The Rise And Progress Of Religion in the Soul For the 21st Century

CHAPTER 13 - SECTION  3  

  How you view sin is Biblical evidence of the condition of your heart 

The first thing I ask penitents is how they view sin. Perhaps at first, sin was pleasant and desirable to you, and then it demanded more than it gave, and eventually, it became the dictator of your soul. Perhaps now, your eyes have been opened and you see sin as your enemy. 

Perhaps you felt it "bite like a serpent, and sting like an adder" (Proverbs 23:32), so you view certain sins with a disgust that’s greater than the pleasure they once gave. That’s a good start. That’s the way every true penitent begins to feel toward sin. But I must caution you, there are many who deceive themselves into thinking they’re willing to give up all sins, when they’re only willing to give up some sins in order to get something better, which isn’t the way a saint sees sin. 

Let’s go deeper. Why are you disgusted with sin? Is it because you no longer want to do certain embarrassing things? Is it because you think, “if only I could get rid of this sin or that sin, my life would be better”? Is it because you know sin will send you to Hell, and you want to stop sinning just enough to avoid that place? 

If these are the only reasons you hate sin, your heart hasn’t been supernaturally changed by God. If you only hate sin for selfish reasons, you’re still thinking like a sinner, and not motivated by the unconditional love of God. “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17). 

If you don’t see sin as rebellion against God, you’re likely not saved. Your attitude toward sin has less to do with offending God and more to do with limiting your exposure to its bad effects. 

Another way of determining whether God has supernaturally changed your heart is the way you’ve tried to stop sinning. Have you tried to stop all sins, or just the ones you hate the most? Why have you chosen one sin over another? Did you decide to stop only the sins that no longer give you pleasure? Was your attempt to stop sinning in humble submission to God, or with an “I can do this” pride? 

If you see sin the way God sees it, you’ll declare war on every sin and need every ounce of grace God will provide to fight spiritual battles. You see, for the saint, “though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (Corinthians 10:3-5). 

It’s a war without no truces or treaties, which if you’re saved, you’ll wage without complete success but be willing to die in the attempt (2 Corinthians 4:10). If God has supernaturally changed your heart, you’ll agree with the Apostle Paul: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20-21). 

If you’ve tried to stop sinning, where are "the fruits worthy of repentance which you brought forth” (Luke 3:8)? Have you "ceased to do evil” and are you "learning to do well" (Isaiah 1:16-17)? Does your reformation show that you’ve savingly repented, that is, turned around and gone the opposite way from sin, or was your repentance only temporary, and you returned like a “dog returns to his own vomit" (2 Peter 2:22). If you have no power over the sin, you supposedly repented of, that’s a clear Biblical indication your repentance was merely sorrow and not Saving repentance. 

How you avoid sin is another way to determine if God has supernaturally changed your heart. Sinners are careless about sin, but saints are careful not to repeat an offence. If you don’t stay away from temptation, your abhorrence of sin needs to be questioned. If you don’t learn from your mistakes, this is a clear Biblical indication your repentance is not coming from a regenerate heart.