(S)inner

I watched a videotape of Steve Lawson, pastor at Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mongomery, Alabama the other night.  In his usual rousing fashion, he discussed the inner battle that we all face in our struggle to attain victory over sin.  Being such a prolific sinner myself, I thought that I would weigh in on the matter.

Dr. Lawson discussed the influences that lead to our sin: the world, the flesh, and the devil.  However his focus was on the flesh, that part of our inner being that leads us to rebel against God and sin against Him.  Much of Paul's advice given in Galations 5:16-25 was discussed, where the list of the works of the flesh are detailed: "sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these."  The solution to these vices is straighforward: walk in the Spirit (v16) and crucify the flesh (v24).  Simple enough.  Verse 16 makes it sound as if any person who could put one foot in front of the other literally should be able to do it figuratively and spiritually--"walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

I have heard many pastors give simplistic and all-encompassing explanations for sinful behavior, saying such things as, "all sin begins as a lust in the heart," "all sin is related to pride and our desire to be as God is," or "covetousness is the root of sin."  And the seven deadly sins add a few more to the total root causes of sin: Lust, Pride, Envy, Greed, Wrath, Sloth, and Gluttony.  You can compare this to Proverbs 6:16-19:  "These six things the Lord hates,
                                    Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
                                    A proud look,
                                    A lying tongue,
                                    Hands that shed innocent blood,
                                    A heart that devises wicked plans,
                                    Feet that are swift in running to evil,
                                    A false witness who speaks lies,
                                    And one who sows discord among brethren."

But I think it may be useful to look at sin from another perspective, because there is one type of sin in my life that is much more difficult to control than the other.  I would look at sin as an ends, and sin as a means.

Sin as an ends is much more easy to grasp and understand and fits the classical definition of sin as a result of our fleshly natures.  You have a fleshly desire, and you act upon it.  You desire pornography, so you go into the adult bookstore.  You desire to get drunk, so you go to the liquor store.  You desire to steal, so you shoplift in the department store.  You give in to a desire to wastefully gamble your savings, so you go into a casino.  You don't even have to get up off of the couch or get out of your chair for many of these vices; they are only a mouse-click away.

Sin as a means is much less straighforward and premeditated.  The object of your desire may be worthy or even holy and godly, but you go about getting to your goal in a sinful manner.  This would be the difference between driving to the adult bookstore versus driving to church on Sunday and cursing and giving the finger to the driver that just pulled out in front of you.  You didn't leave the house with premeditated sin on your mind or a fleshly desire, but you yielded to the flesh just the same.  You just wanted to get to church (good) but you did it with the wrong means (bad).  I am sure you can think of many other examples of where you were trying to reach an honorable goal and did so in a way that dishonors God.  I do it all the time, and find it much harder to identify and reign in.

We are always able to rationalize our sin.  I think that sin as an ends is usually rationalized beforehand.  "I am entitled to begin this affair because my marriage is so bad," or "this has been a really bad week, so I am going to get drunk."  Sin that occurs as a means is often rationalized in retrospect.  "I screamed at you because you weren't doing the job right," or "I ate that entire pizza because I was hungry."  Getting the job done right doesn't excuse wrath and hunger doesn't excuse gluttony.

Both categories of sin are things that we should not want to do or have done if we are Christians.  Just as Paul said, "For what I am doing, I do not understand.  For what I will to do, that I do not practice, but what I hate, that I do" (Romans 7:15).  This could apply to giving in to the flesh and committing a sin that you know in your heart is wrong in advance (ends), or realizing that you sinned in trying to do something that was genuinely right (means).

We will stop here and next time I will offer what I think may be one of the best ways to try and get a handle on these sins.