2 Ways of Biblical R.E.S.P.O.N.S.E.

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.

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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.