Do You Really Want To Quit?

I recently met with a pastor acquaintance of mine, who pointed me in the direction of a Puritan writer by the name of John Owen. While I haven't had the opportunity to read his work as of yet, the pastor made a comment that really resounded with me. John Owen makes a statement in his book titled "The Mortification of Sin", to the effect of, "Do you really want to die to your sin in your heart or are you just dying to it with your mouth?" I made no mention of it then, but WOW! I went home with that mulling around in my mind, and I have been meditating on it ever since.



Admittedly when I share these thoughts it is to a Christian audience, but the audience is irrelevant to the truth of what I say. Whether you believe in sin or not does not change that sin exists. It is a common misconception in today's cynical and amateurly philosophical world that "truth" is determined by whether or not one actually believes it. This is a ridiculous notion at best. 2+2 does not cease to equal 4 just because I choose not to believe it! Such is the same with sin. My point in this little diatribe is that if you are reading this and are part of the human race, you are a sinner. You were born in sin, and without Christ, you will die in sin. This sin state does not change when you become a Christian either. There is no such thing as being "sin-free" or even "sinless" this side of Heaven. A Christian, just like an Atheist must do battle everyday with the urges of the flesh and the temptations of the world. The difference, between the two is that a Christian does not have to face this battle alone. When one accepts salvation by Jesus Christ, they have someone to lean on that is stronger and mightier, not only than themselves, but than the world and everything in it.



This does not negate the battle. I am a Christian and I face the temptation of sin every day. Some days even seem more powerful than others. I run the same risk of relapse as does anyone else. True success can only be experienced through obedience to the Lord. This is where the title of my post today comes in. I can be a born again, church going, Bible believing Christian, but if I am not truly willing to turn my back on sin, then I will fail, and probably faster than anyone else. I can say it over and over again in my head that I will not give in to temptation, but if there is even the slightest hint of desire to remain attached to my addiction then I am doing nothing but beating my fists into the air! So I ask you, have you thought about this? Don't be too quick to answer this question. Really think about it for awhile. If you are a Christian, it's gut-check time. Have you, without a doubt, given your struggle over to God? Is there any hint, anywhere in your being that causes you to grasp ever so tightly to your old self? If you are not a Christian, I do pray that you consider Christ as an option, but the question is the same for you. Have you fully turned your back to your old ways? You cannot overcome an addiction by merely reducing your intake. This is difficult, but no one ever said it would be easy. If any of us ever hopes to be an overcomer, we must first die to ourselves.

Ask yourself, "Do I really want to quit?" If the answer is an absolute, honest, "yes" then be ready to do whatever it takes and prepare for a long, hard battle.