I Just Can't Help It

I don't like the word ashamed. As a child of God we should never be ashamed. We must feel regret, sorrow, and remorse for our mistakes but remember forgiveness is given when we ask. But the best way to describe it is to say I am ashamed to admit that I am a yeller. Through God's grace and true repentance I can say that the frequency at which I yell at my kids has become rare. Still working on that one. I know with the supernatural power that abides in me, who is the Holy Spirit, I have the ability to never yell at my kids again. It is surrendering to the flesh and feeling justified due to their behavior that this sin is still present. A quote from a well known and well respected spiritual leader on the radio today made me question just how much control we have over sin. He said we cannot go one day or even one hour without sin. I pondered this and know according to scripture this man's statement is wrong. This common teaching is damaging in mainstream Christianity. We have adopted the attitude we cannot live without sin which often leads to the mentality, we might as well just accept it. This opinion comes from taking a few of Paul's writings and not looking at them as a whole. These are verses used to support us not being able to keep from sinning. "If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me." Romans 7:16-20.

 

These verses are in the middle of a passage in Romans (chapters 6, 7, and 8) where Paul is explaining how, when we die to ourselves and follow Christ, the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to conquer all sin. When we read the text in its entirety we see that the verses above are an explanation of what happens when we live in the flesh instead of the spirit.  This is after becoming a child of God when can choose between righteousness or sin. Before that we have no choice. Righteousness is not an option because we are a slave to sin. Prior to the verses above, Paul is clear that when we follow Christ he has freed us and are no longer slaves to sin. "For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin." Romans 6:5-7. We have the power after the death of our own  self and the resurrection into life with Christ to be freed from sinning. Yes, that means we have the ability to not sin. It is strictly a matter of to whom we submit. When we submit to the spirit we live righteous lives. When we submit to the flesh we live sinful lives. This can be in part or in whole. "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.  And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." Romans 6:15-18. Paul explains that when we are freed, we are not freed TO sin, we are freed FROM sin. This cannot be accomplished by sheer determination, only by the power of the Holy Spirit which embodies us.

When we hear, we are not able to live our lives without sinning, it makes sinning acceptable. If a sinless life is not achievable or possible then it must live in us because there is no alternative. This is a lie. And it is a lie being taught in modern churches. Christ knows that we will not live perfect lives but that is not because we cannot it is because we choose not. Apart from Christ we are slaves to sin; we have no power over it. But when we are slaves to Christ (and we are slaves to one or the other) we are more than conquerors. As Paul concludes his message explaining our freedom from the bondage of sin he has these encouraging words. "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37. For children of God, the sin we have in our lives is not there because we are too weak to eliminate it. We are not slaves to it. We are freed from our chains. We have chains because we are carrying them around, unwilling to lay them down. We give in to our desires. As we move closer to Christ we lay down more and more of our fleshly passion and are filled with Him to be conduits for His work. It is a power struggle. "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4. This ends the argument.

As I am breaking the habitual chains of yelling at my children I am forced to face that my sin is never justified. Circumstances are meaningless when I face my Savior with my faults, whatever those faults are. I have the power not to sin and must strive to live a sinless life. God, in His infinite wisdom, knows I won't succeed, even though  in Christ I can. As far as the spiritual leader I heard on the radio, I still respect him. It is a reminder that we must take everything we hear to scripture for our Father to translate because we all are flawed. My prayer is for each of us to mature to where we no longer excuse, justify, or accept our sin by deceiving ourselves that circumstances made it unavoidable. We must stop lying to ourselves by saying 'I just can't help it.' We must humble ourselves to see our sin and acknowledge it for what it is so we can get rid of it. We are free, let's live like the conquerors we are.