Combatting Signature Sins

Jude 1:24-25 ESV

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

I hear many people, who are among those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, talk about how they are “struggling” with sin, or with certain signature sins. But what they usually mean by “struggling” is that they are regularly giving into those sinful habits, but often while declaring that they are trying not to sin. Yet we read this in the Scriptures:

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV).

Actually, we read in Romans 6 that all of us who believe in Jesus with genuine faith have been spiritually baptized into Christ, which means that we were crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin, and then we were raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him. Our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin, but to God and to his righteousness.

So, our Lord already provided for us the way of escape from slavery (addiction) to sin via his death on that cross and his bodily resurrection. So, if truly we have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, then we have been delivered from our bondage to sin, so he has already made the way of escape for us. We just have to take the way of escape he already provided for us in addition to praying for him to show us that way out day by day.

So, we are to not let sin reign any longer in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. For if we remain in slavery to sin, it will end in death, not in life eternal with God, regardless of what our lips profess. Now I am not saying that we will never sin again (1 John 2:1-2), but the Scriptures are very clear on this subject of addictive, habitual sin, that it should no longer be a part of our lives. And if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin, and not in walks of obedience to our Lord, heaven will not be our eternal home.

But, yes, I realize that addictions can be hard to break, but they are not impossible to break in the power of God’s Spirit, if our lives are truly surrendered to Jesus Christ to do his will, and if we are relying on the power of God to resist the devil, and to flee temptation, and to draw near to God. For the grace of God is not a free license to continue in sin:

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14 ESV).

So if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin, and not in walks of obedience to our Lord, we have no excuse. For our Lord has given us, and he will continue to provide for us the way out from under temptation to sin so that we can live holy and righteous lives for the glory of God free from these “signature sins.”

But the sad reality here is that so much of what is called “church” these days is not dealing with these signature sins in the lives of the people of their congregations, but in many cases they are ignoring them, or they are placating them in their sin. And many are being told that they don’t have to repent of their sins, that they don’t have to forsake their lives of sin and follow Jesus in obedience to his ways. For they are being told a mere once in their lifetime profession of faith in Jesus Christ secures heaven for them.

So, going back to the passage in Jude, yes, the Lord is able to keep all of us from stumbling, but he doesn’t do it without our cooperation. We have to daily deny self and take up our cross and follow Jesus, dying daily to sin and to self and following him in obedience to his New Covenant commands, in his power and strength (see Luke 9:23-26). And then he will present us blameless before the presence of his glory.

For, again, if we remain in slavery (addiction) to sin, the end result will be death and hell and not life and heaven. And it won’t matter if we professed him as Lord and believed in our hearts that God raised him from the dead.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

So, the choice is ours (see Romans 1:18-32). We can choose God or our sin. The choice is simple. We can choose to obey God or to disobey God. But we need to understand the consequences if we choose to habitually disobey and to not walk (in practice, in conduct) in obedience to our Lord.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

So, if truly we are in Christ, by genuine God-given faith in Jesus Christ, we have the power of God living within us in order for us to say “No!” to sin and “Yes!” to God and to his will for our lives every day. So, please do that!

Pray, Pray, Pray  

An Original Work / September 6, 2012

Based off Various Scriptures

Pray that eyes may enlightened be,

So they may know Christ.

Pray that they may Him better know,

Strengthened by His pow’r. 

Pray that they may grasp 

How wide and long

And high and deep

Is Christ’s love.

Pray that they may be filled

To the fullness of God’s love.

Pray with thanksgiving.

Pray for an open door for me,

So I may share Christ.

Pray when the gospel is proclaimed –

Shared with clarity.

Pray words are given me so

I declare the gospel fearlessly.

I pray for you to be active

Sharing your faith, too.

Pray continually.

We oft not know for what to pray,

So we ask for help.

The Spirit intercedes for us – 

Words cannot express.

Just keep on praying for the saints

With all kinds of requests to God.

Pray they may have faith to 

Please their God in ev’ry way.

Pray with joyfulness. 

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