Running Up the Down Escalator

It’s one of the many silly things my friends and I did as kids. We’d go into a department store and take turns running up the down escalator.

I suspect that most of you probably did the same thing at some point in your life, right? That being the case, you understand that it takes twice as much effort and “oomph” to make any progress because you have to contend with the never-ending, mechanized, downward momentum of the stairs. You have to keep going. You have to run and run hard if you ever expect to gain ground. And you don’t dare stop or pause, because the stairs never stop. Stopping – even just to catch your breath – means you’re going to lose ground. If you’re going to successfully run to the top of the down escalator, you have to keep moving forward at a pace that surpasses the flow of the stairs always coming at you from the opposite direction.

There are times when I think there are some parallels to this situation when it comes to understanding and fully embracing our heritage of teaching biblical holiness. At times I think we’re gaining ground only to discover that it’s been more like climbing a sand dune where you take three steps just to slide back two.

Recently, I was visiting one of the corps in our Territory just to observe a group of cadets as they carried out their Sunday assignments. Their responsibilities included teaching the various Sunday School classes the corps conducted. Fine. So wanting to be the proverbial “fly on the wall,” I went from class to class, spending a few moments in each of them in order to get an overall sense of how each cadet was doing.

The last class I poked my head into was the Adult class, which wasn’t being taught by a cadet, but by the corps officer himself. The folks in the class were having a lively discussion with their captain about the topic of “sin.” From the level of involvement from those in the class, it was overwhelmingly evident that there was significant interest in the subject and how it applied to them. As he was addressing their statements and questions, the C.O. said, “…of course we know that we all sin, every day…” Now understand that this “insight” was tossed out in a manner that seemed to imply “no one would ever argue the point I’m about to share…”

(*Insert a deep sighing sound here…*) Would someone please tell me why there is this dogged insistence in the belief that even as Christians sin will always be something “out of our control,” or that we have no say in the matter? Just where is it written that we’ll always be “…slaves to sin?” Are you really asking me to go along with the idea that we have to sin? If so, then explain to me just where Christ’s sacrifice fell short or was somehow inadequate to address our condition.
[NOTE: Remember the story of the Methodist missionary asking the crowd at a Camp Meeting, “What sin do you have to commit today?" (see the posting entitled “got holiness?”) Man, I love that question!]

Maybe it’s time we blow the dust off our Wesleyan understanding of what sin is and isn’t.

It isn’t…
...an unintentional mistake.
...temptation.
...a temporary lapse of judgment.

It is... (in the words of John Wesley)
..."voluntary transgression of a known law of God"

So let’s be clear… Sin isn’t an “oops.” It’s not some kind of covered over hole you unknowingly fall into and wonder “man, how’d I get here?!”

Let me say this as plainly as I know how… As Salvationists – and thereby, Wesleyans – we believe the Bible teaches that sin is always a specific, deliberate, fully aware, conscious, intentional act of rebellion to what we know God asks or expects of us. It involves both our head and heart. In our minds, we purposefully choose to disregard what we know we should/shouldn’t do, while in our hearts, we muffle the prompting and/or warning of the Holy Spirit (you know the feeling I’m talking about, right? That unmistakable, gentle prodding or pricking of our hearts…) That being the case, there is no time when the sanctified believer has his arm twisted behind his back, figuratively speaking, and is forced to sin against his will. The truth of the matter is that we intentionally blow past every exit, and pay no attention to every possible escape in order to willingly embrace whatever the sin might be.

But, hallelujah! it doesn’t have to be that way!!

Now does the possibility to sin stay with us after sanctification? Yes. But there’s no requirement that we sin! You can check out your Bible from the index to the maps… It isn’t in there!

If you do want to talk “requirements,” however, let’s talk about the repeated requirement laid out in Scripture to not sin!

John 5:14 (NIV)
…Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."

John 8:11 (MSG)
[Jesus said] "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin."

Romans 6:1-2 (TLB)
Well then, shall we keep on sinning so that God can keep on showing us more and more kindness and forgiveness? Of course not! Should we keep on sinning when we don't have to? For sin's power over us was broken when we became Christians and were baptized to become a part of Jesus Christ; through his death the power of your sinful nature was shattered.

1 Corinthians 15:34 (NLT)
Come to your senses and stop sinning.

1 John 2:1 (NIV)
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.


Can it possibly be any plainer…?

Listen… Our God’s not a god who frustrates or teases us by putting the cookie jar out of our reach. He doesn’t expect what can’t be accomplished, nor does He command what can’t be completed. He hasn’t merely directed us to “stop sinning,” He’s made it completely possible for us to do exactly that – stop sinning.

So let’s settle this business once and for all, and let go of the devil’s lie that we are – and will always be – bound to sin. The Bible teaches otherwise, God requires otherwise, and through His Son’s sacrifice and the gift of His Spirit, our Father has made it possible for us to have all the power we need to say “no” to sin.

Keep your altar ready and your fire hot...!

Willis