continued from (5b) Now That I Believe...
"
How do I deal with sin now that I believe?
1. Not with the Law (the Ten Commandments).
It is natural to think that while we Are Saved By GRACE Through faith
Without the Law (Romans_3:28) that we then need the Ten Command-
ments to help us to be good. However, this is not the purpose of the Law.
“The Law is not made for a righteous man” (I Timothy 1:9), but for un-
believers (v. 9,10), to give them “the knowledge of sin” (Romans_3:20),
to Teach them that they are sinners and need A Savior.
The Law accomplishes this by making sin worse. Because of our fallen
human nature, men naturally want to do what they are told not to do.
Signs saying “Wet Paint, Do Not Touch” generally only invite transgression.
This is why Paul says that “the Strength of sin is the law” (I Corinthians 15:56).
The Law gives motion to sin (Romans_7:5) and revives it (Romans_7:9). God
didn’t give the Law to make sin better, but to make it worse:
“that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful” (Romans_7:13).
Why would God want to make sin worse? To show unbelievers their need
of The Savior: “the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ”
(Galatians_3:24).
The Lord warned the religious leaders of His day that “the publicans and the
harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew_21:31) because
the publicans and harlots knew they needed a Savior, unlike those religious
leaders who thought themselves good enough to be saved by their works.
The Law was given that “all the world may become guilty before God”
(Romans_3:19). It condemns every human being because it Demands
100% obedience 100% of the time (James_2:9,10).
Paul says, “Cursed is every one that CONTINUETH not in ALL things which are
written in the book of the law to do them” (Galatians_3:10). You weren’t able
to fully obey the Law before you Were Saved, and this is how it taught you your
need of The Savior. But now that you believe, you are still incapable of rendering
perfect obedience to the Law.
Thus if you try to eliminate sin from your life by using the Law, you will find your-
self feeling frustrated, defeated, and experiencing the kind of self-condemnation
that even the Apostle Paul felt when he tried to use the Law to deal with sin
(Romans_7:15-25).
Sin “deceived” Paul into thinking that the Law was something he could use to help
him battle sin (Romans_7:11). This is a natural mistake that many Christians make.
Since the Law “is holy, and just, and good” (Romans_7:12), it looks like something
that would be a good tool to use in dealing with sin.
However, gasoline is a liquid, and it looks like something you could use to put out
a fire. But as we know, gasoline only makes a fire worse, and as we have seen,
the Law only makes sin worse. How does the Law make sin worse?
Did you ever have someone tell you, “Try not to think about pink elephants.”
A moment beforehand, pink elephants were the furthest thing from your mind,
but now a law has placed them in the foreground of your thinking. Then if you
go through the day thinking, “I’m not going to think about pink elephants, I’m
not going to think about pink elephants,” this law keeps the forbidden thought
on the center stage of your mind, which leads to sin due to our fallen sinful nature.
The way then to deal with stealing, for example, is not to go through the day
reciting God’s law in your mind, “Thou shalt not steal.” This only keeps stealing
in the forefront of your mind, and as Paul puts it, “to be carnally minded is death”
(Romans_8:6).
Thinking about sin will only lead to sin, and “if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die”
(Romans_8:13). While it is not possible for you to lose your Salvation, sin will
have a deadening effect in your spiritual life. But if the Law is not the way to
deal with sin in our lives, what is?
2. Deal with sin With The Spirit.
The way to deal with sin is not to focus on a law that prohibits it, but to divert
your mind and thinking to The Spirit and spiritual things. To be carnally minded
is death, as we have seen, “but to be spiritually minded is life and peace,” as
the verse goes on to say (Romans_8:6).
Thinking about sin will deaden your spiritual life, but thinking about spiritual
things will enliven your spiritual life. That’s why Paul says, “if ye through The
Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans_8:13). It is The
Spirit and a focus on spiritual things that helps us deal with sin, not the Law.
This explains why after speaking of things that are “true...honest... just...pure...”
and “of good report,” Paul exhorts us to “think on these things” (Philippians_4:8).
Tightrope walkers are told, “Don’t look down,” because we tend to follow in the
direction we are looking. I’m told that it is dangerous to walk along a superhighway
because drivers will be looking at you, and we tend to steer toward where we are
looking.
Similarly, the way to steer clear of sin is not to focus on a law that condemns it,
but to focus rather on spiritual things, thereby steering your life toward them
instead. This is so important that Paul even goes so far as to challenge us to be
constantly “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”
(II Corinthians 10:5).
With this in mind, it is little wonder that Galatians_5:16 says, “Walk In The Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Notice Paul does not say that if we walk
In the Spirit we won’t have the lusts of the flesh, only that we won’t fulfill the lusts
of the flesh in the measure that we walk In The Spirit.
"
(R Kurth)
Berean Searchlight FULL Article:
Now That I Believe (Part 1)
Now That I Believe (Part 2)
Now That I Believe (Part 3)
View attachment 23894
GRACE And Peace...
====================
Index "Now That I Believe":
(1) Introduction
(2) What Did I Believe
(3) What Happened When I Believed
(4) Why Should I Serve The LORD
(5a) How Should I Serve The LORD (5b)
(6a) How Should I Deal With sin (6b)
(7) How Should I Deal With Adversity
(8) What Is my Future / Conclusion
"
How do I deal with sin now that I believe?
