“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?[1]” These are the anguished cries of the Apostle Paul as he wrote about the conflict between his carnal and spiritual realities. In the verses prior to that declaration in Romans 7:24, Paul wrote about the struggles between following the law of God and falling into sin, between being delivered from the bondage of sin and death through the sacrifice of Jesus and falling back into our sinful proclivities. Such is the emotional, psychological, physical, mental, and spiritual roller coaster of the Christian life.
I’m not perfect; I’ve never claimed to be. Even if I did claim perfection, the Bible would expose me as a liar on that front (Ps 14:1-3, Rom 3:10). I fail constantly. The war between my earthly desires and my spiritual longing to be holy and glorifying to God is a battle that escalated when I was born again. It is also a war that will be fought every moment of every day until the Lord calls me home to heaven.
Why is this a point of stress for so many Christians? Why does it feel excessively grievous to sin after being saved? Why do so many Christians beat themselves up about struggling with sin? I do not have all the answers, and as I work through these questions, my responses may be insufficient, lacking, or viewed as completely wrong. Even still, these are some of the questions and issues I struggle with and think on frequently and perhaps can shed some light and encouragement for one of you who are in a similar situation, pondering the same questions, and feel stuck trying to find a suitable answer.
“Why is this a point of stress for so many Christians?” Perhaps it stems from Scripture. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes this statement, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.[2]” After going through the “Beatitudes” and expounding upon some of the Ten Commandments, taking the concepts of lust and murder beyond just the physical to the mental and declaring the very thoughts to be sin and violation of God’s law, Jesus then focuses on our treatment of others. Setting up the capstone “be perfect” command, He contrasts how we behave towards friend and foe alike, questioning what we gain by doing good for friends and family and acting negatively towards enemies. It seems unreasonable to make such a demand upon His followers. How can anyone be perfect except for Jesus?
Mull this thought over, if you will. What if Jesus is not just making an expectation He knows is impossible for us to keep? What if He is illustrating how God’s treatment towards those who follow Him and those in open rebellion to Him? Romans 5:8 states, ”But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.[3]” Whether a follower of God or an unrepentant sinner, Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, was crucified, died, and resurrected for each and every one of us. He didn’t come and go through this just for a handful of people who love and follow God, He suffered the cross for the worst of us. God, though the incarnation of Jesus, showed no favoritism because we are all sinners, we all fall short, and we all rebelled against God. God has expressed the ultimate act of love for those who favor Him AND for those who oppose Him.
Coming to terms with the fact that even when one is redeemed by Christ and has his / her sins covered by the blood He shed on the cross, and that sin is a reality that ALL people (Christian and non-Christian) will struggle with their entire lives, does not give license to intentionally sin. Salvation is not a “get-out-of-hell-free” card which enables us to live life however we desire. When a person is truly saved, the Holy Ghost indwells that person, bonding to his / her spirit, and beginning a life-long work to sanctify the person, conforming them more and more to the image and likeness of God; this is the process of maturing spiritually. Things we wanted to do, things we watched on TV or movies, music we listened to, books we read; things we once enjoyed but now know is sin, the Holy Ghost raises alarm when we are tempted, and brings conviction to the Christian when we (Christians) have done wrong.
This leads into the next question, “why does it feel excessively grievous to sin after being saved?” The answer is simple: the Holy Ghost brings conviction to the Christian who has knowingly fallen into sin, also called iniquity. Iniquity carries with it the notion of knowing what is right and choosing to do the opposite. It is a willful act of defiance against what one knows God does not condone, approve of, or endorse. When a person gets saved (becomes born again / Christian), we still live in a fallen world, in a sin corrupted body, and since we’ve chosen to follow Jesus we need to heed His words, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.[4]” The Christian life is one of submission and surrender to our Savior and King.
Lastly, there are many of us who get frustrated when we sin. We know we are forgiven in Christ, restored to God through Jesus’ sacrifice, and we are to be different from the rest of the world, who are still dead in their sins and trespasses. Part of the frustration comes from feeling a lack of victory. Jesus has freed us from the bondage of sin, yet at times we don’t feel that freedom. Part of the frustration comes from feeling that we have let God down or disappointed Him, much like when we’ve done similar to a parent and face discipline for doing so. Part of the frustration comes from the fact that we are in a spiritual battle, where satan and his followers attack Christians relentlessly, trying to make us doubt our salvation, making accusations against us, trying to keep us from fellowship with God and other believers. The enemy has many resources to use BUT the bottom line we must remember is this: he has been defeated! The war was won by Jesus when He took the cross for us, when He suffered the wrath of God for all sin, when He resurrected from the dead on the third day! The devil is fighting a lost war, but he is fighting it hard.
So, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we need to fight hard, too. We need to remember we have an advocate to God the Father through Jesus the Son. We have the Holy Ghost living inside us, sanctifying us till the day we are called to heaven. We have a most powerful (and underused) tool which gives us access to the very throne room of God—prayer! Time after time we see record of Jesus in prayer with His Father. Jesus is our model. We also see numerous accounts of the Apostles praying and the mighty hand of God responding. God does not always answer prayers the way we want or in the time we want. However, we have this promise from Jesus, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.[5]” The catch to that promise is “that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” If we pray for something which glorifies and honors God, something that is within His will, plans, and purposes, Jesus will bring that before the Father for us. If we pray for something selfishly or that is not glorifying to God, we should have no expectation He will grant our request. James wrote wonderfully in explaining our situation, “Ye lust, and have not: ye bkill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.[6]” James began Chapter 4 of his epistle asking why people make war, then answers with the issues of lust and desire. These factors also apply to prayer. When we pray with a wrong heart, desire, lust for something which we will use for ourselves and not for God’s glory and honor, do not expect to receive what you are asking for from God.
I stated above that the Christian life was like a roller coaster. There are highs and lows; there are fast, exhilarating points, and slow, build up points. Know this, that God is with you through it all. Even when we fall into sin, even when we get frustrated and stressed out. God is there, waiting with open arms to forgive, and also prepping to discipline us as needed. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way in Chapter 12, “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.[7]” Just as we expect discipline from a parent or authority for disobedience, the Christian should expect no less from God. Bear in mind that God’s discipline is motivated by pure love and justice, desiring to have us grow and mature spiritually.
We need not be stressed trying to live a perfect life, only Jesus could do that! We should live a life of joy and victory knowing that Jesus did what we could not and by believing in Him, we receive His righteousness and the Holy Ghost which empowers us to live, act, and think in ways we could not do otherwise. Live in the victory of your salvation through Jesus! Yes, we will still mess up at times. Remember, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [8]” Live in Victory!
~In Christ!
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ro 7:24). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mt 5:48). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ro 5:8). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mt 16:24). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 14:13–14). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[6] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jas 4:2–3). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[7] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Heb 12:5–10). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[8] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Jn 1:9). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
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