For the last thirty years or so I have been busily engaged in helping Christians grow into mature, healthy individuals and families. This includes church and small group growth.
One of the books I have found to be most interesting and informative was written by a Puritan Pastor named John Owen and is titled, Sin and Temptation. In it, Owen strongly focuses on 'indwelling sin" as a theme that is essential to Christian growth and healing. By recognizing that sinful tendencies are basic to our nature after knowing Christ, I can deal with temptation, failures and immaturity without lapsing into morbid self condemnation and shameful self hatred.
A pervasive problem faced by serious, pious Christians is the notion that I could be and should be living above sin, sickness and sadness. When that ideal fails, I am thrust into the bog of despair and hopelessness. Such beliefs keep me focused on my PERFORMANCE rather than the finished work of Christ.
The popularity of sermons and books on working harder to obey God, please Jesus and do more to be a "godly person" shows how prevalent this false idea is. People really love to discuss their own works, even if they are defective. Listen to how often people say such things as:
"I know I should do more to please God and be a better Christian, but..."
"I should pray more, read the Bible more and love Jesus better."
And Preachers point at us and say, "You should be doing more, sharing more, giving more, reading more, attending more..."
Then we sing, "Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow." Such obvious contradictions leave Believers dazed and confused. How are they supposed to enjoy the fruit of the Spirit when we think such thoughts? It is almost impossible to think clearly and feel the joy of the Lord.
When I realize that I have a disease dwelling deep within my heart, mind and body called "The Old Man" it helps me see that anything I do for God and in righteousness comes form the Holy Spirit. Left to my own devices I will fail every time. But, because the Spirit is with me and in me I can occasionally do something right and godly.
We have a habit of thinking, talking and feeling irrationally. We say to a child that just spilled his milk, "Clean that milk up. It shouldn't be on the floor." But rationally speaking, it "should" be on the floor because he tripped and the milk came out of the glass and gravity pulled it to the carpet.
By saying such crazy things to ourselves and others we bring confusion, false guilt and even shame into our lives. It is rational and reasonable to say, "I wish you hadn't spilled the milk. Now it needs to be cleaned up."
Now transfer this to our self talk about morals and ethics. Instead of saying, " I should be a better Christian" I can think, "I want to read the Bible and pray more so I can understand God and His way better." My performance does not change my relationship with God as His child but it can enhance my understanding of my heavenly Father.
God does not command us to do the impossible. He does not say, "You must live above sin, sickness and sadness." He does promise that we can increase our joy, love and peace by walking and talking with Him on a daily basis.
I can also increase my spiritual growth by thinking reasonably and rationally about myself and the fact that it is God who works in us to produce all good things because there is nothing good in me without Him.
