Sin – it’s what we think about it
Posted by Renee Teate on April 13, 2011
I’m listening to an audio book from Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness. I’ve actually listened to the first two chapters twice now. I started listening to chapter one the second time by accident because I can’t drive my iPod right. I realized it was so good it was worth listening to again.
He describes holiness as being separated from sin to God, to be morally blameless.
One thing in the first chapter, I have listened to a third time, so I could write it down.
I won’t quote it exactly, because I was scribbling as I listened, but….
Our attitude about sin is more self-centered than God-focused. We are more concerned about our victory over sin than that our sin grieves the heart of God. (not King David,see Ps. 51:4) We cannot tolerate our failure in our daily Christian walk because we are success oriented, not God-focused. Pharoah, Saul, Balam, and Judus said “I have sinned”. David and the returning prodigal said “I have sinned against You/Heaven”.
And here was the quotable statement: Gods wants us to walk in obedience, not victory.
I am pondering that today. If I walk in obedience, I will walk in victory. But I am already “more than a conqueror”. Because Jesus is Lord of my life and He has paid for my sin on the cross, I am already victorious. My desire for obedience is about me focusing on God. When I focus on the victory, I’m thinking about how good/smart I am. When I focus on Jesus, I aim to please Him and not myself and out of that desire flows obedience.
So I shouldn’t think too much about my sin except to confess it and turn away. When I think too much about my sin, I’m thinking too much about me. My thoughts must turn to Jesus, quickly. Away from me and to Jesus.
Listening to this in my car a lot this week.
