Spiritual Growth - Dealing with Sin

This is part one of a three part series as a follow up from the message “Obedience to the Word Results in Growth” that I taught at The Embassy on October 13.

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

1 Peter 2:1-3

Spiritual Growth – Dealing with Sin

I hope that as a follower of Jesus you have a sincere desire to be free from sin.  The good news is that you one day will be.  The bad news is that that day has not yet come.  While we have already been set free from the penalty of sin through faith in Jesus, between now and the day we go home to be with the Lord we will continue to battle sin in our lives.  We are in a lifelong process of being set free from the power of sin in our lives and becoming more like Jesus, called sanctification.  This process is not always easy or fast.  Below are some practical guidelines for dealing with sin.

Read the Word/Listen to the Word preached to discover areas in your life where you are in sin.  As you read the Bible and as you listen to preaching you should become aware of areas in your life where you are not meeting God’s standards.  In 1 Peter 2:1 Peter tells us to put aside “all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.”  We’re all guilty of these things of times in our life, often without intending to be.  Thoughts pop into our heads, words come out of our mouths, and we do things that instantly cause us to wonder where they came from.  It sounds so easy when Peter says to put them aside, actually doing so is much harder.

Confess to God that you have sinned when you realize you have sinned.

When you realize that you have sinned, immediately confess to God that you sinned.  Don’t justify it, excuse it, or pretend that it’s not sin.  This is not always easy, but if you desire to grow in Godliness it is a necessity.  I’ll admit I still struggle to do this.  Sometimes it’s easier to hold on to our sinful thoughts and attitudes than confess we’re in sin. 

Acknowledge that you can’t fix yourself. 

Our sinful thoughts, and the sinful actions that result from not dealing with the thoughts before they become actions, are an indicator of something that is broken within us.  Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8) and that includes sanctification.  We didn’t earn our salvation through being good enough or working hard enough and we won’t grow spiritually by being good enough or working hard enough.  If we could, then Christ died needlessly (Galatians 2:20-21).

Ask God to change you.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  Not only is God faithful to forgive us of our sins, He is faithful to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Pray that God will fix what is broken within you, that He will conform you to the likeness of Christ.

When you do sin, don’t get discouraged or beat yourself up.

All of your sins were future sins when Jesus died on the cross.  Romans 8:37-39 makes it clear that if you belong to God through Jesus, nothing, and that includes your sin, can separate you from God’s love.  There should be an appropriate remorse for your sin but dwelling on what cannot be changed will not get you anywhere.  Confess that you’ve sinned, ask God to restore you, acknowledge that you can’t fix yourself, ask God to change you, and keep going.  Psalm 51 is a great chapter to become familiar with.

When you do sin, examine your heart to discover where you’re not allowing God to satisfy your desires.

Romans 8:28 tells us that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.  Do you realize that “all things” includes your sin?  The very thing that God hates He can cause to work together for your good.  God is a good God who is always working for your good.  He knows that what is best us for you is Himself.  Most sin results from trying to satisfy your needs and desires with something other than God.  When you sin ask God to reveal what deep needs and desires you’re not allowing Him to fill, what areas of your life you’re not trusting Him in.  This is how God can use your sin for your good.  This does not however, encourage us to sin (Romans 6:1).      

What are your thoughts?  How do you approach the sin struggles in your life?