Sin Management versus Self-Sacrifice

God did not give me grace so I could manage my sin, but so I could put my sin to death. The grace to manage my sin is grace I give to myself. The grace I depend on when putting sin to death must be God's grace. Self-management is what I do instead of living sacrifice.

Sin management comes in several flavors. One is exchange; I give up a bad habit and replace it with a "good" one, or least, another one less lethal. The key words are, "I used to[something], but now I [something]." Another flavor is comparison: I look for some person or group of people that I feel I am better than them. This is a way to management the guilt of sin. The key words are, "But at least I am better than. . . ." Another kind is masking: I try to cover up my sin with doing other good things. The keywords are, "But at least I do. . . ."

All of these methods try to retain the self and its goals, but hope to "pretty it up enough" for God. All of these are waiting for eternal life rather than trying to live eternal life. All of these methods are comparison to people and not to Christ. Exchange compares my present state with my past state. Comparison sees only the bad things and worse things; it tries to make bad things good by comparing them to worse things. Masking sees good things I do as way of excusing the bad things I do.

Sin management does not use God's grace sufficiently. It only dabbles in it, using it as fuel for self-transformation, an excuse for bad things while avoiding worse things, or a cover-up of bad things while I try to do good things. God's grace can only be used to make us into Christ. It has no other purpose. Whatever is done on the way is secondary to Christ-likeness.

So the insufficiency of grace comes from an insufficient view of Christ. Inherently we see Christ-likeness as merely "being good." Just being good enough. Christ is so much more than a mere do-good-er. Jesus did not just go around doing "random acts of kindness." His goodness was defined by his purpose. He did not come just to be good in front of us. He did not come just to say, "It's ok that you're so bad." He did not come to give us a method for self-transformation, primarily. He came that we would have life, and life abundantly. This life is one in his kingdom, under God's rule, at God's side. His deeds, his forgiveness, his promise of transformation all point to this life with God, working with him, and loving him. I must seek things above, that is, "where Christ is seated at the right hand of God."

When I manage my sin, I remain in control of my life. I rule. I have tried to give up certain things, or do certain things so I can retain my own life, my own kingdom where God does not have a say. I think I can mange sin because I think I can manage myself. I manage sin because I think I can manage God himself.

To find my place in God's kingdom, I must give up my own kingdom. To live in God, I must die to myself. To find what I really need, I must give up what I think I want. To have a life with Christ, I must leave everything else behind.

extremesports

Sin management dabbles at the edge of the pool. Sacrifice dives in the middle. Sin management only intends to try. Sacrifice intends to accomplish.

Rather than trying to retain control of my life and deal with sin on the side, I must throw out my own ideas of what life should be and look to what Jesus said life is. Living the "good life" is not getting what I want when I want it, but getting what God wants when God wants me to have it.

If I try to manage sin, I will find that sin manages me. Sin must be put to death unmercifully.