So many Christians find themselves at the bottom of a pit of shame after they spill a secret about their friend or lie to their boss, generally without even realizing what they are doing until it is undoable. These actions, which are purely instinctual, have become a stumbling block to Christians across the world. The reality is that every day, with seemingly no way to stop it, satan creeps in and causes these horrible and vile things to flow from hearts and their sin reaps destruction for all involved.
However, God has seen these broken Christians and He has an answer to their wayward hearts. The story does not end at sin.
First Step
The first thing to understand about instinctual sins is that not only does someone feel like they can’t control their actions, but they actually can’t control them. Jesus declared, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” If someone is a slave to sin, then they must take orders from sin and obey them.
It is also important to understand that God doesn’t want a slave to sin to violate their master; he wants them to be free from their master.
In Ephesians, it’s commanded, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.” (Paul, NIV). God does not want a slave to sin to break their master's command, but rather he wants to set them free. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (Paul, NIV). God has a greater plan than disobedience.
God doesn’t want someone to be a disobedient slave to sin; He wants them to be a loving Child of God.
There is so much more blessing to God’s freedom than one would ever receive from disobedience. If a slave to sin appeals to the Lord, then God himself purchases their freedom with the price of his blood on the cross.
God has a plan, a goal, and a want, for every single slave to sin, and therefore everyone who appeals to the Holy Spirit will be set free.
Jesus declared, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (Christ, NIV). Included in those people who he will never drive away, is you. If a slave to sin stands before God and requests that their chains are broken, then God will grant their want because He wants it more.
A Heart For God
The next thing a slave to sin has to understand when they come to God for freedom is that God has bigger plans than fixing their tongue. They may speak evil, commit crimes, or violate any other law God has, but God grants grace based on faith and not actions because before God desires your actions he desires your heart. This isn’t to say that God doesn’t want actions, He spoke, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Christ, NIV).God wants every part of every person, including their actions, but before he takes their actions he wants their heart.
The reason is that your actions are not separate from your heart; instead, they are a direct result of it.
The modern church has treated them as separate things because it sounds really pretty to tell someone that even though they have a porn addiction their heart still hasn’t turned from God.
The truth, even if it’s ugly, is that if someone is making the active and purposeful choice to turn from God on a consistent basis, then it’s because they don’t believe in God.
If someone knows that God doesn’t support lies, but when they mess up at work they lie, then it’s because they believe the right thing to do is to lie.
People don’t do things that they don’t think are right.
Jesus said, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Christ, NIV). It’s ugly, and it’s painful, but when someone finds themselves believing that God isn’t good and that satan's ways are better, they have to recognize their problem if they God to solve it. Remember that Jesus said that He will never turn someone away who comes to him.
Therefore, if the person who was violating Him turns, then they still have a place with God.
However, stopping and turning to God is easier said than done. As stated, that person has become a slave to sin. If their master is commanding that they keep turning from God, and they keep obeying their master, then how does one subdue their actions to turn back to God? The answer is that they don’t. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (Christ, NIV).
If apart from Him, one can do nothing, then He is the root of freedom and it is truly Him who subdues sin.
Therefore, if hearts are what lead to sin, and it’s Him who subdues sin, then the way for sin to be subdued is to make Christ flow from one’s heart. Paul illustrates this when he writes, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Paul, NIV). Paul no longer lives. The reason pastors can preach what he says as fact is because it isn’t actually Paul speaking if he is dead. He was crucified with Christ and now his words are not his own.
Likewise, the way to ensure Jesus flows from someone's heart is to be crucified with Christ so that it’s no longer them who live but Christ in them.
However, this still hasn’t anwsered the question: How does one become crucified with Christ and what made Paul dead?
Crucified With Christ
It’s important to understand that one cannot crucify themselves with Christ. Jesus declared, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’” If one cannot have God in their heart without God calling them, then they need to come to God to do it.
Additionally, this doesn’t limit their faith, it expands it.
Because they must be called, it means that they will now all be taught by God, as it is written.
That includes you.
God has a purpose and a plan that will follow shortly after God calls someone. However, at this point, it almost seems like there is no escape from sin. A slave to sin is subject to sin’s authority and they can’t be freed until God calls them.
What you have to understand is that God is calling you right now.
He wants you in the kingdom of heaven. Additionally, there is an action step that God uses to free slaves from sin. Before Jesus is crucified He commands, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Christ, NIV).
If someone is subject to sin’s authority then they can call out to the person who has authority over sin: God.
Remember that no one who comes to Him will be turned away. The only action step to be freed from sin is to pray that one doesn’t fall into temptation. Additionally, God wants people to do it with resilience. Paul writes, “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Paul, NIV). God wants to see people coming to him at all times and on all occasions.
If one finds themselves asking how often they should pray, especially that they don’t fall into temptation, the answer is always more.
If someone isn’t sure how much prayer they need, a safe bet is to follow Paul's advice, “Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (Paul, ESV).
No one will ever pray 24/7 and die wishing they prayed less.
Humanity is faced with a problem in their faith: they have made themselves slaves to sin. After understanding why they can’t turn their actions toward God, the next step is to change their heart because changing actions is done in that same step. The only way to change their heart is to constantly pray to God that they don’t fall into temptation. God has a plan for every slave to sin and He will hear every one of their calls.