As the holidays are approaching, we will be handed a new set of challenges. The people that we deal with daily will be put on hold. For those of us who are lucky, we will be surrounded with family and friends that we don't see on an everyday basis. For this reason I must remind myself of this lesson. It is a rerun. It was highly unpopular due to it's topic. But honestly, it is what keeps Christians from being who they are meant to be in this world. Yep...sin. Dad always said that his least popular sermons were on sin. Well, here it is again.
Dealing with sin is a lot like pooper scooping my back yard. It is a dirty reality of living with two big dogs. If I don’t deal with it daily, it takes over and ends up in places I never intended. As a Christian, rather than denying that I sin, I need to take the advice James gives on how to restrict sin’s grip on me. Wouldn't it be wonderful if after becoming a Christ follower you were never again tempted with sin? All you have to do is take a close look at any Christian in your life to know that is not how it is. Did I quit being a human when I became a Christian? Why should I expect to be perfect in my Christianity on this earth?
The book of James is full of practical advice for living out your day-to-day life and is written by James the brother of Jesus Christ. James is not afraid to address the stuff we don’t like to deal with...like sin. Sometimes flowery words, smiles and hugs are just nothing but fake and I need the truth, stripped down and simplified. And what is more, James writes as one with experience with the same issues that trip me up everyday.
When I was teaching, if I could understand how the mind of one of my students worked, I could better deal with them in my classroom. So let’s look at how sin works so we can better deal with it. I found information on these verses in my inherited Broadman Bible Commentaries that was most beneficial. It said that James unfolded human sin from it’s conception to death in the following verses.
James 1:14-15 NIV
[14] but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. [15] Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
The way I understand it, sin originates in our minds as desire. This would be something that we think would fill the hole in our soul and make us feel whole for a moment. It is a kind of momentary high in the form of a thought. Next, we are lured, enticed, convinced or deceived by this thought. Then comes the actual fleshing out of the sin. In my case, it is usually words spoken in haste. Then, James points out in his usual abrupt way, that when this is full-grown, it gives way to death.
My reaction to this death part is “Well, that is harsh”! When it is my sin, it is not that bad in my estimation. I minimize the affects of my sin in my mind to soothe my conscience. But in reality, my sin has caused death. In the case of my usual sin, (words spoken that are hurtful), this blurted information causes death to a belief in the listener. In some sins there is a more direct connection with death, for example texting and driving which is far too often a direct connection. Just like the wages of work is a paycheck, the wages of sin is death.
So what is James practical advice for this sin problem?
James 1:19-22 NIV
[19] My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, [20] because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. [21] Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. [22] Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
He knows sin is going to happen because we are human. However, we can follow his practical advice to limit sin’s grip on us. Here is a summary.
In verse 19 he tells us to slow down.
In verse 21 he tells us to get rid of the moral filth.
In verse 22 he tells us to get busy doing good.
How many times would I have stopped sin in its tracks if I just slowed down, took a breath, and asked God to help me get a grip on my emotions? This slowing down takes prayer, patience and practice. I am working on this in baby steps and some days most of those steps seem backward. To people with a temperament like mine, the struggle is real.
And second, what about ridding myself of my sin? Jesus worked that out for us a long time ago. Confess it to him. Did I mention John? Well, he has a thing or two to say on this subject.
1 John 1:9 NIV
[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
That is it. Done and done. Confess it and believe it. Also while we are talking about ridding, what about taking steps to rid your life of the some of the things that trigger the sin? Gossipy negative friends, Twinkies, or social media may be a trigger. If we really want to deal with our sin issue, we must be willing to take the difficult steps.
And for the last piece of advice in James 1:22, when I am occupied with doing good, I do not have as many opportunities to start the sinning process which begins in my mind. Think about it. Doing good requires the mind, soul (attitude) and body of the doer. I love what a dear friend and fellow educator tells her graduating students, “Go out there and do good.” Doing good solves so many problems before they start.
This, my friends, is pure gold right from the pen of the little brother of Christ.
