We cannot control everything that
occurs in life, but we can control our response.
R.E.S.P.O.N.S.E. is about Resisting Every Sin Possible (and) Owning No Sin Eternally.
When we can implement
R.E.S.P.O.N.S.E. we have the ability to prevent falling for inadequate and
insufficient solutions to our problems. And when we do fall, R.E.S.P.O.N.S.E.
helps us not remain in our sin. Both of these responses help us deal with our
problems—those that come at us, initially, and those we don’t deal well with,
initially, before we reconcile our sin.
Regarding every action is the intent behind the action, and each action is deemed as either
proactive, in the case of resisting every sin possible, or reactive, as in the
case of owning no sin eternally.
Resisting Every Sin Possible
Our call is to wisdom, first and
foremost. If it hadn’t have been for the Fall we would have perfect access to
wisdom. But, as it is, we have these sinful natures that interact with a broken
world, and there also are evil forces about. All these three, together—our
sinful natures, the world, and satanic forces—contribute to the ever present
spiritual hazard hunt we are perennially tempted by.
We need to resist every sin
possible. It is the mandate of the person after holiness.
The best ways to resist every sin
possible are actually positively slanted; to replace bad habits with good, and
the like.
Much of the time resisting every
sin possible is about self-control, whilst adding the remainder of the Fruit of
the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) helps a great deal.
The large part of our lives to the
end of sanctification is in living as obediently as possible. To a lesser or
greater extent we will succeed, depending on how much we are inherently saved
from these temptations, and how resiliently we overcome them.
The first idea of a
biblically-backed R.E.S.P.O.N.S.E. is proactive—to resist every sin possible to
the best of our abilities.
Owning No Sin
Eternally
The idea of the righteous life is
hampered, conceptually and practically, by the fact we sin. We will not be able
to resist every sin possible. Sometimes we are trapped in the body, or the mind
is plagued with wicked thoughts, or the heart is virulently unable to conceive
the purity of God.
Grace is the eternal gift covering our sin. If sin were not irreconcilable in
this life we would not need grace; we would not need a Saviour. But we do need
a Saviour!
The idea behind owning no sin
eternally is one of R.E.S.P.O.N.S.E. We need an out. Plain and very simple, for
times when we mess up, we need reconciliation with God, and help in living less
guilty lives. Grace provides.
Owning no sin eternally is the
response, made once and for all time, of accepting salvation, and certainly in
the moment as we repent, whereby we endure no eternal cost of our sin. God’s
forgiveness has covered our sin, once and for all time.
***
We cannot control everything that
occurs to us in life, but we can respond well. God is with us both in our
intent not to sin, and in our intent to be forgiven for our sin. R.E.S.P.O.N.S.E.,
therefore, is about Resisting Every Sin Possible (and) Owning No Sin Eternally.
© 2012 S. J. Wickham.
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