Why Sin Seems To Win!

          Let me be transparent with you for a moment, I SIN! Is there anybody out there that's willing to be honest and admit that sometimes you struggle with sin? Maybe there's someone who's willing to be honest enough with themselves and admit that even now you're struggling with repetitive sin and have no clue how to get out of that vicious cycle of temptation, temporary excitement, sin, and then guilt.  Let me help you out and break the ice, I've struggled as a Christian with repetitive sin and acted like it never happened, hid it from my friends and family, and even justified it before God! I am ashamed of it, even in the midst of it, I HATED it! Honestly, I hated myself, I even wondered if I was even saved! But there's still hope friend, you CAN overcome, you CAN break the chains of repetitive sin and live freely in the Grace of God while fulfilling the purpose He's placed upon your life. Let's look at this truth and the questions that follow..........

The reality of this vile flesh and being clothed in it is this, until this corruptible puts on incorruption we WILL fail, miss the mark, fall short, do wrong, not do right, simply put, we're not perfect yet!

            With that truth we have to ask a few questions and we'll start with this one, what does this mean? In Romans 7 Paul gets really personal, which is rare, and reveals his vicious inward battle, the battle between the flesh and the spirit! He attests to the glory of the Law and how its good and how his inward man desires to do right but it just doesn't seem to happen like he wants it to. He says that the things he doesn't want to do, he does and the the things he does want to do, he doesn't! I'm not sure about you but I completely understand his dilemma, his pain, I've wrestled with my very own soul, my Jacob has argued with my Israel!

            Now the next question, if it's nearly a certainty that if I continue to live that I'll continue to sin then if I sin is it ok? NO! God Forbid! Absolutely NOT! Sometimes we justify our sin by the fact that everybody sins! Paul had to deal with this argument many times. Once he answers this question without being asked because he knew the minds of the people and that they would ask him if they could. He said that where sin did abound, Grace did much more abound and the conclusion some drew from this was that if Grace shines brightest in it's covering of sin then we should sin all the more. Paul exclaims, God Forbid! Now we may never ask this question but sometimes I think we live it out. We live the old phrase "it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission."  It's NEVER ok to sin, period! No matter the circumstance, the reason, the environment, sin is a manifestation of the rejection of God's perfection and that SIN has entangled, marred, scarred, and tried to destroy God's creation since the fall, sin is high treason against the most high God!

            Lastly, if It's absolutely not ok to sin yet I am prone to sin what can I do? I want to answer this in a reflective response focussing on the motivation to sin versus the motivation to not sin. I'm sure you're saying to yourself "I'm a Christian, I don't have any motivation to sin, it just happens." You and I both know that's not true. Do you remember the elementary science phrase "for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction?" Most people equate sin with action and rightly so, I mean the Bible says things like "thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, ........" Jesus never viewed it that way, to him the action was the manifestation of the sin in the heart, the INTENT! He said things like this "if you are angry with your brother you're as guilty as a murderer" and "if you lust toward another woman you have committed adultery in your heart." See, for there to be an action there has to be a catalyst! What pushes us to sin? The desires of our heart! Our selfish nature wants, wants, wants, craves, craves, craves, desires, desires, desires! We are addicted to pleasure, self gratification, our churches these days even focus the worship around the emotions and desires of the people instead of focussing upon Christ and his glory! I see phrases all the time like this, "come to church and get your blessing." The answer to the believer's struggle with sin is this, until our motivation to NOT sin is greater than our motivation TO sin then we will forever be in bondage to sin! John Piper was preaching on porn and made this assessment, if someone came into the room with your best friend and said that if you look at that your friend will die, we would all have self control and not commit that sin! The motivation to not sin would outweigh the motivation to sin. Most believer's that struggle with repetitive sin try to keep it hidden believing that it isn't hurting anyone but themselves. The reality is that everyone around you suffers in your darkness, you're never alone in that dark room with sin, everyone you love is there with you! This strikes emotion in our heart right? I mean I personally have wept bitterly because my personal sin had caused my wife great grief! Seeing her hurt and cry broke me to pieces and I was truly remorseful, I hurt, I cried and I wanted to never see her hurt like that on my account again. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, why don't I feel that same remorse, shame, hurt, and pain before a Holy God? I knew the answer, I wasn't as close to him as I thought! If I was then when I hurt him by sinning it would break me! Typically we lie to ourselves and say "if they never find out, it isn't hurting them" but God never "finds out" he watches you commit that sin and made every way out so that you didn't have to! That gravity should rein in every motivation to sin! Sin will ALWAYS cost something! We would have self control to not sin if it cost our friend their temporal life yet every sin has an eternal cost! Every sin we commit was beat upon the Christ as he hung on the cross, the weight of our transgressions bruised him! Are we so personal and close to our savior that it bothers us to hurt him? If we pictured the cross at every rising of temptation we would always win if our relationship with Christ is what we say it is! The more time we spend with God, the more we see  him for who he is, the more motivation we would have to not sin. If we're more impacted by those around us we hurt with sin than knowing the pain we would cause the very one who paid the ultimate price for our sin then our relationship we have with God is in question and the end of that question is do we even have a relationship with him?! When is the last time you wept bitterly with a broken and contrite spirit before God because of the sins you have committed? Therein lies the problem, our motivation TO sin (self) is greater than our motivation to NOT sin (the Christ)! We would never say that but does our life not prove it when we're caught up in sin? It doesn't have to be this way!

