Pulling the plug on sin

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

The Apostle Paul spoke of a battle that goes on within us. The conflict is over the control center of our lives. On one side is our sinful nature, on the other is what hr calls”Life by the Spirit." (Galatians 5:16-26). If we choose. to follow after the desires of our flesh (our sinful nature), we will reap the consequences of those actions. The list that Paul describes could have come right out of today’s newspaper: filthy thinking, immorality, hatred, selfishness, drunkenness, evil actions. The world hasn’t changed very much in 2,000 years!

When we place our faith in Christ we are saying that we are done following our sinful nature and living with all the damage and carnage that results from that kind of life. Instead, we choose God and HIs path, and as we do, He brings His power to bear to heal us. This choice leads to a whole new set of positive consequences: love, peace, patience, kindness, self-control, and so on. Relying on the Holy Spirit, and learning to listen to and obey HIm are critical to this process. But, there is another tool that is equally important as you set your sights on a new kind of life. This tool is “accountability.”

Columbus’ original exploration party came to America in three ships. This is something that we all know. In fact I bet that you know the names of the three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. But did you know that before returning to Spain, Columbus disassembled the damaged Santa Maria and built a fort on Hispaniola Island (not a a part of Haiti and the Dominican Republic). He left 39 men from his crew to man this settlement. And hr left them with no way to return home (Encarta online: Columbus expedition).

As a person who has decided to cross the border of faith, you find yourself living in a new land. But unlike the Columbus party settlers, you probably have many ways to return to the life you lived before. While there are many parts of your old life that must continue such as your job, your family, friendships etc., there are certain parts of your old life that you will need to say goodbye to…forever (Romans 6:11). The parts of your former life that need to die are the patterns of sinful behavior that you have engaged in as part of your life before Christ. You cannot afford to allow these habits, activities, or behaviors to maintain a foothold in your new life. You need to find someone who is mature in Christ, such as a pastor or leader, and tell them what you’re struggling with. Ask them to hold you accountable and join you in praying to overcome this sin issue. There is an old saying, ”A sin that remains in the dark retains it’s power.” We are taking a step toward recovery and victory when we tell someone else what we are struggling with. We need to set aside time with our accountability partner periodically to have him/her ask us how we are doing with our issue and to pray for us. And we need to be completely honest with them when we answer. If you are a guy, you should choose a guy to share with and women should meet with women.

One reason that we are reluctant to share our struggle with another person might be that we want to be able to secretly return to our sin. Imagine a rowboat tied up to a dock. The rowboat represents the sin problem that you are struggling with. You are now living in the land of faith, but you know that the boat (you sin problem) is still tied up at the dock. Is is there waiting for you to come back for a secret trip, back out to that place where your sin is. You can sneak back down to the dock when it gets dark, when no one is looking, and row out again. This is a horrible pattern for a Christian to get stuck in, and it will destroy you eventually. But in a symbolic way this is the danger we are facing when we have a secret struggle with sin. When you make yourself accountable to a trusted friend, when you share your issue with them, it’s as if you have taken a sledgehammer and smashed the floor boards out of that rowboat. You have sunk it in the place right next to the dock. The mud and sand will eventually cover its smashed hull. It is going to be much more difficult for you to take an illicit ride in your boat. Just like the 39 men whom Columbus left on Hispaniola Island, you will be demonstrating your commitment to the new life you have chosen.

This journey of faith involves you cooperating with God and the work He is doing in you through the Holy Spirit. This process will help you be more honest with yourself and more honest with Him. Confess your sins to God and ask Him to help you, to forgive you, and to renew you (1 John 1:9). develop at least one accountable relationship with another believer and find teh strength and confidence that comes as you refuse to let any part of your life exist in secrecy or darkness.