Struggles with Sin

[WrittenFromUtopia]

How much can a true believer struggle with sin? If someone believes in all the promises of salvation, rests on Christ by faith alone, etc.... yet they still struggle a significant amount with sin and falling into temptation, etc., should they be assured of their salvation? If they constantly repent and ask for repentance, but never seem to 'overcome sin', should they question their salvation? Can someone desire to be God's, and serve Him with all their heart, but be denied?

 

[Puddleglum]

" . . . and the one that comes to Me I will by no means cast out" - John 6:37

"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners . . . " - 1 Timothy 1:15

 

[ReformedWretch]

 

[Michael Butterfield]

First then, let me try to show what true practical holiness is"”what sort of persons are those whom God calls holy.

a) Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mid described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God´s judgment"”hating what He hates, loving what He loves"”and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His World. He who most entirely agrees with God, he is the most holy man.

b) A holy man will endeavour to shun every known sin, and to keep every known commandment. He will have a decided bent of mind toward God, a hearty desire to do His will, a greater fear of displeasing Him than of displeasing the world, and a love to all His ways.

c) A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ."¦Much time would be saved, and much sin prevented, if men would oftener ask themselves the question, "œWhat would Christ have said or done, if He were in my place?"

d) A holy man will follow after meekness, longsuffering, gentleness, patience, kind tempers, government of his tongue. He will bear much, forbear much, overlook much, and be slow to talk of standing on his rights.

e) A holy man will follow after temperance and self-denial. He will labour to mortify the desires of his body, to crucify his flesh with his affections and lusts, to curb his passions, to restrains carnal inclinations, lest at any time they break loose."¦(Luke 21:34) (1 Cor. 9:27)

f) A holy man will follow after charity and brotherly kindness. He will endeavour to observe the golden rule of doing as he would have men do to him, and speaking as he would have men speak to him.

g) A holy man will follow after a spirit of mercy and benevolence towards others. He will not stand all the day idle. He will not be content with doing no harm"”he will try to do good.

h) A holy man will follow after purity of heart. He will dread all filthiness and uncleanness of spirit, and seek to avoid all things that might draw him into it. He knows his own heart is like tinder, and will diligently keep clear of the sparks of temptation.

i) A holy man will follow after the fear of God. I do not mean the fear of a slave, who only works because he is afraid of punishment, and would be idle if he did not dread discovery. I mean rather the fear of a child, who wishes to live and move as if he was always before his father´s face, because he loves him.

j) A holy man will follow after humility. He will desire, in lowliness of mind, to esteem all others better than himself.

k) A holy man will follow after faithfulness in all the duties and relations in life."¦Holy persons should aim at doing everything well, and should be ashamed of allowing themselves to do anything ill if they can help it.

l) Last, but not least, a holy man will follow after spiritual-mindedness. He will endeavour to set his affections entirely on things above, and to hold things on earth with a very loose hand.

J. C. Ryle, Holiness: Its Nature, Hindernaces, Difficulties, and Roots, 1879 (Moscow, ID: Charles Nolan Publishers, 2001)."” p.p. 42-46

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Matthew 9.12-13

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1.8-10

 

[turmeric]

I'm having a dixcussion with someone on another thread about this and wixh someone else would get into the discussion before he gets discouraged and leaves which is not my intent. I'm having trouble sorting out what is Godly effort toward holiness and what is elf-righteous attempts at a state God has never promised us in this life. Apparently, I'm steering too far in one direction; believing the Gospel rather than laboring to avoid specific things. Help!

 

[Michael Butterfield]

Sanctification, again, is a thing which does not prevent a man having a great deal of inward spiritual conflict. By conflict I mean a struggling within the heart between the old nature and the new, the flesh and the spirit, which are to be found together in every believer (Gal. 5:17). A deep sense of that struggle, and a vast amount of mental discomfort from it, are no proof that a man is not sanctified. Nay, rather, I believe, they are healthy symptoms of our condition, and prove that we are not dead, but alive. A true Christian is one who has not only peace of conscience, but war within. He may know by his warfare as well as by his peace. In saying this, I do not forget that I am contradicting the view of some well-meaning Christians, who hold the doctrine called "˜sinless perfection.´ I cannot help that. I believe that what I say is confirmed by the language of St. Paul in the seventh chapter of Romans. That chapter I commend to the careful study of all my readers. I am quite satisfied that it does not describe the experience of an unconverted man, or of a young unestablished Christian, but of an old experienced saint in close communion with God. None but such a man could say, "˜I delight in the law of God after the inward man´ (Rom. 7:22). I believe, furthermore, that what I say is proved by the experience of all the most eminent servant of Christ that have ever lived. The full proof is to be seen in their journals, their autobiographies, and their lives. Believing all this, I shall never hesitate to tell people that inward conflict is no proof that man is not holy, and they hey must not think they are not sanctified because they do not feel entirely free from inward struggle. Such freedom we shall doubtless have in heave; but we shall never enjoy it in this world. The heart of the best Christian, even at his best, is a field occupied by two rival camps, and the "˜company of two armies´ (Cant. 6:13)."
p. 25

J. C. Ryle, Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots, 1879 (Moscow, ID: Charles Nolan Publishers, 2001).

 

[turmeric]

Ryle is the man!