            Today is the day you shift the balance, weigh out the motivations and see GRACE! You don't have to live like this, you can break the cycle, there is hope in Jesus Christ! Find an accountability partner that you can trust and embark on a journey of sanctification like you've never imagined!

           

Affirmation of The Nashville Statement

      

            Over the last few weeks our nation has experienced great loss and tragedy! Our hearts and prayers are with the people affected by Hurricane Harvey and the catastrophic flooding in Houston and the surrounding areas as recovery efforts are still under way. In the midst of our nation that, according to the media, is divided and seemingly collapsing I've witnessed heartwarming and encouraging acts of bravery, heroism, and love in the midst of this tragedy between all races and walks of life because there's neither rich nor poor, black or white, old or young, or legal or illegal when lives are in the balance! While we've all been consumed with Charlottesville, statues, Harvey, and Houston a great victory for the Church in America has been won. There's still some sanity, common sense, and Godly fervor amongst the remnant of true born-again believers who call this great country home. Maybe you've heard it in passing, maybe you saw an article title about it, or maybe you have no idea what I'm talking about but while we were focused on other things The Coalition for Biblical Sexuality which is derived from The Coalition for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood submitted a defining statement that is now known as The Nashville Statement. Today, as a signer of affirmation to The Nashville Statement, along with such men as Al Mohler, John MacArthur, James White, and the like, I would like to go through it's fourteen articles in greater detail and present why I think every born-again Christian MUST hold to these Biblical principles. There will be a link at the end to the Nashville Statement website where you too can sign. Let's get started......

Article 1 

WE AFFIRM that God has designed marriage to be a covenantal, sexual, procreative, lifelong union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife, and is meant to signify the covenant love between Christ and his bride the church. 

WE DENY that God has designed marriage to be a homosexual, polygamous, or polyamorous relationship. We also deny that marriage is a mere human contract rather than a covenant made before God.

            What a truth that is lost, not just in our culture, but in the church! So many "christians" today will scream at the top of their lungs against homosexuality but as a whole have been silent for the last fifty years concerning divorce, premarital sex, birth control, and sin in general. Marriage is a covenant between the participants and God. A vow of life long, procreative union between one man and one woman! Our state owned culture have subsidized marriage to the state and have, in so doing, created a society that views marriage simply as a contract that can be nullified at any moment for any reason! If two "christians" can choose to divorce because of ANY other reason than what Christ stated (Adultery or Death) then I seriously doubt that those two understand Grace and is a great indicator that they are not born-again believers. That may sound harsh but how can we love God whom we haven't seen when we can't love the most intimate love of our lives?

Article 2 

WE AFFIRM that God’s revealed will for all people is chastity outside of marriage and fidelity within marriage. 

WE DENY that any affections, desires, or commitments ever justify sexual intercourse before or outside marriage; nor do they justify any form of sexual immorality.

             It's not how you feel but what is real! Purity inside and outside of marriage! With our sexually engrained society sex has been reduced from a gift from our creator to a cheap thrill whose joy fades ever so quickly! 

Article 3 

WE AFFIRM that God created Adam and Eve, the first human beings, in his own image, equal before God as persons, and distinct as male and female. 

WE DENY that the divinely ordained differences between male and female render them unequal in dignity or worth.

            For some reason this statement is so hard for this society to grasp and understand. Let me get personal with you for a moment, my wife is an extension of myself. I COULD NOT fulfill the purposes God has laid down in my life without her! But, we are different, very different. We're different, not just in biological sex, but in the way we think and process things, the way we manage, our strengths and weaknesses, and so much more! We ARE different yet equal, why is this so hard to grasp? She can do things that I only dream of and I the same! I affirm Complementarianism, God created us that way and revealed it's truth in His Word and is a picture of Christ and the Church!

Article 4 

WE AFFIRM that divinely ordained differences between male and female reflect God’s original creation design and are meant for human good and human flourishing. 

WE DENY that such differences are a result of the Fall or are a tragedy to be overcome.

            Sin shattered the perfection of creation but the distinctions between male and female were before the fall and a part of God's perfect creation. 

Article 5 

WE AFFIRM that the differences between male and female reproductive structures are integral to God’s design for self-conception as male or female. 

WE DENY that physical anomalies or psychological conditions nullify the God-appointed link between biological sex and self-conception as male or female.

            As following the last statement's summary, creation's perfection was shattered in the garden thus abnormalities are guaranteed but this in no way negates the truth that in the beginning God created them male and female!

Article 6 

WE AFFIRM that those born with a physical disorder of sex development are created in the image of God and have dignity and worth equal to all other image-bearers. They are acknowledged by our Lord Jesus in his words about “eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb.” With all others they are welcome as faithful followers of Jesus Christ and should embrace their biological sex insofar as it may be known. 

