It is abundantly clear to me that we need strong motivators to flee from sin because temptation can be so strong, and the things of this world can be so enticing and deceitful. I talk so much to students about these motivators. God has done a mighty work in my heart surrounding this topic, giving me a new perspective and faith of how wonderful it is to flee from sin and idolatry. I thought it would be good for me to process some of these thoughts and write them down.
First and foremost, the far greatest motivator to flee from sin is that God is better. Period. He is infinitely more satisfying and beautiful than anything else, and if sin stands in the way of us seeing God's glory, communing with Him, and attaining the true riches (which I once heard someone define as intimacy with Jesus, anointing for ministry, and being filled with the Holy Spirit) then I am wise to ruthlessly seek to eliminate it. This is a no brainer for me when I am staying right near the Father, and when I am constantly catching a glimpse in my soul of just how beautiful and holy God is. I am filled with a love, fear, and awe for Him that makes sin look detestable.
I could stop right here because that is the number one motivator by far! But there a few other things that help me too.
One passage that encourages me a lot in temptation is James 1:13-15 which says:
"When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
The imagery of conception and birth in this passage is actually surprisingly graphic when you think of it in the physical. It is basically using a metaphor of giving birth to a stillborn baby. There is so much joy and anticipation that goes into being pregnant. I just had my first child three months ago and I CANNOT IMAGINE how horribly difficult and horrifying it would be to deliver a stillborn baby. Talk about pain, hope deferred, and sadness. I think it is important for me to think of sin in this exact same way, because in reality the consequences of sin are even more dramatic in dealing with our eternal soul.
Another verse that is helpful is Matthew 5:29-30:
"If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
This verse is encouraging to me because Jesus used very painful imagery to depict both how ruthless we have to be in fighting sin and how fleeing from sin will feel like a death to self. But the laws of the Kingdom of God are such that resurrection power and life replace death to self! It is ok if it is hard and painful at times, for "our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us," (Romans 8:18). I remember reading an article by Dallas Willard when he was talking about how addictions are much more of a Western phenomenon, at least in part because we are deeply entrenched in a culture that idolizes individuality and breeds entitlement and the notion that we HAVE to get our way. He somewhat comically said something to the effect of, "we have to realize that we are not going to die if we don't sin." Embracing this type of "suffering" will allow the Spirit to grow us exponentially as we learn to joyfully submit our will, our desires, and our fleeting pleasures to Him to be replaced by His will, new life, and a greater knowledge of Him that is far better than anything this world has to offer!
I think these verses in James 1 and Matthew 5 are particularly helpful in thinking about fleeing from conscious sin and things I am putting false hope in, because they motivate me to consciously see things as they really are and look ahead to the true consequences of choosing sin and other lovers over God. But, when it comes to issues of my character flaws and sinful attitudes, I like to meditate on how beautiful of a person Jesus is and how badly I want to be like Him. I gain such a clear vision of the person I want to be as I read the pages of the New Testament, and this motivates me to pursue God and the purity of heart that He gives. Just to list a few of the visions of who I want to be: I want to be someone who walks into a room and truly loves and cares about others, to the point of not thinking about myself or what other people think of me. I want to cry when I talk about Jesus because I am so intimate with Him, have experienced so much of his grace and mercy, and I love Him so much. I want to delight in doing things in secret because I get more thrill and fulfillment out of pleasing my Heavenly Father than pleasing others or getting the praise of man. I want to truly to my core live for God's glory above my own. I want to be able to love my enemies and bless those who curse me. I want to feel the power of being calm and at peace in the face of unjust persecution, being misunderstood, or verbal onslaught. I want to use all the parts of my body as servants of God and righteousness, especially my tongue. I want to be so gentle, meek and humble, kind, joyful, upright in integrity, selfless, servant hearted, quick to listen and slow to speak, seeking to help others grow into the whole human being that God designed them to be and loving when someone else outshines me. I want to be filled with faith and radical trust in my God. I want to have a fear and reverence of how amazing and holy and majestic God is. I want to love God far far above all other things. I want to be courageous and fearless. I want to be a prayer warrior. I want to live with an eternal perspective and seek to store up treasures in heaven, not treasures here on earth. And there are so many more things I could write! I have a long way to go, but I know that these visions will be fulfilled by the power of the Spirit because He is more committed to me becoming like Him than I am!
A few more thoughts that are poignant on this topic:
Jesus said, "IF you obey my commands, THEN you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." This verse lets me see that obedience to God's Way and commands leads me into an experiential knowledge that His Way is the BEST way to live, His Way is the most life giving, and His Way leads me to the most whole, free, and full life possible. Obedience and conformity to His image is life on the highest plane. It is interesting that he says we will know the truth and be freed by that truth when we obey Him, not when we read a bunch of books and listen to a bunch of sermons. I am guilty of often seeking to know more about God and His Word, but not first and foremost seeking to know Him and apply the Word to my life. An experiential knowledge of Jesus and the truth is so much better than head level knowledge and has the staying power to keep walking with Jesus in the face of suffering and uncertainty. I am beginning to experience more experiential knowledge of Jesus and the truth, and it is far better than anything else!
Something important for me to remember is that obedience and victory over sin is not the goal. Jesus is! Victory over sin and obedience simply level the path beneath my feet and align me under the waterfall of His life, grace, and love. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." It does not say, "blessed are the pure in heart, for they will be so righteous and holy and amazing and spiritual," but that the pure in heart will be blessed by seeing and getting God Himself.
Lastly, I picture my soul as a vibrant ball of light. When sin entered the picture, that ball of light was turned to darkness, given a few brutal blows, and shattered into many pieces. God wants the best for us. His commands are for our good. He wants us to be whole, free, and fully human. He wants to restore our souls to the vibrant ball of light that we were intended to be. His commands are not to keep us from a "fun" life, but to protect us against sure destruction both in this life and the life to come. When I fully believe this, I will flee from sin because I know that the result of sin is just more darkness, more brutal blows, and more shattering.
One of my favorite verses is Deuteronomy 5:29: "Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!"
The following sermon by Francis Chan, called "when sin looks more enjoyable than God" was really awesome. It greatly impacted me and motivated me to flee from sin!
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