Struggling with sin?

Are you struggling with sin? Yeah, me too. And it's a shame. Elisabeth Elliot, in her trademark way of cutting through fluff, argues that to "struggle" is to tolerate a little sin (from A Lamp for My Feet). Sometimes "struggling" is a way to allow oneself to be working towards obedience instead of simply obeying, and doing it now.

Semantics informs and reveals our theology, whether or not we intend it to. Word choices give us away. Consider how different these two phrases sound: "I'm struggling with..." v. "I'm being disobedient by..." Our pseudo-confessions of "struggling" invite sympathetic responses from well-meaning friends, instead of the hard accountability we need. You know the rhetoric, and it's oh-so-comforting. You are in progress. At least you are aware of the sin and desire to change. God is mindful that you are but dust. Grace, grace. There, there. Keep "struggling."

What would Paul say to that? Rubbish! May it never be! Or something worse.

He would admonish us to be a teetotallers. I am to stop sinning now, as soon as the Holy Spirit convicts. I am to obey TODAY. I am not to be content to "struggle" for years to do so. Rather than continually "struggling" to submit to my husband, "struggling" to pray and imbibe God's word daily, "struggling" to walk by the Spirit and crucify the raging flesh, I am to simply submit, simply pray, simply die to myself.

Will I get to a point where obedience is a breeze? Nope. Will I have to submit again, pray again, and die again, over and over? Probably. But the point is choosing obedience now instead of giving oneself time to come around. When I continue to "struggle" with sin, maybe I'm allowing myself an open-ended pass with which to disobey God. I'm beginning to think it's self-deceiving to speak about sin in greyer ways.

And I'm reminded that Jesus values plain obedience. In fact, He says it's the mark of a follower who really loves Him.

"If you love me, you will obey my commandments." John 14:15

“If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him." John 14:23

"The person who does not love me does not obey my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me." John 14:24

"If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love." John 15:10

Of course, none of us is capable of perfect, perpetual obedience. But I think Elliot is on to something. I can see how I have used "struggling" as a way to sugarcoat my unwillingness to obey the Lord quickly and absolutely.

Let's stop "struggling" with specific sins that God has convicted us of. Let's confess them, cast them off, and call on Christ for strength to be faithful. Let's obey, and let's do it now!