Struggling with Self

The Christian life can, at times, be discouraging.  It can be discouraging because, no matter how badly we long to live for the Lord, we continue to struggle with sin.  It can be discouraging because, no matter how greatly we detest our sin, we fall into it again and again.

Sometimes, by the grace of God, we are enabled to overcome a particular struggle.  Addicts, for example, are sometimes empowered by God to overcome their desire for alcohol or drugs.  And those who struggle with pornography or a tendency to swear are sometimes empowered by God to overcome those vices.

However, the struggle with sin continues for each and every one of us.  Not only do we fall short in the eyes of God.  We also fall far short of the expectations we’ve set for ourselves.  

We tend to think that, because of our faith in the Lord, and because of our love for him, it should be easy for us to live a godly life.  We think that, because of our faith and our love for the Lord, we should easily be able to resist any and every temptation.  We think that, because of our faith and our love for the Lord, we should be able to break free from our sinful habits.

We, then, become discouraged.  We beat ourselves up.  We sometimes even question if our repentance is genuine.

This is where the gospel offers to us a tremendous comfort.  This comfort comes to us in the words of Paul in 1 Timothy 1.  In verse 15, of that chapter, he writes: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

Christ did not come for a people who were able to obey the law of God.  He didn’t come for a people that were able to resist their sinful desires.  Nor did he come for people who had overcome their sinful tendencies.

Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  He came into the world to save someone like Paul, who described himself as the foremost of sinners.  He came into the world to save sinners like you and me.

This, of course, doesn’t justify our sin.  It doesn’t free us to indulge our ungodly desires.  And it doesn’t free us to thumb our nose at God when his Word challenges our lifestyle.

It does, however, give us peace in the face of our sin.  It reminds us that our struggle with sin doesn’t not exclude us from salvation.  It reassures us that our failures do not remove from us God’s forgiveness.

Jesus came into this world to save sinners.  He came because we are incapable of living up to the standards of God.  He came because there is nothing we can do to save ourselves.  He came because only he could free us from sin and its consequences, enabling us to live eternally in the kingdom of God.