Put away sin (10 Ways to Grow Spiritually)

Over the past several episodes, we’ve talked about ways that will help you grow spiritually, deepen your intimacy with Jesus, and practically live the authentic Christian life.

If you want to grow spiritually and mature in your faith, then you need to start taking sin seriously.

In the final episode of this mini-series, Nathan talks about how putting away sin allows you to grow in your faith and deepen your spiritual life. He also gives several helpful ideas on how to take sin seriously and to turn from it and embrace God’s desire for your life—a life marked by godliness, righteousness, holiness, purity, and truth.

Listen to or download the episode

Throw off sin!

• Galatians 5:19–21– Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
• Colossians 1:13–14– Who rescued us from the authority of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
• Ephesians 4:22–24– … lay aside, in reference to your former conduct, the old man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
• Romans 13:11–14– And do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
  • All selfishness, all pride, all independence … all sin must be removed from our lives

And the only way I’ll be able to recognize sin, right from wrong, truth from lie, righteousness from lawlessness is that I need to be in the Word.

Let God reveal anything in your life that doesn’t belong (even good things)

• Psalm 139:1–10– O Yahweh, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Yahweh, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And You have put Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I lift up the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
• Psalm 139:23–24– Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
• The Narrow Way becomes more narrow over time … so even good things need to be surrendered if God wants to remove them

Repent and press in

If the Spirit of God reveals anything in your life … repent, turn away from sin, and freshly press into Christ Jesus.

Pray and ask God to give you a heart for purity, holiness, and righteousness … and to see sin as He does

• Titus 2:11–14– For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.
• 2 Peter 1:3– … seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the full knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
• 2 Corinthians 9:8 – And God is able to make every grace abound to you, so that in everything at every time having every sufficiency, you may have an abundance for every good deed …

Walk by faith in the area of victory

• When temptation knocks do I trust in the power of sin or the power of my God?
• Does temptation press me to Jesus or pull me away from Him?

You CAN finish well

You don’t have to stumble at the finish line. You CAN finish the Christian life well, victorious, and triumphant.

• Philippians 3:12–14 – Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
• Hebrews 12:1–2– Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus …
  • we are to set aside not just sin which entangles but every weight
• Jude 1:24– Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy …

7 Steps Upward and 7 Steps Downward

John and Betty Stam (missionaries with Hudson Taylor), shared what they called the seven steps upward (to heaven and life) and seven steps downward (to hell and destruction). The first step upward is to take sin seriously. The first step downward is to take sin lightly.

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Listen to the series: 10 ways to grow spiritually

• Worship
• Obedience
• Thanksgiving
• Prayer
• Living expectant of the Lord’s return
• Evangelism
• Bible Reading + Study
• Knowing God’s Faithfulness
• Memorize Scripture
• Put away sin

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FOOTNOTES

Learn more about John and Betty Stam’s 7 Steps Upward and 7 Steps Downward
Photo Credit: KevinCarden

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Join the Conversation

Question: How has putting away sin changed and deepened your spiritual life?