Killing Remaining Sin - Dr. Joel Beeke - With a Warning from Me

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Ed Walsh

Puritan Board Senior
Warning - I became sick to the core of my soul as I listened to this message. I am now physically weak and near exhaustion. The well nigh infinite depths of sin from remaining corruption in the choicest believer is a painful discovery, and even then the half has not been told. This truth is an unpleasant discovery to the extreme. I could almost wish that you never discover the darkness remaining in your hearts. But it has the benefit of causing you to despair of all hope in yourself and to see more deeply how gracious, how loving, and how patient is our God, and to gain a fuller appreciation of the humiliations of Jesus in His life and especially His shed blood in death for poor sinners such as you and I.

I address my Warning to those closest to our Lord, who are likely to suffer the most from a message like this. But O what new meaning there is in the discovery that David made in Psalm 130:4; "But" [wonder of wonders] "there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared."

Killing Remaining Sin - Dr. Joel Beeke

Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.
2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
3 If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
7 Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

 
I'll be listening to this!

I've struggled for a long time with inward corruption. To make a long story short I've found it hard that such a thing could be in a Christian. I've talked to others about it and they said the same thing: corruption still exists. I've felt very guilty and wondered, "How could it be that as much as I want to follow the Lord and love Him more, part of me has his arms crossed?". I've told others that it seems like there are two of me inside. I wish the bad self would just really die and I would be made completely whole and pure and … well be in heaven.

EDIT: Also reading prayers in The Valley of Vision. Even back then, the "great" men prayed and wept over inward sin and corruption. It hurts because I want to be more and more holy.
 
I've struggled for a long time with inward corruption. To make a long story short I've found it hard that such a thing could be in a Christian. I've talked to others about it and they said the same thing: corruption still exists. I've felt very guilty and wondered, "How could it be that as much as I want to follow the Lord and love Him more, part of me has his arms crossed?". I've told others that it seems like there are two of me inside. I wish the bad self would just really die and I would be made completely whole and pure and … well be in heaven.

EDIT: Also reading prayers in The Valley of Vision. Even back then, the "great" men prayed and wept over inward sin and corruption. It hurts because I want to be more and more holy.

Far be it from me ever to say anything that condones continuing in a known controversy between a believer and the Lord. May it never be! For we are called to relentlessly put sin to death through the Spirit the deeds of the body. (Romans 8:13) God offers us good hope of increased sanctification over time. (Proverbs 4:18) But He offers no hope of total deliverance from remaining corruption while in the body.

Consider the life of the Apostle Paul who could say, "I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men." (Acts 24:16) Regarding his faithfulness as a minister of Christ could say, "I am not aware of anything against myself." (1 Corinthians 4:1-5) Yet he considered himself the chief of sinners, (1 Timothy 1:15) and wrote Romans 7 where he detailed the extent of his agonizing struggle with sin. But in his conflict, he made some important discoveries and a glorious conclusion.

The following is NOT an exposition of Romans 7. Rather, just a few take-a-ways and applications from Paul's experiences that are evidence of true faith.

Evidence 1 vs. 14 - "For we know that the law is spiritual:"
The true believer has the highest possible regard for the Word of God. As he said in another place, "for the Law is holy, righteous, and good." He considers it to share the very attributes of God.

Evidence 2 vs. 14 - "but I am carnal, sold under sin."
The true believer has the lowest possible view of his fallen nature.

Evidence 3 vs. 15 - "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."
True believers can be confused by their actions when they find themselves doing the very opposite of what they know is right.

Evidence 4 vs. 16 - "If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good."
The true believer discovers that there are two principles at work in his life and will always agree that the Law of God is the right way.
Corollary - Antinomianism is evidence of unbelief.

Evidence 5 vs. 17,20 - "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." 20 "Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me."
True believers learn that the new nature they have received from God is never complicit in sin. They are at root a "new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:24) Paul is very bold here when he says, "it is no more I that do it." Is Paul saying he no longer sins? Yes, concerning his real center, which he calls "I," he never sins.

Evidence 6 vs. 18-23 - "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
But for the true believer, the fight goes on. Paul finds the law of sin in his flesh is most active when he desires to do what is right.

Evidence 7 vs. 24 - "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"
At times a true believer can almost despair of all hope as he cries out to God for help. This cry is no small part of what Paul means when he says, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." (1 Corinthians 15:19)

Evidence 8 vs. 25 - Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin."
The true saint will discover that he is even now completely Justified-free from the guilt of sin, and truly loved by God despite this law of sin dwelling in him. He will conclude as Paul did in Romans 8:1-2, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
 
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Far be it from me ever to say anything that condones continuing in a known controversy between a believer and the Lord. May it never be! For we are called to relentlessly put sin to death through the Spirit the deeds of the body. (Romans 8:13) God offers us good hope of increased sanctification over time. (Proverbs 4:18) But He offers no hope of total deliverance from remaining corruption while in the body.

Consider the life of the Apostle Paul who could say, "I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men." (Acts 24:16) Regarding his faithfulness as a minister of Christ could say, "I am not aware of anything against myself." (1 Corinthians 4:1-5) Yet he considered himself the chief of sinners, (1 Timothy 1:15) and wrote Romans 7 where he detailed the extent of his agonizing struggle with sin. But in his conflict, he made some important discoveries and a glorious conclusion.

The following is NOT an exposition of Romans 7. Rather, just a few take-a-ways and applications from Paul's experiences that are evidence of true faith.

Evidence 1 vs. 14 - "For we know that the law is spiritual:"
The true believer has the highest possible regard for the Word of God. As he said in another place, "for the Law is holy, righteous, and good." He considers it to share the very attributes of God.

Evidence 2 vs. 14 - "but I am carnal, sold under sin."
The true believer has the lowest possible view of his fallen nature.

Evidence 3 vs. 15 - "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."
True believers can be confused by their actions when they find themselves doing the very opposite of what they know is right.

Evidence 4 vs. 16 - "If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good."
The true believer discovers that there are two principles at work in his life and will always agree that the Law of God is the right way.
Corollary - Antinomianism is evidence of unbelief.

Evidence 5 vs. 17,20 - "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." 20 "Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. "
True believers learn that the new nature they have received from God is never complicit in sin. They are at root a "new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:24) Paul is very bold here when he says, "it is no more I that do it." Is Paul saying he no longer sins? Yes, concerning his real center, which he calls "I," he never sins.

Evidence 6 vs. 18-23 - "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
But for the true believer, the fight goes on. Paul finds the law of sin in his flesh is most active when he desires to do what is right.

Evidence 7 vs. 24 - "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"
At times a true believer can almost despair of all hope as he cries out to God for help. This cry is no small part of what Paul means when he says, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." (1 Corinthians 15:19)

Evidence 8 vs. 25 - Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin."
The true saint will discover that he is even now completely Justified-free from the guilt of sin, and truly loved by God despite this law of sin dwelling in him. He will conclude as Paul did in Romans 8:1-2, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

Thank you for this post! Wonderful truths.
 
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