When it comes to sin, it is easier to get religious instead of spiritual. We often think if we know it is wrong then we should just stop doing it. But religion and rules does nothing to help us to overcome sin. Instead rules show us how we fail and further provoke sin. The Bible calls us to true spirituality in our fight against sin. The Bible teaches us that becoming more spiritual means becoming more loving. Therefore to overcome sin, we must become more loving. Becoming spiritual is all about love. There is no greater message. There is no greater power: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12-14).
The Two Greatest Commandments: Growing up in the Lord is to fully realize the two great commandments of loving God and loving others. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Mathew 22:37-40). The Law and the Prophets rest on the ultimate power of love.
Love for God: We love God because He first loved us. “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1John 5:3-5). To love God means that we begin to obey Him as well as do things His way. That goes a long way towards solving the problem of sin. “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” (1John 4:11-12).
Loving others: This commandment goes a long way to resolve of how we treat other people. What we don’t often think about is that loving others is part of the cure of sin to self. The sins of laziness and gluttony are neglecting your health. Not getting healthy would not only be a sin of self, but also a sin that could also damage the quality of life of your children and their children. Neglecting a healthy lifestyle could result in a premature life span. For those left behind, fears of abandonment carry forward from generation to generation. No matter what someone is struggling with, often someone else is being hurt by the sin. Addictions hurt the family. Irresponsibility hurts everyone. There are no victimless crimes, and in helping people with sin, the Bible firmly declares a strong message: think of how your behavior is affecting other people. Understanding how your sin affects others will motivate you to stop sinning when religion won’t.
Love motivates us to do the things we want to, not because we ought to. Remember, we are powerless over sin, and poor in spirit. Give no excuse for your sin. Sin is not just external, but internal. The formula for dealing with sin of self is confession, forgiveness, and repentance. Very similar, the sin done to us by others requires confession, forgiveness, healing the wounds, and reconciliation. Both kinds of sin require receiving and granting grace, facing the truth, and reconciling as much as possible. Do you see the seriousness of your sin and its destructiveness?
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