Sin does not lie in being tempted, but in not resisting temptation. The Lord Jesus Himself was tempted, and, because of His holiness, suffered pain unspeakable, yet could not be defiled. So far as we have His mind, we, His members, suffer pain in temptation; and the greater the pain of the soul the less the defilement.
How precious the words of Rom. 6:10.11! "In that He died, He died unto Sin once... Likewise reckon ye also yourselves." "He liveth unto God." We with Him live to God. He died to Sin by dying for Sin. It was once imputed to Him. He put it away by the sacrifice of Himself; and now, with the glory of His atonement, lives at the right hand of God. The poor and needy one, by faith in the Son of God, is _in_ Christ _as_ Christ in God's sight. Is no Sin now imputed to Christ? -so none to the believer. Is Christ, with the glory of His atonement, accepted of God? -so the believer. The apprehending by faith these great things is the true way of mortifying Sin. "Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace" (v. 14).
The sinner thinks to improve himself by lopping off this or that branch of his Sin; knows not that thereby he does but nourish the evil root.
The greater power we have over Sin, the more intolerable do we feel the burden of it, and the more earnestly do we seek the cleansing of that blood which purges the conscience from its defilement.
Let us not be discouraged by any humiliating discoveries we may make of the evils of our hearts. God knows them all, and has provided the blood of Jesus Christ His Son to cleanse us from all sin.
God regards our Sins with the heart of a father, but not with the eye of a judge; for his sin-avenging justice has no further demands: the cross made satisfaction.
The imaginations of man’s heart are only evil continually. Oh to come to close quarters with this truth! to be willing to be judged by it! There must be something more than man’s own will for this; there must be the working of the Spirit of God.
We little know the deep mysteries of the human heart: it is because of our deep sin and pride that we bear correction with so much impatience; but if we had a dangerous malady, and knew it, we should not complain of the bitter taste and troublesome effects of the medicine given us to heal our disease.
Romans 8:13.14. One blow will sometimes take the life of the body; but to mortify sin we must be always striking, because Sin is always struggling.
If we contend with Sin, be assured that we shall be victorious sooner or later: there is not a single sin but the defiling power thereof may be subdued. (1 John 1:7.)