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Overcoming Our Sins
by Rene P. Brown
Every Christian is beset by sins some time or other. Some have more, some much less, but all
Christians struggle over some kind of sin from time to time. Some have a particular sin that is so a part of
their lives, it causes feelings of total defeat simply because they cannot seem to overcome the sin. Others
do not suffer such recurrence but have things from time to time that bother them and where victory is
difficult. They hate the sin, but victory is always out of their grasp. The more they try to overcome it, the
more they participate in the sin. The more determination they voice, the more defeat they experience.
This is the situation with many, many Christians. They hate the sin, and they hate themselves because
they cannot overcome it. They know that believers (those born again in Christ) should not be
participating in sins, but they cannot seem to help themselves. It seems that sin always wins, and the
more they try and the more determined they are to overcome the sin, the more the sin invades their life.
What is the matter here? Part of the answer lies in Paul’s letter to the Romans: (Rom 7:5 RSV) “While
we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to
bear fruit for death." (Rom 7:8 RSV) "But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, wrought in
me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead.
Can this be possible? Can it be that the Law (rules, standards, etc.) are actually the cause of the
problem rather than the solution? It seems so reasonable to assume that if we very carefully study what
God wants us to do, and make lists as it were so we can remember all these things, this will help us to get
the victory over sin! But obviously that approach is not working! Millions of Christians could tell us that
it is not working. If we speak to any Christian, we will find that the harder a person tries to keep God’s
laws, the more they fail. And in fact the failure seems to be in proportion to how hard they try! Victory is
always beyond the grasp.
(At this point I want to inject this thought: Down deep inside, in the heart of true believers, that is,
those who are really in Christ, they hate sin. And when they sin, they hate it although they may find
themselves going back to the same sin over and over. If this is not the case, that is, if someone cannot
truly say that down deep they hate sin but rather they enjoy it without any feeling of hatred of it and
without any conviction of the Holy Spirit about the sin - that person must seriously question whether he
or she is truly born again. In other words, are they really in Christ or as some would say: Are they really
saved? It is doubtful that someone is born again who enjoys sin without any conviction coming to them
from the Holy Spirit. If they cannot truly say that down inside, they hate sin, they should seriously
question if they truly belong to Jesus.) Trying to avoid sinning by keeping God’s law may work for a
while. As we concentrate on the law of what we know God demands of us, we may be able to do it for a
while. But as soon as we relax or as soon as we go to deal with some other sin in our life, the sin comes
back, perhaps stronger than ever. For example if you resolve to pray every day a certain amount, you may
find you can do that for a while, but sooner or later, you will fail. Or as you add some other rule to keep,
and concentrate on the new one, you may forget to pray as you promised! Millions of Christians all over
the world experience the same results. And to the extent they may experience some kind of success, it
seems their life just dries up and becomes more and more like a dry stick.
2Cor 3:6 (RSV) "who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code
but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life." Following a written code or trying to
do something on a “must do” basis kills. It will never bring life. Where is the abundant life Jesus
promised? Where is the ongoing joy we are to experience in Christ? You will never achieve it through
keeping rules or laws.
by Rene P. Brown
Every Christian is beset by sins some time or other. Some have more, some much less, but all
Christians struggle over some kind of sin from time to time. Some have a particular sin that is so a part of
their lives, it causes feelings of total defeat simply because they cannot seem to overcome the sin. Others
do not suffer such recurrence but have things from time to time that bother them and where victory is
difficult. They hate the sin, but victory is always out of their grasp. The more they try to overcome it, the
more they participate in the sin. The more determination they voice, the more defeat they experience.
This is the situation with many, many Christians. They hate the sin, and they hate themselves because
they cannot overcome it. They know that believers (those born again in Christ) should not be
participating in sins, but they cannot seem to help themselves. It seems that sin always wins, and the
more they try and the more determined they are to overcome the sin, the more the sin invades their life.
What is the matter here? Part of the answer lies in Paul’s letter to the Romans: (Rom 7:5 RSV) “While
we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to
bear fruit for death." (Rom 7:8 RSV) "But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, wrought in
me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead.
Can this be possible? Can it be that the Law (rules, standards, etc.) are actually the cause of the
problem rather than the solution? It seems so reasonable to assume that if we very carefully study what
God wants us to do, and make lists as it were so we can remember all these things, this will help us to get
the victory over sin! But obviously that approach is not working! Millions of Christians could tell us that
it is not working. If we speak to any Christian, we will find that the harder a person tries to keep God’s
laws, the more they fail. And in fact the failure seems to be in proportion to how hard they try! Victory is
always beyond the grasp.
(At this point I want to inject this thought: Down deep inside, in the heart of true believers, that is,
those who are really in Christ, they hate sin. And when they sin, they hate it although they may find
themselves going back to the same sin over and over. If this is not the case, that is, if someone cannot
truly say that down deep they hate sin but rather they enjoy it without any feeling of hatred of it and
without any conviction of the Holy Spirit about the sin - that person must seriously question whether he
or she is truly born again. In other words, are they really in Christ or as some would say: Are they really
saved? It is doubtful that someone is born again who enjoys sin without any conviction coming to them
from the Holy Spirit. If they cannot truly say that down inside, they hate sin, they should seriously
question if they truly belong to Jesus.) Trying to avoid sinning by keeping God’s law may work for a
while. As we concentrate on the law of what we know God demands of us, we may be able to do it for a
while. But as soon as we relax or as soon as we go to deal with some other sin in our life, the sin comes
back, perhaps stronger than ever. For example if you resolve to pray every day a certain amount, you may
find you can do that for a while, but sooner or later, you will fail. Or as you add some other rule to keep,
and concentrate on the new one, you may forget to pray as you promised! Millions of Christians all over
the world experience the same results. And to the extent they may experience some kind of success, it
seems their life just dries up and becomes more and more like a dry stick.
2Cor 3:6 (RSV) "who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code
but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life." Following a written code or trying to
do something on a “must do” basis kills. It will never bring life. Where is the abundant life Jesus
promised? Where is the ongoing joy we are to experience in Christ? You will never achieve it through
keeping rules or laws.
