Confronting Sin: Killing Our Pets, Pursuing Holiness

Sin is a topic that often makes us uncomfortable. It's not a pleasant subject to discuss, and it's certainly not something we like to admit to struggling with. Yet, as Christians, we are called to confront and overcome sin in our lives. So, how do we go about doing that? Is it as simple as slowly reducing the amount of sin we engage in, gradually weaning ourselves off of it? This is a common approach that some well-meaning leaders and programs promote. However, is it really the right way to address sin?

In a recent encounter, I found myself in a gathering led by a highly recommended program for male Christian purity. The leader shared his strategy for dealing with sexual sin. He suggested that if we are struggling consistently with sexual sin, we should gradually reduce the frequency of our sinful actions. For example, if we are sinning six times a week, we should aim to sin only five times a week for a period of time, then decrease to four, then three, and so on, until we reach zero. This approach seemed to make sense to many in the room, as they nodded in agreement. However, I couldn't help but feel that something was off.

I mustered up the courage to speak up and asked the leader to repeat what he had just said. I wanted to make sure I hadn't misunderstood his words. To my dismay, he confirmed that his strategy indeed involved gradually reducing the amount of sin we engage in. I couldn't help but shake my head in disbelief.

Sin is not something we can simply manage or control. It is not a pet that we can train or domesticate. Sin is more akin to a wild animal, a lion, a wolf, or a bear. It bites and hunts at will, attacking with the ferocity of a piranha. Sin is a restless evil, fueled by the fires of hell. It cannot be tamed, rehabilitated, or redeemed. Sin will never wear a collar, stay in its kennel, or stop clawing at our throats. It marks us as targets for the wrath of God and makes us worthy of death (Colossians 3:5-6, Romans 1:32).

To treat sin as something we can gradually wean ourselves off of is to trivialize its true nature. Sin is not a minor offense that can be managed like breaking the speed limit. It is a grave offense against God, a betrayal of our truest Friend, a dishonoring of our heavenly Father, and an act of war against our mighty King. Sin is the creature spitting in the face of its Almighty Creator.

John Bunyan, the author of "The Pilgrim's Progress," aptly describes sin as the dare of God's justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love. Sin is not something we should make peace with or mark in our calendars. It must be destroyed by the Spirit if we want to truly live (Romans 8:13).

C.S. Lewis, in his book "The Great Divorce," beautifully illustrates the futility of training our sin rather than killing it. In one scene, a Ghost who has been kept out of heaven clings to his pet sin, a red lizard. An angel offers to kill the lizard, but the Ghost resists, suggesting that a gradual process would be better. The lizard whispers in his ear, pleading for its life, promising to provide only nice dreams and innocence. The Ghost is hesitant to let go of his sin, fearing that without it, he would be left as a mere ghost, not a real man. But the angel insists that the gradual process is of no use at all.

We often fall into the trap of training our sin rather than killing it. We may try to fight sin because we don't want to confess it again to our accountability group. We may only pray about our sin after we have committed it again. We may neglect seeking Christ's presence, neglect communing with Him in prayer and His word, neglect inviting believers into our lives to hold us accountable. In doing so, we are training our sin to play dead without actually killing it.

But the Bible calls us to renounce our sin, to turn away from it completely. Our salvation depends on it. We are justified through faith alone, but our final salvation comes through both justification and sanctification, initiated and sustained by God's grace.

The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). The apostle Paul reminds us, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13). We must not be deceived. If we sow to the flesh, we will reap ruin (Galatians 6:8). The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Jesus Himself warns that many will say on the day of judgment that they knew Him, but He will cast them out into darkness because they were "workers of lawlessness" (Matthew 7:21-23).

As Christians, we must be vigilant in our fight against sin. We must be willing to kill our pets, or else our pets will end up killing us. We cannot afford to make provision for sin in our lives. We must constantly be putting sin to death through the power of the Holy Spirit. This means seeking Christ's presence daily, communing with Him in prayer and His word, and inviting believers into our lives to hold us accountable. We must be willing to confess our sins, repent, and turn away from them completely.

In conclusion, sin is not something we can gradually wean ourselves off of. It is not a pet that we can train or domesticate. Sin is a wild animal that must be killed. We must renounce our sin and turn away from it completely. Our salvation depends on it. As we strive for holiness, let us remember the words of Jesus to the woman caught in adultery: "Go and sin no more" (John 8:11). May we be willing to kill our pets and pursue holiness with all of our hearts.