7 SIGNS THAT YOUR SINFUL NATURE IS CONTROLLING YOU

By Dan Delzell, Christian Post Contributor Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Unsplash/Julio Rionaldo

Everyone lives under the influence and control of something or someone. These are seven signs that your sinful nature is controlling you. Man's sinful nature and God are the two greatest forces against man. According to Psalm 51:5, you were born into the world with a sinful nature, and it clearly began to manifest early in your life.

Do you realize that your sinful nature often controls various aspects of your life? How will you know if you are living under the control of your sinful nature in this case?

There are seven indications that your sinful nature controls you.

1.      You spend most of your time thinking about how to fulfill your sinful desires.

"Those who live according to the sinful nature have thoughts according to the desires of nature" (Romans 8:5).

2.      You find that you cannot follow God and follow His commandments, and you even feel angry at him in secret.

(Romans 8:7-8) "Sinful thoughts are hostile to God. He is not subject to God's law, nor can he do it. Those who are controlled by a sinful nature cannot please God."

3.      You continue to pursue sin instead of following Christ as Lord and Savior.

"If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if you put to death the iniquity of the body with the spirit, you will live" (Romans 8:13).

Galatians 6:8 says: "He who sows to please his sinful nature, from his nature will reap destruction; he who sows to please the spirit, from the spirit will reap eternal life."

4.      You claim to love God, but you hate others.

"If anyone says,' I love the Lord, 'but hates his brother, he is a liar" (1 John 4:20).

5.      You seek to earn your way to heaven by your deeds rather than relying on Christ's death on the cross for your salvation.

"Everyone who depends on the law will be condemned" (Galatians 3:10).

A person is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

6.      The Bible describes sin as a part of your life because of your constant and deliberate sins against God and your inability to repent.

Do you not realize that those who sin will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: "The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers, or deceivers will not inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9–10).

The Bible never uses the word "sin" to describe a believer, even if they are still struggling with one of these sins. The Holy Scriptures only use the word "sin" to describe people who constantly sin and do not repent of their evil behavior.

7.      You live for yourself rather than for Christ.

According to Galatians 2:20, "I was crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body and faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."

The world teaches us how to build ourselves. In Romans 6:11–14; Galatians 5:24; and Ephesians 4:22–24, Christ teaches his followers how to "die to themselves" and live for Christ. Christian discipleship has a different way of life. This is the path you can only take after being converted by the grace of God through faith in Christ. In John 3:1–8; Romans 5:1–9; Galatians 2:16; 3:10–11, believers in Jesus are saved, redeemed, born again, justified, and forgiven.

"Consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus," says the Lord in the word. So, do not let sin take possession of your mortal body so that you can fulfill his evil desires. Offer your body parts to the Lord as those who have been raised from the dead, and give your body parts to him as instruments of righteousness. Do not give parts of your body to sin as an instrument of evil. Since you are not under the law but under grace, sin will not be your master.

As you review your life today, does the Holy Spirit control you or your sinful nature? In Romans 8:9–10, God says that you are "controlled not by the nature of sin but by the spirit if the spirit of God lives in you. And if a person does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body dies for sin, but your spirit lives for righteousness."

After you are born again, your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. In addition, through your faith in the Savior, Christ lives in you. In addition, Paul said," You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness" (Romans 6:18).

Do you believe only in Christ and his sacrifice on the cross, or in your own efforts for salvation? Test yourself to see if you are truly of faith. Test yourself. Unless you fail the test, do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you? (2 Corinthians 13:5) "

Do you believe that heaven is your home? Do you rely more on the gospel than the law to find salvation? God calls you to "repent and believe the good news" (Mark 1:15) if your sinful nature controls you at this time.

You have a choice as to whether the Holy Spirit or your sinful nature will always control you.

Additionally, Delzell served as pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.

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