Looking at Sin and Renouncing It
(The End of the Deeds of the Flesh Series)
We have examined and discussed dozens of different sins on the previous pages and have seen how foreign they are to the way of holiness to which God calls us. They indeed bring death (Romans 6:23), alienation from God (Colossians 1:23), and the dreadful lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). They prevent one from having fellowship with God (1 John 1:6-7) and entering the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21). We must rid the cancer of sin from our life for only those who walk in holiness will see God (Hebrews 12:14).
Since sin is the cancer that brings our present spiritual death and our eventual eternal death, we must totally renounce all known sin from our life. We must have a godly sorrow for the sin that has held us captive in our heart and actions. We must grieve over our sin (2 Corinthians 7:9-11). James puts it this way: “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom” (4:8b-9).
Does this seem extreme? We may think so because we really don’t believe the horrible nature of sin that grieves the heart of God (Ephesians 4:30). Our hearts may be “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13) and by “the sin which so easily entangles us” (12:1). Let us seek God’s help to have our eyes opened so that we may turn away from sin in all of its forms.
We must not only grieve over our sins, but we must also repent of those sins. As we discussed under the sin of “unrepentance” (in our earlier listing of sins), repentance is a change of heart that brings a change of life. It goes beyond a mental change of view. Repentance includes a completely different perspective of sin and God. We must repent in order to “flee from the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7). We must repent in order to be forgiven (Acts 3:19) and receive life (Acts 11:18). Paul wrote, “You turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). We must turn from our “idols” of materialism, sex, appetite, entertainment, and every other false “god” that has captivated our heart, and we must wholly and completely turn to God and His will.
This repentance of sin must be coupled with a genuine faith in God and in Christ and a trust in His death and resurrection for our sins. This repentant faith reaches out to a God of grace who offers His free forgiveness to the sincere respondent (cf. John 3:14-38, 36; 5:24; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:24-27; 5:1). We must acknowledge our faith that Jesus is the risen, living Lord (Romans 10:9-10, 13), and express this sincere repentant faith by being baptized into the Lord Jesus and His death on the cross (Romans 6:1-5).
Peter declared, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Notice that baptism is empty of meaning if one fails to repent; and repentance is incomplete if it does not manifest itself in baptism.
This is why Scripture says that baptism is an immersion in water.[1] When we are lowered into the water of baptism, it is like a burial of the old self and the old life (Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12). And it also is a raising from the water which is like a resurrection to a new life in Christ, so that we “might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). It is actually repentance embodied in an act. It is not a means of self-salvation, a work of righteousness, or a meritorious deed, for salvation is “not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:9).
It is merely an empty hand extended to receive a gift offered by grace. Because of this, we respond to Christ crucified and risen in genuine faith and sincere repentance, expressed in a Scriptural baptism into Christ (see Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:12, 37-38; 22:16; Galatians 3:26-27; Colossians 2:11-13; 1 Peter 3:20-21). Jesus said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16a).
The person who has come to Christ will see sin in a completely different light. If you turn to God for His forgiveness of your sins, this present study on sin will be of great help to you in your decision to see truth from God’s viewpoint. You will “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Romans 13:14). You will want to put to death the deeds of the body so that you may live (Romans 8:13).
Paul says, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). You will renounce the sinful deeds of the flesh (vv. 19-21) and actively seek to allow the Spirit to produce His gracious fruit in your life (vv. 22-24). As a person born into God’s family, you will lay aside the former evil deeds and earnestly put on the spiritual qualities of the Lord (Ephesians 4:21-24; Colossians 3:9-17).
With these three volumes of discussions on many of the leading sins of Scripture, you are prepared to apply yourself to rooting out all remnants of sin from your life. If you have the two companion volumes, Character Traits of the Spiritual Life, you are prepared to actively strive—with God’s help—to see your life transformed and be conformed to the image of Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:3-6; 3:3). May God grant you His grace and the power of the Spirit to walk in holiness now that you may receive the joys and eternal blessings of heaven (Revelation 21:1-7).
[1] The word “baptism” is from the Greek baptisma, “consisting of the process of immersion, submersion and emergence” from the water (W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary).