Overcoming Sin: Understanding the Battle of Our Lives
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” –Rom. 1:18
Over the past couple months of posts, I have been looking at two key areas believers need to be rooted in.
First, we spent several posts on our foundational identity as saints. Second, the last few posts are about the universal reality of suffering for all of us here on earth, with or without Christ.
In the following posts, we are going to look at the fundamental nature of humanity—that of sinner. I saved this for last, not only because it is the most awkward to talk about but because it needed to be put in context of the other two.
Our culture find all this talk of being a sinner offensive, and on top of that, they simply don’t think it’s true. Ironically, it is because of our sin that we are unable to accept this reality about ourselves.
The Bible makes it clear that we all are born with sin in our DNA, from the moment of conception, before we have even committed any sinful act (Ps. 51:5). This affects everything about us. From Mother Teresa to Ted Bundy, we are all alike in our original status before God.
The reality of sin is why we are born in pain and tears. It is why all our joys are tempered with sadness. It is why work is so hard. It is why no one lives forever.
And most importantly, it is why we are completely blind to the reality of sin itself.
The Noetic Effects of Sin
What does the word “noetic” mean? Well, the dictionary defines this as “relating to mental activity or the intellect,” so when we talk about the noetic effects of sin, we are talking about how sin has affected our minds and thoughts. It considers how sin has changed how we think, perceive, understand, and interpret life.
Contrary to what we tend to believe, sin is more than just the wrong behaviors we do or even the failure to do what is right. Sin does not merely result in missing the mark in our outward actions. It goes back even further than that: We miss the mark in how we think about life—and even about how we think about our thinking! (I know—this is getting a bit meta!)
Before we deal with the sin in ourselves and others, we need to acknowledge the fact that apart from Christ, my thinking—about God, about myself, about others, about the world—is all “off.” This is a truth that is not natural nor nice!
But Genesis 3 explains why: We have replaced God as the god in our lives. We think we are gods ourselves, knowing good from evil (Gen. 3:5). And as a result, we all will naturally fend for and worship number one: ME.
This is exactly what Satan intended for Adam and Eve—and for us. He tempted us to trust ourselves instead of God, but what he was really doing was creating an alternate version of reality in which he rules. And when we are born, instead of possessing a mind to know, love, and glorify our true Creator, we are born into the kingdom of darkness, with minds dead, darkened, and prone to disobedience.
The Amazing Rescue of God
The Bible makes it clear in Romans 1-3 that we all are guilty of this. And because we all are guilty of sin (Rom. 3:23), we all deserve judgment, ultimately through death—an eternal separation from God in hell (Rom. 6:23). Though we suffer here, it is just a hint of what would befall those who reject him here on earth.
Therefore, it is quite amazing, if we think about it, that God would save us at all. We are getting our just due. As the holy Creator of all, He is quite at liberty to do whatever He pleases. And yet, He is also the God of perfect love, and out of love for His fallen creation, He sends His own beloved Son to save us.
As the second person in the Godhead, Jesus, the Son of God, leaves heaven to take on our frail human flesh. In every way He becomes like us, yet is without sin (Heb. 4:15). This unique nature of being both fully God and fully man is what allows Him to take the punishment due us. He dies on the cross so we do not have to.
But because He is also holy God, He is able to perfectly atone for our sin like no animal ever can (Heb. 10:4). His death, once for all, covers all past, present, and future sin completely (Heb. 9:11-14).
We cannot comprehend this with the minds we are born with. It is impossible. But if we understand this at all, it is because God, through the Holy Spirit, has shed light into our darkened minds to make sense of it. It is only by the amazing grace of God that we “get” this at all!
Our Continual Sanctification
When the Holy Spirit enlightens our thinking and we grasp this understanding of the truth of who we are, the reality of our dire situation before God, and the solution God provides, we are left with a choice. Though God knows what we will choose, it does not make it any less of a real choice for us.
Those who accept the gift of grace God offers us through Christ alone understand that there is no other way to restored relationship with God, no other protection from the pain of hell. And when we embrace that, we are then welcomed into the family of God and become saints.
Sin does not disappear from our lives until we leave this world or it comes to an end. Through either death or when Jesus returns, we will continue to struggle with the sin that continues to seek mastery over our lives (Rom. 7:15-20) or the sin that surrounds us in our culture or comes from others.
However, as children of God, our minds are in the process of being renewed by our union with Christ (Rom. 12:2). At the very fundamental nature of who we are, we are completely changed (2 Cor. 5:17). This is what gives us both power and hope in our battle (and that is an apt description!) against sin. We no longer must obey the flesh (Rom. 6:12-14). And this battle will end in victory, for sin no longer has dominion over God’s children (Rom. 6:14).
Conclusion
It is important for us to get a clear grasp of this aspect of being a human being. We all—from heathen to faithful believer of decades, will grapple with sin as long as we are here on earth. It will always strive to have mastery over us. But if we have entered into a relationship with God through faith in Christ, we are changed from the inside out, gifted with a renewed mind, a heart made alive—completely new creations.
True, we will struggle here on earth with temptation, delusion, idolatry, disordered desires, sinful habits, or even stubborn or life-dominating sins. But we can have confidence that not only has Christ’s blood shed on the cross covered all of these, they are the means through which He will use to sanctify and perfect us.
When we encounter or sin in our lives, we need not be shocked. Instead be grateful, for He has revealed to us what could potentially harm us. Do not be deceived or distracted by whether they are “big” or “little” sins. All sin results in death (James 1:15, 16).
When we contritely admit our sin, regardless of what it is, instead of excusing, minimizing, or blaming others, we take the first steps into life. When we humble ourselves in repentance before God, we can have confidence that He will forgive us through the finished work of Christ (1 John 1:9).
Whether they are sins of commission (wrong acts) or sins of omission (good that we fail to do), leaving sin to fester in our hearts has dangerous consequences. Aside from physical and relational reasons, sin hampers our relationship with God. And if He is our life, continuing to live in sin will cut us off from that experience of life in the here and now. Trading the temporary pleasures of sin for the eternal joys of God is not a wise exchange.
But the Christian life is not only about recognizing and confessing sin. It is about turning around and living a holy life of faith that brings glory to God. Our renewed spirits will want to fight against sin, not live in it any longer.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to do what seems impossible—mortifying the flesh, forgiving and loving my enemies, persevering in faithfulness in the midst of suffering. When we are saints, we have the mind of Christ to help us think rightly and to live godly lives of holiness even when our bodies really want to do otherwise.
Not surprisingly, the Bible has a lot to say about how we do this in community. The battle against sin cannot be fought on our own. We need to speak frankly of sin with one another. As we do, we sharpen each other and help one another grow in Christ.
In the weeks to come, we will take a closer look to see how this transformation happens—where those who once were blind not see, where those who were once dead now live.
