Search The Scriptures: September 30, 2001
WHY DO I DO WHAT I DON’T WANT TO DO?
INTRODUCTION:
A. Good morning and welcome to this edition of the bible study program - Search the
Scriptures. My name is J.R. Bronger, and on behalf of the Danville church of Christ that
sponsors this program, I am delighted to have you join us as we study the word of Almighty
God. The Danville church of Christ presents this program because we are dedicated to
restoring original first-century Christianity in the hearts and minds of twenty-first-century men
and women.
B. Friday night the Danville church of Christ concluded a sensational week of spiritual
encouragement. The gospel meeting we just concluded was a success in many - many ways. We
witnessed the convicted commit to Christ. We were encouraged and edified by a study of the
bible and we were able to visit with many of you, our special friends, who listen each week to
this radio program. On behalf of the Danville church of Christ, I want to say thank you to each
of you who helped make last week a success. Also, I want to thank brethren from all over who
visited and encouraged us in this effort. It is refreshing to know that there are good, godly men
and women who love and support the truth of the bible.
C. Before setting out on our study for this morning, let me remind you that if you have any
questions or comments, or if you would just like to browse our web site, you can do so at
www.danvillechurchofchrist.org. You can contact me by way of the web site or by phoning the
office at the building of the Danville church of Christ. That phone number is: 745-4708. Please
let me hear from you, especially if you have a subject or a text you would like to hear discussed
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on Search the Scriptures. Also, if you hear a sermon on Search the Scriptures that you would
like to have, either on cassette tape or CD, just let us know because we will be happy to give it
to you absolutely free of charge. Just contact us and let us know which sermon you would like. If
you order a lesson, please do so by the date the study aired.
D. My friends, in any discussion of the subject of sin, several important details must be
established, not the least of which is a biblical understanding of the subject of sin. That is, we
must come to an understanding of sin - as it is defined and described by the bible. In doing this
we soon discover that the core meaning of sin is revealed in 1 Jn. 3:4 that says, whoever
commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. This verse helps us to develop an
elementary understanding of sin. Sin is lawlessness, or as the King James Version declares, sin
is a transgression of the law of God as that law is revealed to us in the bible. Therefore,
whenever someone disobeys any of the decrees of scripture - that one is guilty of sin. Those who
come to Christ have recognized the pillage of sin in their lives, and have sought forgiveness from
God. Furthermore, those who become Christians have repented of a life of sin and pledge to
abandon sin. Yet, I am persuaded, it must be acknowledged by everyone who is a Christian that
the draw [or allurement] of sin is ever present. That is, we are constantly bombarded with the
temptation to transgress the law of God. This is why, after being saved, we are admonished to
steadfastly resist the temptation to sin. John says in 1 Jn. 2:1 my little children, these things I
write to you, that you may not sin. Each believer must endeavor to live his or her life abstaining
from sin. That is, we must put forth an honest effort to avoid sin. However, we also must admit
that we often fail miserably in the attempt to avoid sin. Frequently, in spite of making this pledge
to abandon sin, we recognize that we often fail to totally refrain from all sin. You see, my
friends, John also reminds us in 1 Jn. 1:8 if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
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and the truth is not in us. However, all is not lost. John continues in 1 Jn. 2:1 and if anyone
sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The truth of the matter
is this; the life of a Christian is one of constant battle; a battle between good and evil; a battle
between right and wrong. The apostle Paul acknowledged his personal struggle with sin when he
said in 1 Cor. 9:27 but I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have
preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. And in describing this conflict Paul
wrote in Rom. 7:19 for the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I
practice. My friends, I believe this is something each of us must face and admit. That is, we
must admit that we’re constantly struggling with sin, and that we often find ourselves doing the
very things that we know we should not be doing. Why? Why is it that Christians are repeatedly
doing things we know we should not be doing? Why do we so often engage in acts of sin? Acts
that we know full well to be wrong? Now, hold on a minute. Don’t take this where I never
intend for it to be taken. I am not addressing those, who have no regard for right and wrong. I
am not discussing those, who have no respect for the will and desires of God. I do not refer
to those who are in rebellion to God and his will. These people do not care that they transgress
the will of God. Instead, I’m discussing the problem of sin in the lives of those who are trying to
battle sin - and who are trying to, in the words of the apostle John, sin not. Now with this in
mind, this morning we are going to answer the question most Christians face, which is: Why do
I do what I don’t want to do?
