Wednesday Dec 1, 2010
Josiah Lee shared these 7 sinful responses to sin during our Theology of Prayer class held on MONDAY November 29, 2010. I added some thoughts beneath each point. We had a great discussion in class. Actually it was a very convicting study because, if we are honest, all of us sometimes deal with sin in one or more of these ways.
Sinful Responses to sin
· A propensity to minimize sin –
o A tendency to make excuses for sin or make it less than what it really is
o We downplay it when, in reality, sin is sin no matter which way you dissect it.
· Blame shifting (like Adam and Eve)
o Adam said “She made me do it.” Eve said “The Devil made me do it.”
o Who do you blame?
· Diversion….we deny it…ignore it
o Maybe if we deny sin, it will just go away. If we ignore temptation, it will go away. Wrong! The tempter does not give up on those who are not in the practice of walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.
o Sin’s consequences will make it impossible for you to continue to ignore or deny the situation. When someone keeps on sinning…keeps on living in denial…they just sink deeper into the quicksand.
o The only way to deal with temptation is to resist it. How? Through running to Jesus and tapping into His strength…into the strength of the Holy Spirit.
o The only way to deal with sin is to confess it to the Lord and then repent…turn the other way.
o Denial is a bad idea…it won’t work in the end
· Partial confession
o This overlaps with denial…simply turning a blind eye to the severity of your sin.
o It also overlaps with blame shifting…only admitting to part of the sin while looking to find an excuse for the rest of it.
· Worldly grief…just sorry for the consequences
o The same thing that a child does when he gets caught doing something wrong. Is he really sorry for his actions? Or, as in most cases, is he sorry that he got caught?
o No real change of heart…just a desire to look sorry
· Victimization
o “You don’t know the life I have lived….the abuse, the bad luck, how horrible I have been treated.”
o Yes, people have experienced varying degrees of unfair, even abusive treatment. However, sin is sin and true confession and repentance are the only remedy.
· Mere confession but not true repentance
o Confession might be good for the soul, but in the long run it will do you no good without repentance…without change
Change can only come as we surrender to Jesus on a daily basis, allowing Him to do His work in us as we yield to the truth of His word and the power of His Spirit.
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