Have you ever seen someone observe a person, doing something less than desirable (cursing, drinking, smoking, etc), and then comment about how they don’t do said activity any more?
Better yet have you yourself done the same thing?
I know for fact I have done that.
There have been times in my life where I may have kicked a habit only to look down on those who still were dealing with the same issue.
It’s funny because Ephesians 2:8-9 states:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
So the idea that overcoming something is based on my will or volition totally goes against the idea that only through the Holy Spirit my thoughts and actions are changed.
But the most important thing to understand is that simply stopping sin is not the same as pursuing God.
Romans 12 verses 1 and 2 states:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
In fact the absence of sin without the presence of the Holy Spirit will leave you like the man described in Matthew 12 verses 43-45:
When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any. Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ And returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. Then off it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’s last condition is worse than the first. That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.
So how do you pursue holiness instead of just stopping your sins?
The answer is complex and I wouldn’t be able to do it justice in this post.
But here are a couple of things you can start with.
One, if you’re not connected with a group of believers that you can fellowship with in a transparent way seek that out immediately.
Once you’re connected, share your struggles and you’ll begin to find yourself not just freed from sin but pursuing your purpose according to God’s rigtheousness.
James 5:16 says:
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
Frank Turner
Frank Turner is the founder of Break Bread, Break Chains and is the co-host of the following podcasts: Defund The Church, Relative Currency, Politically Entertaining, and Christ over Crypto. He is also the founder and creator of the op-ed site Fake News Syndicate.