Overcoming Compulsive Sins

The American gospel lures us into presumption and self gratification. “I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” It's a “Christian” masquerade concealing the deceit and wickedness common to all hearts. But God would not have it so. He “desires truth in the inward parts” and defines us, not just by our actions, but by our innermost thoughts. (Prov 23:7) Holiness is not merely a theological position, it is the transformation of our entire character into Christ's image. Therefore, we are commanded to “Cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Cor 7:1)

You can fool others and even yourself, but inexorably your secret sins will be exposed. “Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.” (1 Tim 5:24) What we entertain in our hearts will inevitably betray our religious persona. The Lord “will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.”

THE FEAR FACTOR
“The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,” is the unholy trinity that breeds all compulsive sins, and the American gospel accommodates it. Sin poisons the soul, quenches love, hinders prayer, and ultimately destroys. To presume that “grace” will endlessly tolerate and nullify your conscious sins is arrogance. Compulsive sins jeopardize your salvation. (Jn 15:6; 1Cor 9:27) “When lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.” That's a warning to believers!

God is not mocked. What we sow we shall reap, and heedless sowing of sin can send a Christian to hell. Jesus’ basic new covenant teachings provide very specific warnings about persistent sinning. They are remarkably clear and disturbing. Jesus warned that if you don’t deal with your anger, you are “in danger of hell fire.” John also warned: “If you hate your brother, you are a murderer,” and will go to hell.(1 Jn 3:15) Refusal to forgive excludes a Christian from heaven. Failure to deal harshly with pornographic thoughts places you at risk of being “cast in to hell,” a warning you’re unlikely to hear at the next men’s breakfast. (Mt 5:29) Selfish love, offending a child, denying the Lord, and a cold heart, are all mentioned by Jesus as paths to hell for unrepentant believers.

Repentance is to turn away from sin. All Christian doctrine is built on a “foundation of repentance.” (Heb 6:1) There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, not merely believes.(Lk 15:7,10) Jesus began his ministry with a universal call to repentance. “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” He did not mention believing, loving or receiving blessings. The great commission of the church is to preach “Repentance and remission of sins...” (Lk 24:47) Without this foundation of repentance, Christ's victory will elude you.

“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men...” Persuade men to do what? Repent. Satan's most effective scheme is to ridicule the terror of God, and to minimize the consequences of sin. But without the fear of God you will never get free from besetting sins, because “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death,” by repentance. (Prov 14:27)

THE MANDATE
Every serious Christian struggles with sin, and divine wisdom allows it. Solomon concluded that “This sore travail has God given to the sons of man to be exercised (humbled) therewith.” (Ecc 1:13) There is a profound eternal purpose in overcoming sin in our life. The very first mention of sin is that it “is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” This is a divine mandate for all humans. Notice the responsibility is on us. God has done his part. He provided salvation before creation. (Rev 13:8) Our obligation is to enter into it. Jesus said the way is narrow, the opposition is great, and “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Mt 11:12; Lk 16:16) That speaks to the innate power of the human will. But our resolve and perseverance have been sedated by a passive, undisciplined and materialistic culture, yearning for the quick fix. However, neither laying on of hands, casting out a demon nor visitation will deliver you from your personal responsibility.

It is true that God's grace is required to overcome compulsive sins, and we are not made perfect by the flesh (Gal 3:3) It is also true that believing is the key to appropriating this amazing grace. Nevertheless, the role of human will power is also vital, and it is sadly misunderstood. Grace and free will are not mutually exclusive, they are mutually dependent. False doctrines offer the illusion of self-sufficiency which merely patronizes grace, or super spirituality which results in passivity and fatalism.

FREE WILL
God gave us free will and he expects us to use it to the utmost! Nevertheless, if I focus on conquering sin by sheer will power alone, I will run into a wall. I discover that I am a prisoner “to the law of sin which is in my flesh.” (Rom 7:23) It is a law, and it subjugates my good intentions. Once I realize my wretched inadequacy, I look to Jesus to solve my problem. But when he doesn't deliver the way I anticipate, I become confused and discouraged.

There is confusion over the function of free will versus faith. Moral free will is so self-evident in scripture that only gross spiritual blindness could fail to recognize it. The New Testament consistently commands us to simply exercise free will against sin, using terms like “stop,” “put away,” “set aside” and “put off.” When we are told to “throw off . . the sin that so easily entangles us,” it's reinforced by this stunning analogy: “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (Heb 12:1,4) I find that incredible and daunting! And the passage ends with this austere charge: “Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.” This strict and extreme emphasis on free will is alien to our culture, but it is imperative for overcoming sin.

Paul reduces this “free will issue” to one sentence: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Phil 2:12-13) It is clear. We are each personally responsible for our eternal destiny. Why else would “fear and trembling” be mentioned? You cannot rely on predestination or the belief that you are exceptional. You can only yield to God working in you, and his target is your motivation “to will and to do.” God will not usurp or replace your free will, but he is working to liberate it for its created purpose, which is to LOVE!

