Welcome to the sixth and final part of our series on how Jesus has conquered your sin. Having laid the complete foundation from the previous five weeks, we are now ready to deal with the aspect of victory in Christ that most people get distracted with: your actions.
As I’ve alluded to in previous studies, it’s incredibly easy to become completely focused on your actions, to the exclusion of all else— including Jesus Christ.
Many Christians become myopic regarding their works, and use their works as a litmus test to judge their standing and the standing of others towards God. This kind of thinking opens the door to all manner of confusion and doubt, because it gets a person looking at themself rather than Jesus.
Today we will be examining how Jesus has conquered your sin, including sinful actions, through the redemption of Christ and the power of His Spirit in grace.
The Root of Sinful Actions
As we examined in part one, sinful actions stem from our sinful nature. Understanding the source of sinful actions is essential to comprehending the solution to them also.
If we focus on sinful actions, the temptation is to try and “improve ourselves” through behavior modification in an attempt to be more like God. It’s the exact same trap that ensured Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden!
We know from the account in Genesis chapter 2 that there were two main trees in the Garden of Eden: The Tree of Life, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Only one of the trees was forbidden, the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Now it may surprise you to realize that the forbidden tree was something that on the surface seems quite good and right. After all, what’s wrong with the knowledge of good and evil? Isn’t that what God wants us to have? Well no, we can see right here that God absolutely told Adam to not eat from the tree of knowledge of God and evil. God clearly told Adam that the day he ate of that tree he would die!
Why? It’s not as much of a mystery as we might think at first… God wanted that tree to remain uneaten; He wanted the knowledge of good and evil to remain untouched by human-kind, so that they would rest fully on Him! Remember that as soon as Adam and Eve ate from that tree, in Genesis 3, that their eyes were opened, but their eyes weren’t opened to the grace and mercy of God. Their eyes were opened to their own nakedness, and they suddenly became afraid of God and ashamed, and they ran and hid from Him! The knowledge of good and evil did not grow and increase their intimacy with God; instead the knowledge of good and evil actually severed their intimacy with God! Because instead of looking towards the mercy and Grace of God and resting therein, their eyes were now opened to themselves, and looking towards themselves, and they tried desperately to clothe their own nakedness and appear right before God, but they ultimately ran and hid from Him.
This was their free choice at the beginning of creation in the Garden of Eden. To eat from the very Tree of Life, representing Jesus Christ, or to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, representing self-effort and performance, and there are many people today, still choosing that same tree of knowledge of good and evil today, trusting in their own works to save them. They say tell me what’s good, tell me what’s evil, so that I may perform better, and through my performance, be more like God.
Does that sound familiar? Do you see how utterly self-focused and self-reliant that statement is? Such an idea is the most common one for many in the sphere of Christianity, though the sin nature can take many other forms also. The ultimate idea is exaltation of self, which is the true root of sin, and the epicenter of the sin nature. That is the very same attitude presented all throughout the scriptures, by the prideful statement of the Israelites in the Exodus, by the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, and by the promoters of works-righteousness today. The reliance on and promotion of self gets everyone the exact same result as it did for Adam and Eve… death.
The Futility of Self-Effort
When faced with such a challenge, the natural inclination is to simply try harder, and some people get caught in a cycle of failure, guilt, and retrying— a loop which I was stuck in for many years. For an example of futility of self-effort, let’s read Romans 7:18-21:
“ 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.”
Verse 18 is especially important, and most people miss it or don’t pay any attention to it, because verse 19 is so popular that we tend to skip over 18. But look at what verse 18 is saying here For I know that in me (that is in my flesh), dwells no good thing. It’s interesting that Paul starts off by saying that he knows this, because there are many believers today who do not know this at all. Many people are still looking to find some good in their flesh and they are trying to serve God by their own self and performance, and coming up short… yet still thinking that just because they are trying their best that God will somehow accept their efforts. Not realizing that the perfect law of God demands perfect performance (James 2:10). Your performance and behavior is not the answer. The second-half of verse 18 says: for to will is present with me; we all have the desire to do good – but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Paul, the very same Pail who in Philippians 3:5 was circumcised on the eighth day, was from the stock of Israel and from the tribe of Benjamin, was a Hebrew of the Hebrews and a Pharisee of the Law… this same Paul says that he has found no way to perform that which is good. Again, the answer is not in your performance.
Following this comes the very famous verse 19: The good that I want to do, I don’t do it, but the evil that I don’t want to do, that I end up doing. I think we all have been there and can fully agree to that.
Then we see something very enlightening in verses 20 and 21: That when we do the things that we don’t want to do, it is no longer us that is doing them, but the sin nature that dwells in us. The majority of believers still have not recognized this distinction.
The Way of Victory
The first key point in seeing the way out of the trap of self-focused mentality, is to recognize that our nature must change. Trying to retrain our behaviors is like a doctor merely treating symptoms without eliminating the actual disease.