WE DENY that ambiguities related to a person’s biological sex render one incapable of living a fruitful life in joyful obedience to Christ. 

            All life has worth! That statement is lost in this society drowned in materialism and post modernism! This truth is most evident at every abortion clinic in this country!

Article 7 

WE AFFIRM that self-conception as male or female should be defined by God’s holy purposes in creation and redemption as revealed in Scripture. 

WE DENY that adopting a homosexual or transgender self-conception is consistent with God’s holy purposes in creation and redemption. 

            God's law of creation which makes this world intelligible, which gave rise to the modern scientific method have come under attack and are set to destroy reality as we know it! Up is up and down is down and just the same male is male and female is female!

Article 8 

WE AFFIRM that people who experience sexual attraction for the same sex may live a rich and fruitful life pleasing to God through faith in Jesus Christ, as they, like all Christians, walk in purity of life. 

WE DENY that sexual attraction for the same sex is part of the natural goodness of God’s original creation, or that it puts a person outside the hope of the gospel. 

            We are ALL born with the inclination to sin. Not just the inclination but the guarantee that we all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God! We have ALL sinned in Adam! This truth is evident in our corrupt nature from birth, lying, manipulating, all for our own selfish gain from day one! We are dead in our trespasses and sins and are all gone astray, none of us seek truth and this culminates in such a rebellious nature that we dare to cry against God and live our lives in complete contradiction to God's design! Same sex attraction is evidence of man's shattered image in sin and can only be overcome through Christ and His blood!

Article 9 

WE AFFIRM that sin distorts sexual desires by directing them away from the marriage covenant and toward sexual immorality— a distortion that includes both heterosexual and homosexual immorality. 

WE DENY that an enduring pattern of desire for sexual immorality justifies sexually immoral behavior. 

            Let us refer back to our statement on article 8 and simply add this, just because I want to doesn't meant I'm meant to!

Article 10 

WE AFFIRM that it is sinful to approve of homosexual immorality or transgenderism and that such approval constitutes an essential departure from Christian faithfulness and witness. 

WE DENY that the approval of homosexual immorality or transgenderism is a matter of moral indifference about which otherwise faithful Christians should agree to disagree. 

            This is ABSOLUTELY a hill to die on! We MUST stand and swing the Sword of the Lord which is His divine Word! God's truth doesn't change and to affirm let us hear from the words of our Lord Jesus Christ from the Gospel of Matthew "And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?"

Article 11 

WE AFFIRM our duty to speak the truth in love at all times, including when we speak to or about one another as male or female. 

WE DENY any obligation to speak in such ways that dishonor God’s design of his image bearers as male and female. 

            We must never give in to the insanity of this society. We must never let this culture push us out of reality and deny our right to speak truth. One who believes themselves to be of another sex as what they were biologically assigned may call themselves whatever they please as their reality is already distorted but that in no way makes it my responsibility or requirement to join in with their delusion and refer to them with the pronoun that I know they are not for that would make me a liar which God is not pleased with!

Article 12 

WE AFFIRM that the grace of God in Christ gives both merciful pardon and transforming power, and that this pardon and power enable a follower of Jesus to put to death sinful desires and to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. 

WE DENY that the grace of God in Christ is insufficient to forgive all sexual sins and to give power for holiness to every believer who feels drawn into sexual sin. 

            There is NOTHING greater than the Grace of Jesus! From our perspective, no one is beyond salvation and we should treat every person with that dignity and with the assumption that they too will  hopefully surrender to Christ and become a child of God! 

Article 13 

WE AFFIRM that the grace of God in Christ enables sinners to forsake transgender self-conceptions and by divine forbearance to accept the God-ordained link between one’s biological sex and one’s self-conception as male or female. 

WE DENY that the grace of God in Christ sanctions self-conceptions that are at odds with God’s revealed will. 

            Once again, there is NOTHING greater than Grace. We are saved FROM our sins! God's saving grace is not only capable and sufficient but perfect in it's action, God's grace delivers! With that said, we are God's means as messengers and ambassadors of the Gospel and as such it is our duty to disciple, teach, lead, hold accountable, and graciously forgive those whom God is sanctifying as presented in spiritual fruit in their lives.

Article 14 

WE AFFIRM that Christ Jesus has come into the world to save sinners and that through Christ’s death and resurrection forgiveness of sins and eternal life are available to every person who repents of sin and trusts in Christ alone as Savior, Lord, and supreme treasure. 

WE DENY that the Lord’s arm is too short to save or that any sinner is beyond his reach.

            I believe this is the perfect summary of the church! Though we MUST proclaim hard truths in the face of resistance, God's grace is still saving the lost and using fallen men to preach the Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit who has, on the other end, prepared the heart of the unbeliever to receive the good news of the Gospel and be saved and transformed by the renewing of their mind by the Word of God! WOW! What a reassuring truth in the midst of all the division and calamities we presently face as a nation and as The Church! May we hold fast to the truth we possess, never wavering and present this pure truth in love to all we cross paths with! Go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost! God Speed!

Please click this link to The Nashville Statement