Victory Over Sin

In 1948 while in Bible school I received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Soon after this, the Lord spoke to me that the next move after Pentecost would be the judgment of the Church. He associated this with the sixth of the feasts of the Lord, the Day of Atonement. I asked an elder at that time, Brother Oliver Ellenwood, if he thought it was the Lord who spoke to me. As I remember, he seemed to think it was, although I believe he did not understand what I thought I heard any more than I did. I had been saved for about three years so I had no idea what was meant by the judgment of the Church, or what the Day of Atonement was all about.

(1/8/2005) I have been studying the Bible, and preaching off and on, since 1948. I have learned a lot about the spiritual fulfillment of the Day of Atonement. Also, some understanding of the judgment that is coming upon the Church has been given to me.

Recently I have been reading and thinking about the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation ("Reformation: Europe’s House Divided, 1490-1700. Diarmaid MacCulloch, Penguin Books, 2004).

It appears there was no small discussion, among the theologians of that period, concerning the role righteous behavior plays in our salvation. The idea that no law governs Christians (antinomianism) was considered, and then rejected.

Finally a model emerged:

Man is hopelessly corrupt.

Man is obligated to keep the moral law of God.

Man should make every effort to keep the moral law of God.

Man’s efforts to behave righteously always end in defeat.

Therefore man is admitted to Heaven on the basis of grace (forgiveness.

When I came to Christ, while in the United States Marine Corps, this is what I was taught. I received it without question.

Over the last 58 years I have noticed that the above model seems to prevail in numerous Evangelical churches. I have noticed also that it makes no provision for actually overcoming sin.

When I was reading MacCulloch’s book a couple of nights ago, it became clear to me that the above model is unscriptural. It also is impractical.

When we tell someone he ought to live righteously, and then tell him he will fail, he will not make much progress. It would be as though a general ordered men into battle, telling them at the same time they were going to be defeated; or telling a long-distance runner there is no finish line. It is a formula for failure.

Now the question arises, what does the New Testament tell us about overcoming sin while living in the present world? Does the New Testament inform us that we ought to try to do good, but that it is impossible? Or does the New Testament tell us that if we are to inherit the Kingdom of God we must, through Christ, overcome sin?

One can see at a glance how important this question is.

The New Testament declares in several passages that if we are to inherit the Kingdom of God we must overcome the works of our sinful nature. The Apostle Paul, while urging us to gain victory over sin, informs us that if we do not, we shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.

The New Testament teaches without hesitation that Jesus Christ came to earth to deliver us from sin—not only from the guilt of sin but also from the power of sin; the desire to sin; the compulsion to sin.

Here are a few passages in support of what I have just stated:

John 8:34,35.

Romans 6:15-22.

Romans 8:12,13.

I John 3:4-10 (Please note this passage carefully. It reveals how unscriptural the Reformation model is.).

Galatians 5:19-21.

Ephesians 5:1-5.

Colossians 3:5.

I John 1:9.

I Corinthians 15:34.

Daniel 9:24 prophesies of the time when God puts an end to sin.

Matthew 13:40-43 says that at the end of the age, all sin will be removed from the Kingdom. I submit that this removal will apply with equal force to deceased believers in the spirit world and those alive upon the earth, and, furthermore, that this great day of salvation from sin has begun.

I remember how people used to tarry for the baptism with the Spirit. We had to have faith that it was in the Bible, and then we had to persevere until we received it.

Now we are moving past Pentecost to the Day of Atonement. God will begin to show you the forces in your life that are not godly, not in the image of Jesus Christ.

When God reveals to you the ungodly desires in you, confess them clearly to God. Denounce them as unclean. Renounce them, asking the Lord to remove them totally from your personality. You will find after that, that their power is greatly weakened and you can gain the upper hand over them.

Remember, for the program of judgment (on unclean spirits) and deliverance to be effective you must be denying yourself, taking your cross, and following the Lord Jesus at all times. If you do not, the unclean desires will return in greater number, because you have provided an empty house for them.

Ours is the day when both the tares of sin and the wheat of Christ are coming to maturity. God wants to tear out the tares and increase the Presence of Christ in us.

It is a step-by-step entrance into the Fullness of God, into our inheritance.

What I have just written has been proven in my own life and in the lives of many others. We are not speaking of some foolish sinless perfection fantasy, but of a patient war against the acts of the sinful nature. Check out Romans 8:13. If we as a Christian live according to the actions of our sinful nature we will die spiritually. If, on the other hand, we through the Holy Spirit put these desires to death, we will live. We will attain to complete readiness for the resurrection, the redemption of our mortal body, when Christ appears.

The time is now. The Day of Redemption has begun. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ if what I have written is true. If He says yes, then listen to the Spirit; for He will lead you to complete victory over all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.