GOD'S PART
But just how does God work in us “to will and to do?” He allows discomfort, hardship and failure to bring us to the end of our self sufficiency. This is an unpopular concept but it is foundational. “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives. . .God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. It produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Heb 12) The Greek definition for “chasten” is to “afflict with evil and calamities.” God's chastening and scourging leaves my will intact, but it is no longer selfish and prideful. A broken and contrite heart can choose love over sin because it has been enlightened through suffering, like the prodigal son who “came to his senses” because of the stench of his sins. Sin deceives us and only suffering can bring us into our right mind. “He who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” (1 Pet 4:1)

Even Jesus, “learned obedience by the things which He suffered,” (Heb 5:8) and it produced the surprising admission that “I can of Myself do nothing.” His will was not destroyed but transformed and focused with such intensity that He sweat blood while resisting sin.

Chastisement is not to punish us but to humble us. The only way to conquer ruthless unyielding sin is by a process of humiliation. That's how God delivered Israel from the lust of the world. Apparently there was no easier way. “He humbled you, allowed you to hunger . . . that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. . . To humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. (Deut 8)

Like Israel, it's natural to resist God's discipline and complain, but it is also ignorance. If we could discern God in our humiliation we would embrace Him, giving thanks in and for all things. That may sound idealistic and pious but it is Biblical and required for freedom. Jesus said, “My power is made perfect in weakness." Paul responded, “That is why I delight in weaknesses . . . For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:9-10) The illusion of self sufficiency is shattered by our humiliating failures, and in utter desperation, we yield to God.

If you are a serious Christian, do you really believe “that all things work together for good” in your life . . or not? “Well, No I hate my life and I'm a failure.” My heart condemns me, I live in despair, and my failures scream, 'You cannot repent, you love your sin and you're addicted!” No, the truth is that you are deceived by pride which keeps you from the power of grace. "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5)

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Cor 10:13) This verse reveals that your bondage is not unique or incurable, but it is common. No one has a valid excuse for conscious sin. God always provides a way out. To complain that you cannot get free from addictive behavior is a lie that keeps you in bondage!

Notice, God does not remove the temptation, he provides a way to endure it. Temptation is not sin, only when we mentally embrace the temptation is sin conceived. (Jas 1:15) The way out is God's presence! If we have been trained by chastisement to truly hate the sin, we will choose to turn to the Lord the moment temptation presents itself.

FAITH and LOVE
“Let us lay aside . . . the sin which so easily ensnares us . . . looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” (Heb 12) Jesus opened the prison door but most inmates remain passively in their cell of unbelief and misery, unaware that they are free to simply walk out. Jesus is that door, and “looking unto Jesus” immediately transports us to freedom! Remember, you cannot conquer sin in the flesh, it is a law, but you always have the ability to turn to God by faith. Simply by a quick inward change of focus we discover that He is there waiting, and when we choose to “look,” immediately grace is imparted to endure the temptation.

The fear of God drives us into God's merciful arms, but only supernatural love can vanquish sin, because love, and only love, transcends sin. All sin is self-centered or anti-love, therefore, all God's commandments are epitomized by love. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” If we keep falling into sin, hurting others and grieving God, it is because love is still in its infancy. Thankfully, Jesus is author and finisher, not only of our faith, but also our love.

MERCY and GRACE
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:16) Notice, mercy precedes grace. Christians have the astounding privilege of boldly approaching God “in time of need.” And when do we need Him most? When we sin, and guilt, condemnation and despair haunt us, and we are desperate for MERCY! Paul, after struggling with celibacy, said that he “had obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful,” (1 Cor 7:25) Not power, not faith, not even love, but mercy was obtained. God's long suffering mercy is the goodness that leads us to repentance. Begging for mercy is humbling, but it reveals God's love and releases grace to overpower sin.

When Paul was under God's humbling, he was told “My grace is sufficient for you.” (2 Cor 12) Grace doesn't overwhelm us, it's merely sufficient. It is often barely perceptible and it is easily extinguished, because our corrupt bodies deaden our spiritual senses. Nevertheless, grace is evident and discernible to your inner man, and “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Sin may stalk and entice you, but the truth is “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace.”

WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
This entire subject of overcoming compulsive sin can be reduced to walking in the Spirit. “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16) The lust of the flesh is not annihilated, but it is repressed by grace. Walking in the spirit is a deliberate choice to defer to the Holy Spirit in us, and deny our flesh. That is the only way God is glorified through us. To deny self and take up your cross daily, is the essence of the Christian life. Every time you deny yourself for Jesus' sake, power is released. And self denial begins with your thoughts. Aligning your thoughts with God's exclusive thoughts for you, is believing. But it is more than a mental exercise. Jesus won the victory in the Garden when he struggled to align his whole heart with the Father, accepting His will.

Believing requires casting the care of all your emotional and physical welfare upon God in trust. This deep literal TRUST in God's Word is what overcomes the world. “Anything which comes from God is able to overcome the world: and the power by which we have overcome the world is our faith.” (trust) Remember, Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before him, an anticipation birthed from his love for humanity. Sin cannot endure love!

Jesus' temptation in the garden of Gethsemane was that same ancient universal mandate: “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Sin was enticing Jesus to avoid the cross, and thankfully he choose the cross over sin, and so must we. We have been given a reprieve and second chance through a miraculous re-birth. We can now face sin the same way Jesus did.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (Jas 1:12)

Copyright 2009 by Hayden Humphrey