1. Not with the Law (the Ten Commandments).
It is natural to think that while we Are Saved By GRACE Through faith
Without the Law (Romans_3:28) that we then need the Ten Command-
ments to help us to be good. However, this is not the purpose of the Law.
“The Law is not made for a righteous man” (I Timothy 1:9), but for un-
believers (v. 9,10), to give them “the knowledge of sin” (Romans_3:20),
to Teach them that they are sinners and need A Savior.
The Law accomplishes this by making sin worse. Because of our fallen
human nature, men naturally want to do what they are told not to do.
Signs saying “Wet Paint, Do Not Touch” generally only invite transgression.
This is why Paul says that “the Strength of sin is the law” (I Corinthians 15:56).
The Law gives motion to sin (Romans_7:5) and revives it (Romans_7:9). God
didn’t give the Law to make sin better, but to make it worse:
“that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful” (Romans_7:13).
Why would God want to make sin worse? To show unbelievers their need
of The Savior: “the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ”
(Galatians_3:24).
The Lord warned the religious leaders of His day that “the publicans and the
harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew_21:31) because
the publicans and harlots knew they needed a Savior, unlike those religious
leaders who thought themselves good enough to be saved by their works.
The Law was given that “all the world may become guilty before God”
(Romans_3:19). It condemns every human being because it Demands
100% obedience 100% of the time (James_2:9,10).
Paul says, “Cursed is every one that CONTINUETH not in ALL things which are
written in the book of the law to do them” (Galatians_3:10). You weren’t able
to fully obey the Law before you Were Saved, and this is how it taught you your
need of The Savior. But now that you believe, you are still incapable of rendering
perfect obedience to the Law.
Thus if you try to eliminate sin from your life by using the Law, you will find your-
self feeling frustrated, defeated, and experiencing the kind of self-condemnation
that even the Apostle Paul felt when he tried to use the Law to deal with sin
(Romans_7:15-25).
Sin “deceived” Paul into thinking that the Law was something he could use to help
him battle sin (Romans_7:11). This is a natural mistake that many Christians make.
Since the Law “is holy, and just, and good” (Romans_7:12), it looks like something
that would be a good tool to use in dealing with sin.
However, gasoline is a liquid, and it looks like something you could use to put out
a fire. But as we know, gasoline only makes a fire worse, and as we have seen,
the Law only makes sin worse. How does the Law make sin worse?
Did you ever have someone tell you, “Try not to think about pink elephants.”
A moment beforehand, pink elephants were the furthest thing from your mind,
but now a law has placed them in the foreground of your thinking. Then if you
go through the day thinking, “I’m not going to think about pink elephants, I’m
not going to think about pink elephants,” this law keeps the forbidden thought
on the center stage of your mind, which leads to sin due to our fallen sinful nature.
The way then to deal with stealing, for example, is not to go through the day
reciting God’s law in your mind, “Thou shalt not steal.” This only keeps stealing
in the forefront of your mind, and as Paul puts it, “to be carnally minded is death”
(Romans_8:6).
Thinking about sin will only lead to sin, and “if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die”
(Romans_8:13). While it is not possible for you to lose your Salvation, sin will
have a deadening effect in your spiritual life. But if the Law is not the way to
deal with sin in our lives, what is?
2. Deal with sin With The Spirit.
The way to deal with sin is not to focus on a law that prohibits it, but to divert
your mind and thinking to The Spirit and spiritual things. To be carnally minded
is death, as we have seen, “but to be spiritually minded is life and peace,” as
the verse goes on to say (Romans_8:6).
Thinking about sin will deaden your spiritual life, but thinking about spiritual
things will enliven your spiritual life. That’s why Paul says, “if ye through The
Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans_8:13). It is The
Spirit and a focus on spiritual things that helps us deal with sin, not the Law.
This explains why after speaking of things that are “true...honest... just...pure...”
and “of good report,” Paul exhorts us to “think on these things” (Philippians_4:8).
Tightrope walkers are told, “Don’t look down,” because we tend to follow in the
direction we are looking. I’m told that it is dangerous to walk along a superhighway
because drivers will be looking at you, and we tend to steer toward where we are
looking.
Similarly, the way to steer clear of sin is not to focus on a law that condemns it,
but to focus rather on spiritual things, thereby steering your life toward them
instead. This is so important that Paul even goes so far as to challenge us to be
constantly “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”
(II Corinthians 10:5).
With this in mind, it is little wonder that Galatians_5:16 says, “Walk In The Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Notice Paul does not say that if we walk
In the Spirit we won’t have the lusts of the flesh, only that we won’t fulfill the lusts
of the flesh in the measure that we walk In The Spirit.
"
(R Kurth)
Berean Searchlight FULL Article:
Now That I Believe (Part 1)
Now That I Believe (Part 2)
Now That I Believe (Part 3)
View attachment 23894
GRACE And Peace...
====================
Index "Now That I Believe":
(1) Introduction
(2) What Did I Believe
(3) What Happened When I Believed
(4) Why Should I Serve The LORD
(5a) How Should I Serve The LORD (5b)
(6a) How Should I Deal With sin (6b)
(7) How Should I Deal With Adversity
(8) What Is my Future / Conclusion
Last edited:
