Be Aware Of Sinful Tendencies

Be Aware Of Sinful Tendencies

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:24

It’s very advantageous for believers to be aware of the corrupt tendencies of their sinful nature. This awareness keeps them from becoming filled with pride through the useless, godless delusion of trying to become righteous by works, as if this would make them acceptable to God. Puffed up by this delusion, the monks believed they were so holy because of their self-chosen works that they sold their righteousness and holiness to others. In their own hearts, however, they were convinced that they were impure. Trusting in our own righteousness and imagining ourselves to be pure are very damaging behaviors.

But if we are aware of the sinfulness in our own hearts, we cannot trust in our own righteousness. This awareness humbles us so that we let go of our pride and stop trusting in our own works. It compels us to run to Christ, our Reconciler. He doesn’t have a sinful, impure nature, but a completely clean and holy one, which he gave for the life of the world. In him we find a trustworthy and complete righteousness. So we remain humble—not with false humility, but with true humility—because of the corrupt tendencies and shortcomings of our sinful nature. Therefore, we would be guilty of eternal death if God were to judge us strictly. But we are not proud in the sight of God. We humbly acknowledge our sins and desire forgiveness with a broken heart. Trusting in the work of Christ as Mediator, we enter God’s presence and plead for forgiveness of sins. Consequently, God spreads his immeasurable heaven of kindness over us, and for the sake of Christ, he does not credit our sins to us.