Yes To The Truth: Struggle with Sin and Double-Mindedness

Submit yourselves therefore to God. #ToDo Resist the devil, #ToDo and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, #ToDo and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, #ToDo you sinners; and purify your hearts, #ToDo you double-minded. (James 4:7-8)

Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness [that's repentance], receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word [that's faith], and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. (James 1:21-22)

No Israelite God had taken out of Egypt was still under the orders of an Egyptian master as a slave, but some kept the ways of Egypt in their hearts, even desiring to go back at some point (Numbers 14:4) and that displeased God. They had been set free to serve Him (ex: Exodus 7:16). Christians today who perpetually struggle with sin struggle with hating sin and loving God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength as Jesus has commanded. It's a sad double-mindedness because no one can serve two masters as Jesus taught (Matthew 6:24). Either God is one's master or sin is. Either one is a servant of God or the servant of sin. Either one has wholly surrendered his/her heart to God or he/she has not. Double-mindedness is at the root of constant struggles with sin.

The relationship believers have with Jesus is likened to a marriage. "I do" to Jesus means "I die" to my (old) self and "no more" to sin (but faithfulness to Jesus).

Mark 8:34-35
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

The old, defeated life "sold under sin" (Romans 7:14) is lost because of the cross that destroys it. The born again Christian is not the "wretched man" of Romans 7:24. Note that readings of Romans 7 must continue until at least Romans 8:2 for the conclusion! It's the law of sin and death that had Paul bound (Romans 7:23) before he came to be "in Christ Jesus" and under no condemnation, no longer walking according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1-2). That struggle in Romans 7 wasn't the pattern of his entire life. And Romans 6 shows his foundation as a Christian (follower of Jesus Christ).

Romans 6:4-7
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

The apostle says "if" (v. 5), so it's a way to check what is and what should be and not have doubts needlessly. That is the devil's plan. The world is a mess and the word is a means of troubleshooting one's walk to ensure one is doing the will of God. And what is described in the above passage must happen for one to have the freedom and the hope that comes in Christ, and have true fellowship with Him in the light:

1 John 1:5-7
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Jesus gives instructions to his followers when He forgives their past sins as they come to Him with a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17, Psalm 34:18), totally tired with sin and helpless (fully understanding their need of a Savior). No one can condemn them once Jesus wipes their slate clean and says, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11). It's a command, so the reality is that a struggle to "sin no more" is a struggle to love Jesus, and it's a struggle to trust that his ways of righteousness and holiness are good and better than any way of sin; and therefore it's a lack of faith in being delivered from sin by taking up one's cross to follow Jesus. If one does not hate his/her sin like God hates sin, that person is not in agreement with God and is possibly double-minded about approaching God for his deliverance (salvation by faith in Jesus). The Good News of salvation from sin that Jesus brought to the world must indeed be a "good news" to anyone who will call upon the name of the Lord to be saved (Romans 10:9). God sees the hearts of all. Any remaining love for sinful pleasures must be understood for the evil that it is and forsaken as God commands to those who will call upon his name to be saved (2 Timothy 2:19). It may feel like "dying" to never again indulge in some sin, but God rewards those who will give up sin to live for Him. That's giving one's life to Him and not trying to "save" it. Jesus says it like this: "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it" (Mark 8:35). When such cry out to Him in their brokenness, seeking his forgiveness for their past sins and a new life, He will hear and heal them.

John 14:15, 21
15 If you love me, keep my commandments. (Jesus says)
21 He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

How do we know that we love God?

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

If sinners do not believe who Jesus said He is, the Savior of the world who came out of heaven to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Him (Acts 26:18), then they can be complacent in sin and darkness and call it the (or their) Christian life. They have not believed the Good News actually. The grace of God is power to walk in the will of God, loving God and neighbor out of a pure heart (1 Timothy 1:5; James 4:8). That is what Jesus calls us to.

Jesus responds to the heart that is ready for that walk with Him with his saving grace:

Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying (saying 'No' to) ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

And God's word must be in a believer's heart to produce the transformation promised in the Good News.

John 8:31-36
31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free?’” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 A slave does not live in the house forever. A son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Romans 6:16-18
16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, whether of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were servants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 Being made free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.

1 Peter 4:1-5
1 Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin; 2 that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for human desires, but for the will of God. 3 For enough time in the past has been spent doing the will of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries. 4 They think it is strange that you do not run with them into the same flood of debauchery, blaspheming: 5 who will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Galatians 5:24
Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.

2 Timothy 2:23-26
23 Do not have anything to do with foolish and stupid discussions, because you know they breed arguments. 24 A servant of the Lord must not argue. Instead, he must be kind to everyone, teachable, willing to suffer wrong, 25 and gentle when refuting opponents. After all, maybe God will allow them to repent and to come to a full knowledge of the truth, 26 so that they might escape from the devil’s snare, even though they’ve been held captive by him to his will.

1 John 3:7-10
7 Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever is born of God does not commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever does not do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who does not love his brother.

Ephesians 4:17-24
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts; 19 who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ that way; 21 if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old self, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit; 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46)

"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

See also:
Struggling with Sin - YouTube playlist

Crucify the Flesh - YouTube playlist

Jonah called the city of Nineveh to repentance FF

Out of Egypt and Out of Sin

Repentance According to the Bible