Romans 7: 15 - 20 NKJV
The question came up around the email chain today of where that responsibility for keeping our own sin in check lies. Do we ourselves ultimately bear that responsibility for that which we were born into? Now, this by no means represents that the finished work of Christ Jesus did not give us forgiveness and grant us deliverance from that former sin nature which we were all born into {Romans 3: 23}. That matter has indeed been settled already and we today who have accepted Christ now have the opportunity to have Jesus live through us each day {Galations 2:20}. All of that hasn't changed at all. Another thing that hasn't changed is the very sin which we were all once slaves to. The fact is, sin will always be with us until such a time our heavenly Father chooses to come and set things right once again. Does the fact that our sins have been erased and that we have been delivered from our former bondagsomehow make us immune to the acts of sin? Absolutely...not. For even the apostle Paul himself indeed struggled with this very same issue. As we learn from him in Romans 7, Paul struggled with the very same sin issues which we face today. We read in Pauls own words that "To will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find." Now, Paul was no spiritual slouch. Far from it, for he is recognized as one of the greatest defenders of the gospel of Christ Jesus of all time. Paul knew the very truth of Christ in him, yet he also seemed to realize that in his flesh "Nothing good dwells." I believe that in Pauls struggle with his own sin we see two sides of our being. On the one hand we have our spirit identity, which in Pauls case as well as those who have accepted Him, is in Christ Jesus. However, on the other hand there is our flesh, our nature. Dennis is fond of claiming that it is our flesh which is neutral, leaving it succeptible to those worldy influences which surround us each day. I tend to agree with this assesment. So, who is ultimately responsible for the control of that sin which we are all so succeptible? Is it at all realistic to claim that we ourselves can keep ourselves sin free? If Paul himself couldn't subdue his own sinful influences, can we?
12Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
James 1: 12 - 17 NKJV
So the question remains, who shoulders the responsibility for keeping the very temptations and sins which our flesh is influenced by in check? Is it Christ Jesus who is the one who bears this burden for us? Are we ourselves under an obligation to be on guard so that those temptations do not become sin? Who is responsible for keeping that flesh of ours pure? Well, if indeed our flesh is neutral and it is my belief that it is, keeping our flesh pure could be a daunting task. We've all seen that young child who, in their desire to see all there is to see of this new world around them, continually find themselves in situations where mom and dad need to quickly pull them away. The child is neutral, the only thing on his mind is discovery and experiencing all things new. In fact, if it wasn't for the watchfull eyes of parents, there would more than likely be more infant and childhood accidents in this world. Is it no wonder that being a parent is a full time job in itself? Now, some may question this reasoning with regards to our current conversation, but I believe that it is relevant. See, I see that young child as a representation of our own flesh, always having its attention grabbed by the activity which surrounds it. It is the job of the childs parent to guide the young one along until such time that he knows what to watch out for. What would we think of a parent that left a infant on its own to police its own curriosity? This is exactly why child protective services exists. So, putting this anolagy in the perspective of our own flesh, is it reasonable to expect that we ourselves can keep ourselves pure? Can we ever be pure? It is my belief that it is Christ Jesus within us who guides us along that path, knowing full well that we will all stumble along the way.
~Scott~
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