I. My friends, I believe the answer is a lot less complex than we might first believe. But before
we can scripturally answer the question we must first expose some untruthful answers some have
suggested. Some religious organizations teach that after one becomes a Christian that he will
never struggle with sin again. This is, we’re told, because God will removes from him something
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called the “old sinful nature.” And when this is done, then man loses his capability to ever
commit sin again. This doctrine is not only false, but it’s totally irrational. It’s false because God
said it was false in 1 Jn. 1:10. There John writes, if we say that we have not sinned, we make
him a liar, and his word is not in us. Are you prepared to call God a liar? If you say that you are
capable of living above sin, then you are calling God a liar. And any doctrine that calls God a
liar is, not only false, but blasphemous. And, my friends, this doctrine is illogical, because any
thinking man or woman knows that he or she is faced with temptations daily. Living above
temptation was something even Jesus did not do. The bible tells us Jesus was tempted after he
was baptized by John. Matt. 4:1 says, then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to
be tempted by the devil. Also, the writer of the book of Hebrews commented on the temptations
of Jesus. He said in Heb. 4:15 for we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with
our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Ladies and gentlemen,
all Christians are constantly assaulted with temptations. The book of Hebrews was written to
Christians who were being tempted to abandon Christ and return to the Law of Moses. And,
furthermore, they were reminded that only Christ lived without giving in to these temptations.
Therefore, the solution of some to the question why do I do what I don't want to do, is to say,
men and women will not be doing what they know to be wrong, because after becoming a
Christian one will not be able to sin. But, this is a fraudulent explanation, and therefore it’s false
doctrine. And another untruthful answer to the question is we just can’t help it. That is, we are
unable to resist sin because of the way God created us. That is, we are made, by God, so weak
that we are incapable of resisting temptation. My friends, this is not true. Hear me carefully,
anytime we discuss the reality of sin in the life of a Christian, we are not saying that man must
sin. Saying man will sin and saying man must sin are not identical statements, and anyone
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saying they are is wrong. Let’s revisit 1 Jn. 2:1, where John makes it clear that man does not
have to sin. There John writes, my little children, these things I write to you, that you may not
sin. Here John states the ideal, of which man is capable; do not sin! And, yet while man does not
have to sin, John, however, says that man will sin. The verse continues, and if anyone sins, we
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Please, my friends, do not
believe the false doctrine that makes being a Christian no different from being an unbeliever.
Some bumper stickers seen on cars tend to espouse this godless doctrine. These stickers saying
Christians are not perfect, just forgiven suggests that the life of a Christian and the life of a
non-Christian has no noticeable differences in behavior. This doctrine says that both Christians
and non-Christians are both serving sin, but the believer is forgiven and the unbeliever is not.
However, Paul asked in Rom. 6:1 what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace
may abound? To which he gave this answer in verse 2. Certainly not! How shall we who died
to sin live any longer in it? Christians do not have to commit sin, but Christians will. And just
knowing something is wrong will not insulate us against doing the wrong. Peter knew that
hypocrisy was wrong but he committed it and Paul had to rebuke him for it. In Gal. 2:11 Paul
wrote, but when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be
blamed. Therefore, we are still left with our dilemma, Why do we sometimes do what we
really do not want to do? So, now let’s search out the bible for the scriptural answer.
II. To do this, let’s read several verses, and in doing so let’s try to find a common thread. First,
we will note 2 Thess. 2:11 that says, and for this reason God will send them strong delusion,
that they should believe the lie. Next we move to Rom. 1:25, where people are said to have
exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the
Creator. Then we go back to the Old Testament, where we find Isaiah saying in Isa. 28:15,
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because you have said, we have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we are in
agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us, for we have
made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves. Now, my friends, have
you been able to spot a common cord? I hope so! I hope you were able to pick up on the
references to lies. Each of these verses reported that people engaged in sin because they first
believed a lie or lies. The prophet Amos sums it up flawlessly in Amos 2:4 when he quotes God
as saying, their lies lead them astray. What very often happens in our struggle with temptations
and sin is that we have believed a lie. Ladies and gentlemen, whenever we accept as fact
something that is false, this will lead us into error. The reason many disciples of the Lord are
becoming casualties to sin is because they have believed a lie, and acted accordingly. Many
times we lose the battle with sin because we are operating under a false premise. And, any false
presupposition will not allow for success in overcoming the battle against sin. A false
assumption will only permit one to lose in the battle to overcome temptations. What are some of
the lies Christians are likely to believe, which might allow for one doing what he does not want
to do? One, is believing that lust and temptations are irresistible forces. That is, we believe
we just cannot possibly overcome temptation. That is, we believe the lie that says - the force of
temptation is so great that we just can’t resist. My friends, the power of temptations and the
outgrowth of habits are strong, but they can be resisted and overcome. They are powerful, but
not omnipotent. In describing the process of temptation James wrote in Jas. 1:13-15, let no one
say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he
himself tempt anyone. [He is saying God is not the source of temptation, instead], each one is
tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has
conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. However, my
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friends, these desires are not so powerful that they cannot be overcome. I know this because
James already said in Jas. 1:12 blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has
been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love
him. Do not believe the lie that says you cannot overcome the forces of temptation, because you
can! You can, because God made each of us to be a product of our own thoughts. Pro.23:7 says,
for as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Ladies and gentlemen, knowing that temptation can be
resisted, and knowing that according to Phil. 4:13 we can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me - gives hope to all believers in the battle against temptations. As children of God
we are not mere pawns in the hand of the devil. God does not allow the devil to have complete
mastery over us. To the contrary, Jas. 4:7 says, therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he
will flee from you. The lie that says we cannot resist the forces of desire and craving, has given
rise to the epidemic of victimization we see around us daily. That is, no one is guilty of sin,
because what is being done is uncontrollable. Therefore, we are being convinced not to call
something sinful, because the one engaging in any behavior is simply a victim of his passions.
