This study is not meant to remind you that you are a sinner nor cause you to go on a guilt trip. Learning to understand our very nature to sin and how to control our sin nature is imperative to an effective and victorious Christian life. We need to define and clarify sin so that we learn to recognize it and apply God’s Word.
Self-discipline is a key factor in controlling sin, but the Holy Spirit must be in control of you (your thinking), if you are to mature as a Christian. Bible Doctrine must be processed, memorized, and stored in your soul for you to refer to when the situation dictates.
Please open your Bible to 1 John 1:8. “If we say that we have no sin (deny our sin nature), we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
“Sin,” when used in Scripture as a singular noun, almost always refers to our sin nature, which has an area of weakness and an area of strength. The area of weakness produces sin. The area of strength produces human good. Sin is condemned, human good is rejected by God because both are derived from the sin nature. This is why Christ came to redeem us.
In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 7 verses 20-23, Christ our Lord said: “That which proceeds out of the man is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murders, adulteries, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within (sin nature – our thinking) and defile a man.”
In Colossians 3:5-17, Paul speaks of immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, all of which amounts to idolatry. It is these things which bring God’s wrath on the son’s of disobedience. These sins are manifestations of the sin nature.
In verse 8 we are called upon to be spiritually mature (in other words, “grow up” spiritually and take control of your emotions and sin-tendencies) and set aside anger, wrath, malice, slander and abusive speech. Stop lying since you have laid aside the old self (sin nature). Then in verses 10-17 Paul exhorts us to replace evil deeds with Godly action and Godly thinking being renewed in our thinking by Bible Doctrine. Practice instead a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, forgiving one another, and most importantly, gratitude in all things. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Then in verse 16 he tells us how: “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.”
Be sure to read John 3:19; 12:43.
SIX COMMON SINS OF MAN — manifestations of our human nature.
There are six sins that God hates “yea seven are an abomination to Him” (Proverbs 6:16-19): The first sin listed is Pride, which is one of the worst and most subtle because it is a mental attitude. Pride develops when people tell us how gifted we are or how wonderful we are, feeding our ego. The result can be Romans 12:3, we “think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think.” This mental attitude of pride keeps us out of fellowship. Pride therefore, is the most traveled road of Carnality.
Please notice the Divine order of these sins begins with “mental attitude” sin in our context of Proverbs 6:16-19. EGOISM is a built-in fact of every human being because it is inherent in human nature.
The second sin is lying: “A lying tongue.” Three of the sins in this context are related to a lying tongue, which can be lying through gossip, deceit or trying to protect your self in some way. In other words you feel justified by lying for a good reason.
Third is “hands that shed innocent blood.” Refers to physical harm or even murder. This sin is an overt act.
Fourth “a heart that devises wicked imaginations.” These include jealousy, envy, hatred lying and so on. This sin is also a mental attitude of inferiority and/or insecurity.
Fifth “feet that be swift in running to mischief.” Some people thrive on getting into mischief or just plain doing wrong. They are the types that are always stirring up trouble.
Sixth “a false witness that speaks lies” is one who judges and maligns others.
Seventh “he that causes discord among believers.” Turning one person against the other. This person manipulates to either cause trouble for someone or to get their way. Usually this person is insecure or lusting for power.
These seven sins are sins because the Lord says they are. They are “Carnality” which are the “Trends of human nature.” When you commit one or all, immediately confess to the Lord (1 John 1:9). Be accountable to yourself and your God — admit it, then STEP AWAY FROM IT. Name it to God and stop doing it. You can if you will. Just keep on soaking up God’s Word and stay in fellowship (keep naming your sins to God). By the Power of Scripture in you and by the Power of the Holy Spirit you can overcome, but you must stay in fellowship. (See also Colossians 3:15-16).
You can only be at peace with the Lord when you are in fellowship. If you don’t feel at peace then perhaps you need to have a talk with the Lord and clear your conscience. He will listen, he will forgive and he will cleanse.
Remember, you have a sin nature and you will struggle with temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13; Galatians 5:17). The Apostle struggled throughout his ministry. As he matured he began to master his sin weaknesses (Romans 7:14-25).
The sin problem is the same now as it has always been because sin is a manifestation of our nature. Man will still be the same in the last days only becoming more self-centered: “For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men” (2 Timothy 3:2-5). Then, in verse 7 we read: “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” This speaks of intensified lawlessness and mass corruption with a breakdown of law and tradition.
In 1 Timothy 4:1-2 Paul states that: “in the later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.”
In closing, remember just as sin (sin nature and personal sins) separated us from God before we received Christ, so sin after salvation separates us from God’s fellowship and control. Christ took care of the believer’s separation from God when He died in our place on the Cross. After salvation, the Holy Spirit takes care of our sin problem by filling us every time we utilize 1 John 1:9. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes” (Romans 10:4). This proclamation simply states the fact of Salvation in Christ sets us free from the obligation of perfect fulfillment because Christ perfectly fulfilled the law and we have His righteousness by faith.
When we are controlled by the Holy Spirit (filled) God produces in us the very character of our Lord. This then is the only way we can fulfill the law — thru the filling of the spirit in Christ (Romans 8:2). Spirituality is the filling of the spirit by 1 John 1:9. We are strengthened by might (Bible Doctrine), and by His Spirit in us (Romans 5:16). Walk in the Spirit and you will not carry out the things of the flesh (sin nature) (Galatians 5:16).
We learned from this study that sin comes from the inside of man. By contrast, the word of God transforms our sin-thinking into Divine thinking which produces the fruits of the spirit. Can you now see that God by His Spirit through Bible Doctrine resident in our souls produces victory over sin in the believer. God does all the work of Salvation through Christ, and all the work of the believer’s life through the Holy Spirit. This is why God must always be given the credit for everything we have in Christ. It is His Grace through the Cross of Christ that makes us His children — His chosen people.
Remember, God hates sin, loves us as mankind, and His Plan for salvation and the Christian life after salvation proves it. Just stay with Bible Doctrine and 1 John 1:9 and God will do the rest. Give Him the Glory and the Praise.
Amen. Happy Studying!