Some things in the Bible are easier to read and talk about than they are to put into practice. Hatred of sin is one of those things. I have little difficulty in hating your sin, but when it comes to my sin, I’m often attached. In fact, when it comes to my sin, I am often blind to it. Yet, in spite of my attachment or ignorance, the Bible is plain about my responsibility toward sin. I am to hate sin (Psalm 97:10), not practice sin (1 John 3:4) and to not let it reign in and over me (Romans 6:12). I am to be in constant battle with sin, trusting in the power of Jesus who has already won the victory of sin to reign in me.
Of course, hating sin and leaning on Jesus is not always as easy as it sounds. We like our sin. This should come as no surprise, the Bible tells us that sin is good for a season, but that season will eventually end and sin fully conceived leads to death. Because sin is ultimately an act of rebellion against God and because of sin’s dire ramifications, regardless of the difficulty involved, believers must put to death the sin that reigns within them and live lives that are fully pleasing to God, because anyone who makes a practice of sinning is not of God, but of the devil. How then can we begin to hate our sin and love Jesus more? Here are a few practical steps to hate your own sin.
- View sin as God views sin. Spend time in the Word of God to understand, not only who God is, but what it is that God says about you. Recognize that sin is not merely “missing the mark” or “not doing God’s best for your life.” Sin is missing the mark and it is not God’s ideal for your life, but it is also rebellion against a holy God. Sin is a serious affront to the righteous character of God. See sin for what it is, a cosmic insult to the God of the universe.
- Be specific about your sin. You are not merely struggling or having a hard time. Specifically name your sin, “I am in sin by worrying,” or “I sinned by watching porn.” Vague terms allow us to avoid coming to grips with reality. Neglecting your personal devotions is not primarily about “busyness,” specifically you “other things are more important to me than God’s Word.” The woman at the well in John 4 tried to be vague, but Jesus forced her to be specific. We cannot recon with our sin until we are willing to acknowledge it specifically.
- Pursue Accountability. If you are serious about hating sin, find someone who will hold you accountable for the sin you have identified in your life and who will point out the sin that lives in your blind-spots. Accountability is hard to come by unless you pursue someone and give them explicit permission to speak into your life. If you are waiting for accountability to find you, you may wait your entire life. Of course, you must also be humble enough to hear and heed the words of others about deep-rooted sin in your life.
- Meditate on the Victory of Christ. Focus on Christ’s victory and all that it cost him to obtain it. Do you want to hate sin, look at what sin did to your Savior. Your love of Christ should urge upon you the hatred of sin. Satan attempts to blind us to the depravity of sin, but on look upon the cross of Christ should serve to remind us of the incredible cost of our sin. Meditate upon Christ’s suffering and victory. A long look upon the wounds of Christ should drive us from our sin and into his arms of victory.
Sanctification is not an easy or short process, but you and I can grow in our fellowship with Christ. The difficult work of sanctification is worthwhile, for the momentary enjoyment that comes with sin cannot replace the eternal satisfaction that is found in a life hidden in Christ.
