This morning I spent some time thinking about my sin and the Gospel. When I first converted to Christianity I didn’t think would struggle with sin anymore. Like Paul says in Romans 7, I was not doing what I wanted to do but doing the things I hated doing. I struggled with this for years without telling anyone, fearing I wasn’t truly saved after all. I was determined not to let anyone find out so I did my best to practice self-control, good deeds, and go to church as often as possible. It worked, but only for a season.
Eventually, this performance became too exhausting to continue and I snapped. Following this moment came a whirlwind of destructive behavior and rebellion of monumental proportions. It almost cost me my family, my friendships,my marriage, and my life. At the very lowest point of this mess, God graciously got a hold of me. I remember confessing to God something quite similar to what Paul says in verse 18 of Romans 7, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” Then I begged God to save me from myself. Miraculously, he did, and by his loving mercy and the power of His holy Spirit, he continues to keep saving me from myself.
My story reminds me the things Paul Washer shares about true conversion, which is why I posted it. My own efforts only conformed me to live a superficial pseudo-Christian life filled with guilt, fear, fatigue and performance. Unfortunately, many Christians have miserable lives or in miserable marriages because they are caught in that same endless cycle I was. True conversion comes from hearing and understanding the Gospel. It is evident by a transformed, continually regenerated life…a life being “lived out” as Paul Washer says in the video. I would also add it is a life marked by joy, thankfulness, repentance, forgiveness, service, love, and dependence on Christ instead of self. Now, when I wrestle with my nasty sinful nature, I am no longer afraid to admit or share my struggles and weaknesses, because in my weakness the power of Christ lives in me, giving me the strength to carry on.
Paul
July 20, 2011 at 11:05 pm
I find that while Paul Washer’s intentions are honest, he tends to look too much at it from man formed theology. For example:
- While it is possible to see change in someone from the outside, the truth is: “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart”
- We are indeed called to judge those within the church, in regards to blatant sin. But we must be sure that it truly is a sin, not just someone exercising their freedom in the Spirit that we don’t happen to agree with. Whether it be music, style of dress, or any other thing that the Bible is silent on, but we consider “evidence”. We must keep this in mind: “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God”
- Most importantly, when it comes to salvation, the Bible is perfectly clear:
“He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
and
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
There is either believe or not, plain and simple. The Word of God is absolutely firm on this, regardless of what we think or preach.
sharann
July 21, 2011 at 1:02 am
I agree with your points on the matter of salvation. However, I have to disagree that Paul Washer is focusing on man formed theology; he is focusing on the doctrine of regeneration, which is the evidence of a true conversion, or a born-again believer. There can truly be no such thing as a “carnal Christian” as he speaks of in the video. Though sin will remain a struggle for believers until the Christ returns, the Bible describes how a truly converted person will behave/appear in Ephesians 2:1-5 or Romans 8:5-9(below).
~”And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved ” Ephesians 2:1-5 ESV
~”Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful mane is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mindf is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:5-9
J.I. Packer says, “Regeneration is the spiritual change wrought in the heart of man by the Holy Spirit in which his/her inherently sinful nature is changed so that he/she can respond to God in Faith, and live in accordance with His Will (Matt. 19:28; John 3:3,5,7; Titus 3:5). It extends to the whole nature of man, altering his governing disposition, illuminating his mind, freeing his will, and renewing his nature.”
So regeneration is an internal change brought about by the power of God’s Holy Spirit that will inevitably bear evidential good fruit for the world to see. Thus, by this fruit that we may discern whether or not someone claims to be a follower of Christ or not. Jesus even tells us to look at the outside for this evidence in Matthew 7:17,
~”You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” Matthew 7:17 ESV
also this scripture helps too,
~”The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.” Matthew 12:35 ESV
This information should absolutely NOT be used to critical or judgmental of weaker or stronger brothers and sisters in Christ struggling with sin or matters of exercising freedom, but is good to know for both self examination (2 Cor. 13:5) and to beware of people claiming to be false teachers (Matthew 7:15) or to examine those looking to be in leadership, teaching, and overseeing in the church.
At least that’s what I got out of the video.
Paul
July 21, 2011 at 6:54 pm
I guess I have a problem with trying to measure either the doctrine of regeneration or the doctrine of salvation. For in both cases they are truly the work of God, and in no way the work of man. For there is nothing I can do to achieve or progress in either, and any effort I make, no matter how well intended, is 100% absolutely unbiblical and pure foolishness.
So true Biblical preaching on the doctrine of regeneration should be entirely limited to the explanation of such, and the precise communication that this process can ONLY to be done by God, and not of ourselves. Anything else comes from the mind of man.
While it is true that inward change will always be accompanied by outward evidence, there is also a great danger when we look to ourselves for the signs of change, or an “internal witness” as Washer has put it elsewhere. As God begins the process of change in us, one thing we become acutely aware of is any sin we still see evidenced in our lives. Thus a person who has not been properly educated in the doctrine of salvation or regeneration (which, by all accounts, is most people) will hear a sermon like Washer’s and think that either God has not chosen to save them, or that they have not done enough to live the regenerated life. This is why we must ONLY look to the sure promises of the Word of God for witness to regeneration, and salvation. Paul says as much in the following, as he clings only to Christ as his assurance:
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”
Romans 7:15-25
Finally, while there is nothing inherently wrong with “examining ourselves”, and it is indeed encouraged in the Bible, we must always let the Word of God trump anything we see, think, do, or say, etc… For in all it is only the Spirit who will sustain us, and mold us into what He wants us to be.
sharann
July 22, 2011 at 12:23 am
I get what you’re saying now. I’m a little slow…pregnancy brain, maybe? You gave me some good points to ponder, my friend. I always appreciate your input and perspective. Thanks for challenging me to look at things in different ways.
The Romans 7 verse is one of my favs and one of the reasons I recognize I’m born-again, because I constantly see myself failing to measure up to God’s standard and grieving my struggles with sin, but use that bad news as motivation to cling more fervently to my only hope and strength, our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps a blog post shedding more light on the doctrine of regeneration would be helpful. And perhaps, a guest blogger with accurate knowledge and understanding about this doctrine should write it….ahem, that meaning you, Paul.