Sin Killing

Scripture

You have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.

~Romans 8:12-13, NLT

Quote

It does no good to prune a thorn bush; it will still produce thorns.

~John Owens

I am in the process of reading John Owens classic book THE MORTIFICATION OF SIN. In the margins of my book, I have scribbled a lot of ‘Amens’ and a lot of question marks. There are some things I understand from my own experience but there are others that I cannot relate to. I do agree that apart from Christ atoning death at Calvary, there is no killing of sin. Cancer is a horrible and dreadful disease and thank God not everyone on the planet has it. Sin is more horribe and we all have it. Owens emphasizes the YOU in Romans 8:13. He says that you and I have to become sin-killers and by that I have a huge question mark. I think we are a part of the weak and terrified Israelite army; sin being our Goliath. I don’t think we have the heart to deal with him. Here David is a type of Christ. He does in our behalf what we are encapble of doing for ourselves. I think Saul and his terrified army wanted Goliath killed; they just did not have the heart to do it themselves.

As we grow older in the faith, our hatred for sin grows. More and more, sin reveals its true nature and we begin to see how hideous and repulsive sin really is and yet our hatred for sin is not complete, there are some sins [those we are engaged with} that we are not yet ready to part with. This results in a struggle. My road rage seems to be better but my self loathing is worse. I call myself awful names and I think it is a form of cursing which I thought I had been liberated from 60 years ago. Before you panic, I do not say, “Damn you Jack, you stupid SOB.” No, it is a milder form of cursing, “Jack, you stupid idiot; you moron, how many times are you going step without looking first?”

So although I do not understand or agree with all Owens says; I do agree that Jesus is the sin killer or at least He has made the provision and the Holy Spirit is the executioner. So I have my doubts about our ability to kill sin. I do believe that fallen humans can crop or prune the branches or the fruit. This discipline is easier for some than others, but they cannot change the root and the root is the problem. Again we get into this thing of temperaments and some people are born with an iron will. If they want to lose weight, they stop eating. It is simple for them, they make a decision and they carry it out. People do this is the moral sense; they realize that smoking creates a health risk and they stop. They realize the profanity indicates a low IQ and a shallow vocabulary and they quit using bad language. Some folks can clean their life up on their own: they don’t need help. Unfortunately, many of them are members of our churches. The by-product of this self-made morality is pride and self-righteous that reveals itself in a judgmental and condescending attitude. Is it possible to reek with such pride and arrogance that folks despise you? The sad truth is; these very people think that they are popular. They have made looking down on others an art but they don’t realize that others are looking down at them.

There is more I want to say on the subject but this blog is already too long…maybe we can finish tomorrow. Lets just plan on a part two.

Extra

I’m able to sit in my office chair today PTL. I keep stepping in holes or on things like an old tube of lip stick and hurting the nerve in my leg. The ride to GP Wednesday was painful and June can’t drive. Cruise control helps but it is painful to sit. It doesn’t take much to hurt the leg. A small rock can cause problems. I am just glad to be slightly better.

COMMUNION this Sunday and again, it is perfect timing. I was in the attic wiring yesterday when I stepped on the old tube of lipstick. I didn’t get finished so LORD willing I will be wiring again today. I got a good shock yesterday; I didn’t realize a wire was hot, but it was. When I made the arch, fire flew, and so I assumed it tripped the breaker. It didn’t and when I touched it, I got a little jolt. I needed it; it gets my adrenaline going. A steriod shot would be better but we have no doctors or NP’s in the family.

Have a great day and thanks for reading the blog. God more positive feedback on yesterday’s blog than any in recent history.

Extra/Extra

~National Day of Prayer May 7, 5:00 am-11:00 am