For example, the drunk cannot control his urge for alcohol, and the homosexual cannot control
his yearning for some one of the same sex. Also, the adulteress cannot control her eroticism, and
the thief cannot suppress his greed for what does not belong to him. Furthermore, the liar cannot
distinguish between truth and falsehoods, and the overeater cannot suppress his hunger. But we
must dismiss this lie and come to understand that through the Lord we can overcome. We are not
victims! And, if you know this, you will not likely become a slave to your lusts. And, then a
second lie we might accept is the lie that says someone else is responsible for what we’re
doing. That is, when I face temptation and give in, I am not accountable for my sin - because
someone else is. Many people mistakenly believe they are merely puppets in the hands of others.
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For example, some people blame a mate, a boss, a neighbor, or perhaps their own children, or
someone else for their actions. Consequently making that person [or those people] accountable
for anything that was done. Ladies and gentlemen, if I believe someone other than myself is
responsible for my behavior, then I will not be as cautious as I otherwise would be. If I believe
that my behavior is the product of what others do or have done, then I can say or do anything
with total impunity. For example, I could steal if I believed I was underpaid. I could commit
adultery if I felt I was being neglected. I could kill if I thought I was being mistreated. And I
could disobey God if I discovered there were hypocrites in the church. I could stop assembling
with the church if I believed that the preacher failed to speak to me. There would be no end of
whom we could blame for anything we choose to do. But the truth is, no one is to blame for
what I choose to do. Remember what the prophet of God said long ago in Ezek. 18:20. The soul
who sins shall die . . . the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. My friend if you
honestly believe someone else is responsible for your behavior, then you will lose your battle
with temptation. You can’t possibly hope to overcome temptation, when you refuse to accept
responsibility for your conduct. Besides this, you will never confess and forsake sins in your life,
if you believe others are to blame for them. And, then a third lie one is likely to believe is that
circumstances are to blame for one’s weakness, and sins. A current belief is this - that we are
just products of our environment. I know that our surroundings contribute greatly to our attitudes
and concepts, but they can be overcome. And, the lie that says, I am the way I am because of my
childhood and therefore somehow not responsible is a prescription for disaster. For example,
perhaps, one concludes that he wasn’t nurtured enough as a baby, so therefore he is not
responsible for walking away from his family. Or, since his mother embarrassed him in front of
his fifth grade classmates, he isn’t accountable for abusing his wife. Or, since he has been
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discriminated against he isn’t to blame when he steals from those who offended him. My friends,
if these so-called ministers who are creating an atmosphere of exoneration for sinful behavior
would stop trying to excuse the sinner, and begin to accuse the sin, we would begin to see an
awakening of righteousness in this country. If people would just understand that we cannot
excuse our vile behavior because of our circumstances - then we might begin to overcome sin in
our lives. Once a man came to Jesus pleading for the Lord to correct an injustice in his life. This
man came to Jesus asking for a favor because the circumstances surrounding the death of his
parents were depriving him of his inheritance. Let’s listen in on this man’s request. We pick up
our reading in Lk. 12:13. Then one from the crowd said to him, teacher, tell my brother to
divide the inheritance with me. According to his appeal he was being cheated out of what was
rightfully his. Perhaps his brother was not willing to give anything to him, or perhaps his
brother was withholding some of what he had coming. Either way, the man petitioned Jesus for
help. Now consider the Lord’s answer! Lk. 12:14-15 says, but he [Jesus] said to him, [The man
making the request] man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you? And he said to them
[That is, all who were present, including the man asking for Jesus to help settle this injustice in
his life], take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the
abundance of the things he possesses. If there was ever a time when injustice and ill treatment
provided an excuse for sin, this was the case. This man was being cheated, and it seemed only
fair to have this inequality corrected. But, instead of excusing this man’s covetousness because
of his circumstances - Jesus accuses him of Greed. Had Jesus pampered him, and only rebuked
the brother for his covetousness this man may never have learned of his sin. Until we begin to
look inward for the source of our sin and stop believing that our sinful behavior is due to
external circumstances, we will never gain control of our lives. And, we will continually be
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doing what we know to be wrong. Another lie that is so often believe, which allows for sinful
behavior is the one that says, This [whatever this might be] is good for me. Often when a
Christian is faced with temptation, he may (for just a fleeting second) believe it is for his good.
