I want to be a man who continually believes and does what is right. I want to know the path of Jesus and walk in it intimately. I want to be like Nathaniel who Jesus described as “a man in whom there is no guile.” I want my private thought life, motives, and affections to more-and-more be in alignment with the profession of my lips. I want to grow in my love for Jesus so that I make excellent, Jesus-honoring decisions, as Paul prays for the saints in Philippi (see Philippians 1:9-11).

I don’t hate my sin like I know Jesus calls me to. I compare and contrast. I downplay. I fail to see at times the far-reaching effects of sin. I fail to see that just as God has created us as communal beings, my sin is also communal and has a negative impact on my bride, kids, family, friends, church family, etc.

I want to be a man who continually believes and does what is right. I want to know the path of Jesus and walk in it intimately. I want to be like Nathaniel who Jesus described as “a man in whom there is no guile.” I want my private thought life, motives, and affections to more-and-more be in alignment with the profession of my lips. I want to grow in my love for Jesus so that I make excellent, Jesus-honoring decisions, as Paul prays for the saints in Philippi (see Philippians 1:9-11).

If I am to hate sin as I should — which I pray is increasingly true of me — then I need to be familiar with sinful responses to sin that exist, as well as the biblical characteristics of repentance.

What are some sinful responses to sin?

• Minimizing – comparing it to other sins.
• Rationalizing – we speak about motives and the conditions surrounding our sin in an effort to compel others to sympathize. Ed Welch says, “sin is madness or insanity. It is irrational, delusional, unreasonable. It makes absolutely no sense in light of God’s love towards us.

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