At The Risk of Not Only Repeating Myself But Pounding a Point Into the Ground . . .
I realize that I’ve been meditating quite a bit about the power of sin and our fight against it (here and here to name just two), but as a pastor, I’m continually faced with the downplaying of sin, not just from others but in myself as well. It seems that many, if not most of the struggles that believers face with sin are because we choose to sin. We don’t take the destructive power of sin seriously enough which, by necessity means that we don’t take holiness seriously enough.
One of the thoughts I’ve been wrestling with is just how little we’re really willing to fight sin and to take drastic measures in doing so, myself certainly included. I meditated on this in greater detail in this post, so that’s not my point today. Instead, I just want to briefly share a recent experience in which this point was made all-too clear to me.
Paul often uses athletic imagery in describing the Christian life. He compares himself to a boxer (1 Corinthians 9:25-27) in the midst of a fight (1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7, etc.). Elsewhere, he uses the imagery of a race (1 Corinthians 9:24) as does the writer to the Hebrews (Hebrews 12:1).
My wife recently bought me a bike and I went for a ride the other morning. We live in what many people refer to as “Texas hill country,” so most of the roads around here are constant ups and downs, I’m not sure there’s a flat road in sight. I know, I know, you’re thinking, sure, how hard are hills to ride? That was probably my thinking until I started riding some of these country roads on a bike. Even what appears to be a small hill from a car can significantly slow a biker (or at least they significantly slow me!).
I was in the midst of a long, slow, steady climb when I began to get that burning in the lungs and trembling in the legs that all-too agonizingly reminded me how out of shape I’ve allowed myself to get. As a typical American, I immediately went to the thought that there was no point pushing myself too hard and I could just walk up the hill. But as I struggled with each rotation of the pedals, I found myself saying “pluck out an eye, chop off a hand” in reference to Jesus’ striking words in Matthew 5:29-30:
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
No, I’m not equating making it to the top of that hill (which I did!) with conquering sin. But the fact that I struggled as much as I did was a wake-up call about how undisciplined I’ve allowed my life to become. If I can’t be disciplined enough with my body to keep it in somewhat reasonable shape, is it reasonable to think that I will take any more care with my soul? Some might say yes, because my soul has eternal value, but each area of our life is connected and if we are undisciplined in one, chances are, we’re undisciplined in others.
Until I begin to practice discipline with my body, I’m becoming convinced that I will lose the power of many of the images used in Scripture. American life, for the most part, is about ease and complacency, not about the exercise of discipline, in any areas. As Paul Brown pointed out in a comment last week, the fact that, for most of us, getting rid of the internet or television qualifies as “taking drastic measures” against sin shows just how much we’ve become de-sensitized to it. These things should be “no-brainers.” If you can’t control yourself with the television or internet, get rid of them. But we lack discipline.
Yes, I believe that God will finish what He has started in His children (Philippians 1:6, etc.), but I also believe that we are responsible to “run the race” and “fight the fight” until we reach glory. We must take the battle with sin seriously because it truly is a battle of life and death. American Christians in particular must fight against the numbing life of ease that we face everyday. Perhaps one of our greatest enemies in America is convenience. There is rarely need for discipline and/or hard work, so we forget how to even pursue such things. This is a deadly trait in the fight against sin.
Who would have thought that trying to ride a bike up a hill would be so convicting?
- Read The Mortification of Sin by John Owen
- Read The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience: Why Are Christians Living Just Like the Rest of the World by Ronald J. Sider
- Read The Transformation of American Religion: How We Actually Live Our Faith by Alan Wolfe
- Read The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin by Kris Lungaard
It’s not pounding a point into the ground its continuing to ‘remind them of these things.’
Josh
“…the word of God is not bound.”
–2 Timothy 2:9
Well said my brother. Let’s fight!
Could you post some pics of you riding your bike in the hill country? I just can’t picture it.
Seriously, what kind of bike did you get? Road bike or Mountain bike?
H. Scott, I got what they call a “hybrid” bike, which is sort of a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. I knew that biking was something I wanted to do, but I wasn’t ready to invest in a pricey road or mountain bike, so it was a good “beginners” model. I’ll see if Kristi can get some pictures for your viewing pleasure!
Brent,
I can totally identify with you in this experience. I thought I was the only one that makes weird parallels like you did with biking and sin. It usually happens to me as I’m running around the neighborhood with just one more block to go until I reach home and I’m so exhausted I’m tempted to quit and walk. But all of a sudden I think to myself, “No way! You gotta keep running! You can’t quit now! Finish the race!” I guess the other huge thing that helps me to persevere is to have someone else running with me that won’t quit either. That’s where the church needs to encourage people to “run the race” together spurring one another on til the end. Thanks for your post and keep biking and fighting sin for Jesus!
Are you sure?
I heard Brent was spotted on a light blue Daisy with a banana seat and streamers coming off the handle bars.
I guess that’s his “street” bike.
Still, I thought it was cool that he made the motorcycle sound on that bike with a clothespin and playing card.
I’ve got a mountain bike I haven’t seriously ridden in about, er, well its been awhile. Lets put it this way. It was nearly top of the line when I bought it…and completely unsuspended (no banana seat though).
But I always thought a hybrid was the way to go in town.
Josh
“…the word of God is not bound.”
–2 Timothy 2:9
A confession: a friend of mine took me cycling on the hilly roads of New Hampshire, during my vacation this past summer. Before cycling with my friend, though I was not outrightly bragging, I casually spoke of my physical conditioning with a bit too much pride. I secretly thought that my life and moderate exercise in higher altitude New Mexico would help me in New Hampshire. My friend dramatically out-cycled me, road me into the ground,… and I’m still very embarrassed about my performance on that ride. “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”