Killing Sin

by Daniel Friess, Elder

In our flesh, we love our sin, and the hardest part about navigating a conversation on church discipline is that it isn’t just navigating the topic of how to deal with other people’s sin. It is the topic of how we deal with our own sin.

We just wrapped up the Choosing Church Discipline class in February. One point of emphasis was the word “exhort.” The Greek word parakaleo literally translates to “to call alongside,” but along with “exhort” it is also often translated “comfort.” When we are commanded to exhort one another, we are literally being instructed to call one another alongside us to comfort in the midst of something. Though there’s much more to church discipline than this, the basis for church discipline is that we are to exhort one another to kill sin.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

I want to draw attention to one vein that runs through those two verses in Hebrews 12: how we ought to deal with sin. 1) We ought to put sin aside. It ought to have no place in our lives. It is important to put it off because 2) it entangles us much more easily than we would like to think. Sin in one area of our lives is a snare that will affect other areas. No sin happens in a vacuum. 3) Jesus is the example of enduring the process of dealing with sin: “enduring the cross, despising the shame.” He did this on our behalf (when He died on the cross) but also as an example for us. Jesus exhorts us–calls us alongside Himself–in dealing with sin. He did this 4) “for the joy set before Him.” If we are not killing sin in our lives, it is because we do not have the joy of God that we ought to have. We are seeking fleshly desires. This is the comfort the exhortation. Killing sin in obedience is a part of our spiritual joy.

If God didn’t love us, He wouldn’t discipline us. He would let us shamelessly gorge ourselves on a feast of half-desires that will leave us unsatisfied. He lets us experience consequences and actively disciplines us to encourage us to a full and satisfying joy–knowing Him.

This is my exhortation as an elder: join me in killing sin.