Foolish Things

I have been thinking a lot about sin lately. Specifically I have been thinking a lot about why I sin. I echo Paul’s thoughts in Romans 7:17-19 [ESV] where he laments:

“¹⁷ So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. ¹⁸ For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.”

The Question

Why do I sin? Why is it that I seem to struggle with the same sins over and over and over again? Why is it that, just when I think that I have gained mastery over one of my sins that it comes back and bites me in the tuchus?

The Answer (at least part of it)

¹² Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. ¹³ But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. [Hebrews 3:11-13; ESV]

I live under the sin and curse of unbelief. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in God. I know He’s there and I know that He will do what He says He will do. I know that He is the creator and sustainer of all life and that He sent His son to die and rise so that those who place their trust in him will live forever in heaven. I know all of that and I believe it. In my head. Where I stumble and where the root of all my sin and struggle lies is in my lack of trust in Him.

I find myself sinning for a couple of reasons; one is that I do not believe that God will do as He says, so I try to take matters into my own hands and the other is that I am angry with Him for not doing what I want Him to do so I sin to get back at Him . . . to punish Him. How childish. That is something I would expect from my three-and-a-half year old son, while I should clearly know better. (It amazes me how often I see myself reflected in my son, but that’s a story for another day.)

I know that there are other “causes” for my sin, but I also see that my unbelief is the greatest single contributor to my sinning.

The Resolution

This entry was inspired, in part, by this post by Tim Bayly, Pastor of the church we attend and I think he says it best:

The first step in that battle is to recognize God’s command that we believe, and to pray asking Him to give us what He commands. Remember the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus to be healed? When the father approached Jesus, he expressed some hesitancy concerning whether or not Jesus could or would heal his son. Jesus answered him, “All things are possible to him who believes.” The boy’s father then responded with honesty and humility, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)

The temptation in unbelief is to continue in it; to despair in never truly trusting. The good news is that God is faithful to His promises and will reward “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man” [James 5:16b; NKJV]. I know I will continue to struggle with unbelief, along with a host of other sins, but knowing where the battle lies is the first step in fighting it.