He might begin to think, “I know it's wrong, but I think I deserve it just this one time.” Or, he
might conclude “I wouldn’t ordinarily do this, but I really need to now.” Whether it’s stealing,
lying, drunkenness, adultery or fraud, if we try hard enough we can convince ourselves that it is
for our immediate benefit. Or, we can convince ourselves that we have a right to happiness, and
the sin we are being tempted to commit happens to be that which will give us the happiness we
deserve at the time. Many disciples have lost the battle with temptation because they suddenly
discovered that what they were desiring was what they needed and what they deserved. This lie
has been around for as long as man has been on the earth. Before Eve ate of the forbidden fruit,
she convinced herself that eating was best for her. That is, she was persuaded that eating the fruit
forbidden by God was good for her. It didn’t matter that God said not to eat it. And, it didn’t
matter that if it was eaten she would die. She became thoroughly convinced that disobeying God
was to her supreme advantage. Notice what’s said in Gen. 3:6. So when the woman saw that the
tree was good for food. [Perhaps she was hungry, and she deserved to be filled, and this fruit
was handy, and it would satisfy her hunger. And, after all, everybody has a right to food. Also
she noticed] that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise. [Not just
wise, but wise like God according to verse 5. Not only would it satisfy her hunger; it would give
her wisdom comparable only with the wisdom of God. Eve may have felt she deserved this, and
that this divine wisdom was for her good. After all, knowledge is good and ignorance is
detestable. So] she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
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There have been many Christians who have yielded to temptation for the same reasons as Eve.
Many Christians who have known better - gave in to the lusts of the flesh because they became
convinced that they needed to - at a particular time in their life have what they were craving. Sin
is never good for you, the bible tells us in Rom. 6:23 the wages of sin is death. It always has
been and always will be.
III. My friends, we are in a struggle with sin, and Paul described it this way in Eph. 6:12, for we
do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
And, this battle is being fought every day and in every way, but the victory can be won.
However, to win this battle we must be armed with the truth, and we cannot believe the lies of
Satan. We cannot believe that (One) Temptation is irresistible. Or, (Two) That someone other
than ourselves is responsible for what we do. Or, (Three) That our circumstances are somehow
to blame for what we choose to become. And neither can we believe that any sin is good for us.
Remember Jesus said in a prayer to his Father in Jn. 17:15 I do not pray that you should take
them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. We are in this world
and we are in constant confrontation with the evil one. But we are promised in 1 Jn. 4:4, you are
of God . . . He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Also, Jesus said in Jn. 15:5
without me you can do nothing. But this does not mean that Christ will overcome for us. What it
means is, with his help we can achieve the victory. Jesus also promised in Rev. 2:7 to him who
overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
Truly, we can have victory in Jesus. Through Christ, we no longer have to suffer the ravages of
sin. We can - and we will - overcome, and we no longer must spend the rest of our lives doing
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what we do not want to do. But this does not happen miraculously. As Christians we must be
willing to recognize the truth of 1 Cor. 10:13, no temptation has overtaken you except such as
is common to man. [Everyone is subject to the same temptations, and those you face are no
greater and no different from those faced by others. Also remember] God is faithful, who will
not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make
the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Bearing it, however, is defined in the next
verse, therefore, my beloved, flee!
CONCLUSION:
A. Sin will be in this world until the Lord returns, but sin is not omnipotent. Through Christ we
can Flee and we can gain the victory over sin.
B. And, with this I must close for today. Thanks for being with us and be sure to stay tuned for
some important closing announcements. Also, please join us next Sunday morning at 7:00 as we
once again Search the Scriptures. Until then, for the Danville church of Christ, this is J.R.
Bronger saying goodbye for now.