Take a look at 1st John 5:4-5:
“ 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
5 Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
These verses of first John shine a light on how your new nature comes into play, by being born of God, and that the way to be born of God is through believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Keep this verse in mind as we contuse by reading 2nd Corinthians 10:3-6:
“ 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”
Verse 3 begins with a very important point, that though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. We are in daily contact with the carnal world, its various aspects, undertakings and natural elements. However that is not how we wage war, spiritually-speaking. Many people are still trying to fight spiritual battles with carnal weapons; they are trying to fight sinful thoughts and actions with other thoughts and other actions. This comes through really clear when you begin to examine the language on the lips of many Christians:
“well, I just need to try harder.”, or sometimes they go for the more religiously acceptable answer of “I just need to seek Him more.”, or “I just need to press in more.” and, really, all of these phrases are just verbal gymnastics for saying the same thing.
Take a look at verse 4, For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. Carnal means having to do with natural man, his strength, his weakness and all of the factors of your natural senses, including your thoughts, feelings and emotions. All of that is carnal. Verse 4 says that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal; they are not in that realm and that is not how we are to battle against such things. Many times we try to wage a grand war against sin using natural carnal resources, and we are using the wrong weapons and then becoming confused, frustrated and disillusioned when we don’t experience victory.
Notice the second-half of verse 4, while our weapons are not carnal, they are mighty through God. These weapons are not through ourselves, or anything of ourselves, nothing carnal, but through God. And what results do these weapons give?
…to the pulling down of strongholds.
The takeaway is that these weapons are not hit-and miss; they are not a gamble, or a maybe, These weapons have a singular purpose and a singular result – to pull down strongholds. These are weapons of absolute victory, not weapons of sometimes win and sometimes lose… not weapons of equality, but of total domination.
The phrase “pulling down” used here in the verse is Greek καθαίρεσις, meaning absolute demolition, destruction and extinction. That should give you a clear picture of the force and power and also the intent of these weapons. They are mighty, through God, to the absolute destruction and extinction of strongholds.
The Stronghold of Sin
When it comes to sinful actions, it’s crucial to remember a few things. Just as with the outward demonstration of our Spirit-empowered works that we studied last week, sinful actions are not a proof or disproof of a person’s salvation, but sinful actions can influence or stumble others around you, or create an artificial barrier between you and God.
So how can we defeat sin, if not through our own effort? Look at verse 5:
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Examine the specifics of the items in this list: imaginations, and high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Put simply, strongholds are lying thoughts and erroneous beliefs. Thoughts that are Anti-Christ, Anti-Gospel, Anti-Grace those carnal thoughts are strongholds which lead to sinful actions. (James 1:14-15)
Notice that such things are to be brought captive to the obedience of Christ. We are not supposed to try and bring things captive to our own obedience. We are not on a solid foundation if we say “well, I have been really obedient lately, I have really been performing well”. No, the moment we start measuring our acceptance with God by our own performance, then we have already lost. Instead we are to bring these thoughts captive to Jesus’ perfect obedience. Recognizing that He has performed perfectly, He was and is perfectly obedient, and we are in Him. We died with Him on that cross, and we also live through Him. (Ephesians 2:4-16)
The Victory in Christ
As you can see, the way of victory is all wrapped-up in the finished work of Christ and your new identity in Him. Romans chapter six says something very enlightening and very encouraging regarding your victory in Christ. Romans 6:1-7:
“ 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.”
We have studied these verses many times before, and you’ve probably heard me mention that the word “sin” in these verses is the noun for sin, and not the verb. These verses are speaking of your new identity in Christ, and who you are in Him. Your new identity in Christ is the foundation upon which you must stand to experience victory.
Then in verse 15, Paul is asked this question:
“ 15 What then? will we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”
This is the only place in the chapter where the word “sin” is a verb and not a noun, and it tells us something about our victory.
We can learn from this verse that in the minds of many who ask similar questions, sin is still purely an action, it is still something that you do, instead of a position in which you exist. Now the danger in this kind of thinking is that it undercuts the entire Gospel of Jesus Christ. If a person still believes that they can be righteous by what they do, then Jesus’ sacrifice is made void.
Likewise if you are only righteous until your next sinful deed, then we are all doomed because Jesus died before any of us were even born, and so any future sin could nullify His sacrifice.
Yet even though the question was put to Paul regarding the verb, the action of sin, he answers the question using the noun, the identity of sin and righteousness. In verses 16 through 18, we see this:
“ 16 Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness.”
Paul answers the question about sinful actions, by reminding us of our true identity in Christ and notice the tenses being used in these verses. You were servants of sin. But you have obeyed the doctrine from the heart, and then made free from sin and became servants of righteousness.
The prime issue is still the change of identity, and living in that identity is where complete victory comes from. It is Christ who frees you from the bondage of sin, completely.
Conclusion
So as we draw to a close in this series, you might have the question: “What should my attitude be if I commit a sinful action today?”
Romans 8 begins by saying there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh (not by your effort and physical senses) but after the Spirit (Jesus Christ); your response must start there. You should always remember your glorified, redeemed, righteous, and beloved identity in Christ. The Law of the Spirit of Life, has set you free from the Law of sin and death.
Additionally, you should remember what we learned in part three of this same series, regarding the cleansed status of your conscience, because Satan, the accuser, will jump at he chance to lay an unholy accusation against you, in an attempt to make you doubt your status in Christ. This is the time to wage a good warfare in Christ, as we saw in that study.
So I pray that this study today and this series has encouraged and edified you in your completely victory over sin through Christ Jesus.
Join me next week, as continue thriving in the true Vine which is Jesus Christ.
Be blessed.