. feeling more peace, showing more joy, having better patience, having more self-control, more impact on others’ lives?  An open and willing heart to be obedient to God will enable you to be a Spirit-filled Christian whose life is filled with fruit and bears fruit in others’ lives.  

“The fruit of the Spirit grows only in the garden of obedience” — Terry Fullam

Question to Readers

I appreciate you for reading my blog, thank you!

I have completed the writing of 732 meditations, representing morning and evening readings for an entire year (including leap year; 366 days x 2 = 732).  I am wishing to publish an e-book with all these meditations where readers can look up hot spotted references, search for topics by key words, and look up passages easily.  

My question:  do you have a recommendation for what publisher might be best in your opinion for publishing Christian e-books.  I am aware of Tate Publishing, West Bow Press, Winepress Publishing, Xulon Press, and ChristianWriterHelp.com.  Any experience with any of these publishers or might you have another suggestion?  

Thank you sincerely,

Michael

Hypocrisy

Matthew 23:25-27 (AB)

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you are like tombs that have been whitewashed, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men's bones and everything impure.  Just so, you also outwardly seem to people to be just and upright but inside you are full of pretense and lawlessness and iniquity.” 

The word hypocrite in the Greek means “actor” or “stage player”, one who pretends.  You are a hypocrite when you say one thing, but do another or when you do things that you tell others you don’t do.  A hypocrite is someone who claims to be a follower of God, but in reality is only of follower of his/her own will; i.e. an unbeliever.  Ralph Waldo Emerson had an interesting view of a hypocrite—“no one is a hypocrite when by himself, but he becomes one when a second person enters”.

           

In the gospels the Pharisees were labeled by Jesus as the model of hypocrisy because they claimed to be godly and righteous, but were evil within, filled with pride and superiority and other selfish attitudes that Jesus saw right through.  Jesus made some extremely disparaging remarks to people who considered themselves “pillars of the church”.  The Pharisees were greatly offended and it cost Jesus His life, yet the sin of hypocrisy was/is so offensive and sinful that Jesus will willing to die to expose it.

The sin of hypocrisy resides in anyone who pretends to be someone he/she is not.   Signs of hypocrisy include--

§ Doing things in public (e.g. praying, fasting, giving) to be recognized by others (Matthew 6:2,5,15; Matthew 23:14,23-27)

§ Judging others harshly when you are doing the same thing (Matthew 7:1)

§ Honoring God by words only, not by deeds (Matthew 15:7-9)

§ Deceiving others from knowing God (Matthew 23:13)

§ Being so hypocritical that others follow you by also being hypocritical (Matthew 23:15)

§ See also Romans 12:9, I Timothy 4:2, I Peter 2:1, Galatians 2:13-14, and James 3:14-17 where other writers of the Scriptures described and condemned hypocrisy.

David Roth said that a hypocrite knows that what he is doing is evil, but since he wants no one to know of his evil, he hides it and deceives others into thinking that he is innocent.  His life is bearable by means of his ability to hide behind a façade of good appearances.  Yet the sad irony of a hypocrite is that while he tries to deceive others, he ends up deceiving himself.  He will not deceive the Lord---“For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he gain much, if God takes away his life” (Job 27:8).   

You have to be on guard against hypocrisy.  Hypocrisy can send you to hell, just read and reflect on Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21-23 and Matthew 24:51.  That’s why a Christian is always to “examine yourself” (Luke 12:1, II Corinthians 13:5) and be part of Christian fellowship where any potential inclinations to hypocrisy can be exposed, confessed and forgiven.  Yet it is also true that while hypocrisy is a sin, not all sin is hypocrisy.  The church is full of sinners, but not full of hypocrites as the unbelieving world would have you believe.  You’ve heard the response to someone who says that he/she doesn’t go to church because church is full of hypocrites---“well, if that’s the way you feel, there’s always room for one more”.  If you are one of those skeptics, don’t let this view prevent you from responding to a deep inner call within your soul to go to church.  Sincere Christian people are not hypocrites, but we all are sinners and need a Savior.    

“Most of us are aware of and pretend to detest the barefaced instances of that hypocrisy by which men deceive others, but few of us are upon our guard or see that more fatal hypocrisy by which we deceive and over-reach our own hearts.” -- Laurence Sterne