Indwelling What???..

Shane and I ate dinner at our pastor and his wife's house last night. He encouraged us to think on indwelling sin and righteous anger vs. sinful anger while walking us through many scriptures.  So today, I am definitely thinking about it.....

Charles Spurgeon put it this way:

"When a man is saved by divine grace, he is not wholly cleansed from the corruption of his heart."

This makes so much sense because all of us Christians know that once we believe, it doesn't become easier, and we still have to deal with this "indwelling sin." 

Here are some more Spurgeon quotes that really helped me:

"Even the righteous have in them evil natures."

"In your best and happiest moments, sin dwells in you."

"The truly loving child of God, though he knows sin is there, hates that sin; it is a pain and misery to him, and he never makes the corruption of his heart as an excuse for the corruption of his life."

"When you desire to be most alive to God--you will generally find sin most alive to repel you. Sin exerts a checking power on every good thing."

"Indwelling sin makes the assault on us. I would not expect victory from one in which I am doing to the attacking."

"The evil nature is always evil. The new nature must always wrestle and fight with it. When they are not in conflict, they are still foes."

"Nothing shows blackness like exposure to light. If I would see the blackness of my own character, I must put it side by side with spotless purity."

"Self-sufficiency is Satan's net, wherein he catcheth men, like poor silly fish, and doth destroy them. Think yourselves nothing, for ye are nothing, and live by God's help."

For the full text click here.

John Piper says these things about indwelling sin from Rom. 7:14-25:

"Paul is not saying that Christians live in continual defeat, but that no Christian lives in continual victory over sin."

The normal way a healthy Christian should respond: 
1. I love the Law of God. Rom. 7:22
2. I hate what I just did. Rom. 7:15

"The Christian admits that there is in all of us Christians, as long as this fallen age lasts and we live on the earth, the reality of indwelling sin." Rom. 7:17,20

"Do not get off balance with either extreme to say there is no holiness necessary or that perfection is possible in this age."

Piper says that when dealing with indwelling sin, the question is not whether we are a Christian or not.  I have gone through times where I have read through the works of the flesh in Galatians 5 and thought surely I am not saved when I know through many assurances that I received the Holy Spirit when I believed many years ago.  Or... I have struggled with my attitude and failed time after time to think surely I am not saved because I cannot "do what I will to do" which is live for God as Paul says.  Instead, if we are born again Christians having received the Holy Spirit as our guarantee and deal with indwelling sin (and we will), according to Piper, the test is this:
               

"Do we love the law? Do we hate our failure? Do we cry out in dismay over our sinful condition? Do we look to Christ and His righteousness? Do we fly to the cross? Do we confess and repent and renounce Satan and set our faces to go forward with Jesus on the Calvary road?"

I believe there are 6 parts to John Piper's sermon on Rom. 7.  You can find them here.

Of course, Shane and I had a lot more personal encouragement and applications learned in fellowship with our pastor.  I hope this encourages you to think on this as well. How does it affect your personal relationship with Christ and your relationships with others?