“SINNERS GONNA SIN… “
We’ve all heard it…
Most Christians have said it…
Maybe even you… things like:
“I’m just a sinner, saved by grace…”
“I gave my life to the Lord years ago, but I just keep wrestling with that old sin-nature inside me, and most of the time it gets the best of me.”
“Yeah, I admit it. I’ve just got a hot-temper, and when I get riled up it boils over. I just have to let it fly. It just runs in my family.The Lord understands, and I know He’ll forgive me.”
“No matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to beat this sin. I hate to say it, but it looks like I’ll never change.”
Or, a million different variations of the examples above, expressing our fumbles, frustrations, and failures as we endeavor to overcome sin. We struggle with lust, worry, addictions, depression, jealousy, anger, fear, and the list goes on, and on, and on.
We sin. God forgives. We sin again. God forgives again. One thing we all thoroughly understand is forgiveness! Thank God for His mercy! Thank God for His grace! Thank God for His inexhaustible willingness to forgive!
But God wants to take us further than forgiveness. He wants us to experience the freedom from sin that is available to us through our union with Christ.
“Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.”
(Romans 6:14, The Message)
THE ROOT PRODUCES THE FRUIT
The root of the problem comes from our misconceptions and misunderstandings about sin and its source.
There is a big difference between having a sin-nature and committing a sin.
The sin-nature is the root. Sin is the fruit.
Let me explain. Adam and his wife, Eve, were created in the image and likeness of God. They had the righteous, holy nature of their Father. They were united with Him in a perfect spirit-to-Spirit connection, that is, until they chose to disobey.
CUT OFF FROM THE TREE OF LIFE
Their act of willful disobedience changed everything:
● Their spirit-to-Spirit connection to God was severed, and they died spiritually, cut off from their life source.
● Their “spiritual DNA” was changed from the Father-God’s nature of righteousness and holiness, to satan’s evil nature of sin and corruption. Spiritual death, the terminal state of sin, quickly spread like wildfire from Adam and his wife, to their offspring, and then to the entire human race.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned…” (Romans 5:12, NKJV)
● Their relationship with God was broken. They became slaves of sin, and satan became their new master.
“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.” (Romans 6:16, NLT)
Mankind’s sin-nature was like a spiritual cancer that had metastasized, consuming every person born into this world.
IT GOT SO BAD GOD ALMOST GAVE UP!
The Bible tells us: “God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke His heart. God said, ‘I’ll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I’m sorry I made them.’ ”
(Genesis 6:5-7, MSG)
Seeing the depravity of man’s sin-nature “broke God’s heart”. But mercifully, He decided that instead of completely casting away the canvass of His creation, He would redesign, repaint, recolor, and reanimate His masterpiece, all with the life-giving blood of His only Son!
Man’s sin-nature, inherited from Adam, was the root of the problem. Sin was just the by-product of the spiritual death nature within man.
The New Testament confirms this truth. For example, the Greek word for “sin” (hamartia) occurs 49 times in the book of Romans. And in 47 of those 49 times, the word refers to mankind’s sin-nature. Only twice is the word used to describe the actual action of committing a sin.
Thank God, He prepared a perfect salvation for us! Our salvation deals with the root of sin, not just with its fruit.
The source of sin, man’s sin-nature, had to be excised, surgically removed, so that God’s nature could be implanted in us. We had to have a spiritual heart transplant… Abba-Father’s heart in us, and our heart connected to His life and His nature for all eternity!.
Let’s use our imaginations to help us understand the miraculous transformation that took place when we were born-again. We’ll call our little parable:
NO MORE ROCK… SO NO MORE ROLL!
“I used to be a rock. All my friends were rocks. Being a rock was supposed to be fun and exciting… you know… ‘living on the ledge.’ But it wasn’t.
One day, something miraculous happened. A “living wind” blew across the mountainside where I lay and I was changed from a rock into a man. You could say that I was born again!
If I wanted to, I could still do the things that I used to do when I was a rock. A rock sits on a hillside. I could sit on a hillside. But I’m not a rock now, so I don’t enjoy sitting on a hillside anymore. A rock rolls down the hillside. I could roll down a hillside. But I’m not a rock now, so I won’t!
The rock-life I had before wasn’t my best life. In fact, It wasn’t a life at all!
Now, I can do so many things that a rock can’t do, because my nature has changed. I can breathe. I can think. I can speak. I can eat. I can run. I can swim. I can cry. I can laugh. I can love. I can worship. I’m alive!
I can still do “rocky” things. But I’ve learned that doing “rocky” things causes much hurt and destruction. Barreling down the hillside breaks the young trees, smashes into cars or people’s homes, sometimes hurting or killing those who live there.
If I wander off the path, I may get too close to the edge, and go rolling down the hill… but that doesn’t mean I’ve become a rock again. It just means that I am sometimes careless and need to be vigilant about staying right on the path.
When I was a rock, I didn’t care about the consequences of doing “rocky” things. Now I do, because… well, because my stony heart was removed, and now I have a new heart, a heart of flesh, a heart that is the home of my Father-Creator.
My new heart wants to bless others, not hurt them. My new heart wants to please my Father! Now I’m living my best life! No more rocking! No more rolling! I’m loving it!“
Hey… wait a minute! I just realized that this little parable isn’t a children’s bedtime story. It’s my story! And it’s your story, if you’ve been born again! It’s what Abba-Father did in us and for us! Thank you, Lord!
²⁶ “I will graciously give you a new, tender heart and put a new, willing spirit inside you.
I will remove your hard heart of stone and give you an obedient, responsive heart instead. ²⁷ I will put my Holy Spirit in you to empower you… “
(Ezekiel 36:26-27, Passion Translation)
Let’s pray:
Father, I thank you for the revelation of this truth. And I thank you, Lord Jesus, for giving yourself to be my Substitute and my Savior. Holy Spirit, you removed my sin-hardened dead heart, and you gave me a new heart, a heart that is alive and sensitive to God. I’ve received a heart transplant!
Thank you, for giving me a new nature, a new life, and a new eternal destiny. Thank you for the strength to resist and overcome temptation. Thank you for your victory over sin and death. And most of all, thank you for your unfailing, unconditional, and unchanging love.
In Jesus’ name, Amen!
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My wife, Grace, and I are very proud to be in partnership with Student Life Organization, Inc. We believe in the great work they are doing in Cebu City, and throughout the central part of the Philippines.
SLOI provides educational opportunities to
many physically disabled and financially disadvantaged children, helping them reach their God-given potential.
Your generous giving will help Founders Anne Ruiz, Ian Rustia, and their team, as they faithfully declare and demonstrate God’s love to these children and their families.
“I mention this not because I’m requesting a gift, but so that the fruit of your generosity may bring you an abundant reward.”
(Philippians 4:17, TPT)
Would you please give today? If so, please use this link: paypal.me/anaferuiz
Thank you! We pray that you will experience God’s richest blessings as you give freely and cheerfully in Jesus’ name!
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