Identification 12: I Still Want to Sin!

Before you were born again and became one spirit with Christ, so identified with Him that the Scripture can boldly say “just as He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4.17), we were dead in our sins and transgressions.

The person who has not yet received Christ is by their nature selfish, sinful, at war with God, opposed to God and cannot do anything to please God. When you are born again, the Father looks at your new spirit and is well-pleased! You deep down in your spirit only want to serve God, love God, obey God, believe God, extend God’s kingdom, give God honour, serve God’s people, find your place in the church, and be a zealot for Christ, the church, the gospel and world mission.

But have you noticed ever, since you became a Christian, that you still want to sin. If no one told you that would happen, like no one told me that would happen, it comes as a huge disappointment the first time as a Christian you really want to do something other than serve God, in fact you want to do something mean, unkind, selfish and opposed to God – just like you weren’t even a Christian! That’s not a fun place to be, and when you know you are identified with Christ, it sometimes does not make sense. But I want to give you some real hope and some practical wisdom today – firstly wanting to sin is not sin. It’s temptation not sin, and the two are different. Let’s unpack this:

Part of you wants to obey and please God, and part of you wants to ignore God, disobey Him and do whatever you want. Now – those two ideas cannot be merged or reconciled – they are exact opposites. You try and live both of these and you will be confused, ineffective in life, unhappy and self-conflicted.

So what do we do when we want to sin? We need to do three things when we want to sin:

1. Remember Jesus Christ knew this would happen, and prepared for it in advance. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He did not just die so you could be forgiven of past sins. You did not change from sinner to forgiven sinner, you changed from sinner to saint. In your spirit you identify with Christ, you are as holy, as pure, as full of faith and life and glory and power as Jesus Christ is. The power to walk above sin is INSIDE YOU, you can resist temptation – you have a new nature. You are not a hybrid old and new creation, you are a new creation – and you are identified with Christ.
   
   “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:6-7)
2. Realize that a temptation is not sin. You identify with Christ BECAUSE you are being tempted, not despite it! Hebrews 4.15 tells us something about Jesus you have to know – He was “tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin”. There were times Jesus was tempted to sin – He might have wanted to smack one of the disciples’ in the face for being so unsupportive, He might have wanted to give up while carrying the cross and just lie down and give up, He might have wanted to kiss one of the ladies who were supporting his ministry, loving Him and serving Him. I know for some people that sounds silly to say, or even disrespectful, but Jesus was tempted in all the same ways you are. I bet when those women ministered out of Jesus from their substance He was tempted to not tithe and just keep all the money. I bet He was tempted to fire Judas a few times. I bet He was tempted to call down fire on a Roman soldier or two! I bet He was tempted to drink a little too much wine, eat a little too many of the pastries with the honey in! He was tempted in EVERY WAY, just as we are. Identifying with Jesus does not make you immune to temptation, because Jesus Himself was tempted. As long as you are on earth you will be tempted, and satan will actively encourage that in our lives. The devil knows where you are most vulnerable and will ensure that you are tempted on earth!
3. Knowing that we are tempted because we are like Jesus and knowing that our old self was crucified, the final step is this: believe boldly and unashamedly no matter what temptation is coming your way, you are dead to sin. This is not a matter for discussion. You are dead to sin, it’s in the Word. Whether you feel dead to sin, or feel that you really want to sin, you are dead to sin. Whether you feel dead or not is irrelevant, you are dead to sin. You dying to sin is according to the BIble as much the truth as the truth that Jesus died on the cross. You can boldly laugh at the sin you are tempted to commit right now and say “I AM DEAD TO THAT, I AM IN CHRIST AND I AM DEAD TO SIN” – do not let feelings cover that, you may feel like drinking alcohol, but you are dead to it! Your old nature is dead! You are crucified with Christ. That’s not a feeling, it is reality. No matter what your feelings are – there is no temptation, no sin, no behaviour, no attitude that you could ever have that undoes what Christ did – my favourite Scripture to stand on in these moments is 2 Cor. 5.14:
   
   One died for all, and therefore all died
   
   All died to sin. That includes you. You are part of this. You have been crucified with Christ and are dead to sin, and you should believe that today! When Jesus died on the cross, the old you died with Him, and the power of sin over your life is broken – even if you are being tempted today!

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ…” (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)

Selah!