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Picking up where we left off…
In Grace That Kills Sin Parts I and II, we traced the deep connection between the cross and sin.
We wrestled with why believers continue to struggle with sin and lifestyle attractions even after receiving Christ, and we explored why sin doesn’t show up the same way in all of us. Along the way, we touched briefly on the so-called “Pauline transformation,” which is where we will continue this week.
The Reality of Pauline Transformation: Myth or Truth?
I say with conviction that there is no such thing as a Pauline transformation at least in the sense of an instantaneous killing of sin, only a Pauline encounter with Christ. Some of us may experience the most radical encounters with Jesus, and we may even come to a sudden, piercing awareness of our sin. But the killing of sin is not a one-time event; it is a lifelong journey, a continual passage from the worldly to the godly that never ends on this side of eternity. Transformation is not sealed in a flash of revelation but in the daily surrender that makes us new.
There is no better analogy to define Pauline transformation vs encounter than the life of Paul himself. In all of his epistles, he alludes to his persistent "work in progress" status. He understood deeply the body of sin that he carried and the need for the saving grace of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Timothy 1:15 he recognizes his status as a chief sinner, "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst." By leading of the Holy Spirit, Paul understood that killing sin is a continuous process which must be submitted to. It is why he says to the Romans, Phillipians and Corinthians:
"Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin." (Romans 7:24-25)
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12-14)
"For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:53-54
Killing sin is never instantaneous; it is a slow and often painful process. While every believer longs for total and irreversible victory over sin, that is not something we can fully achieve in this life. We may, by God’s grace, gain triumph over certain sins so that they no longer enslave us, but to utterly eradicate sin itself is impossible as long as we dwell in these bodies of flesh. Nor is killing sin merely about modifying outward behavior while leaving the heart untouched, that path only produces Pharisees and hypocrites. True mortification is not the occasional victory or the clever redirection of temptation into something we deem less destructive or more socially acceptable. Such efforts may look convincing on the surface, but they are false reasonings that yield actions without fruit, motion without transformation, and change without renewal.
For us who believe, killing sin is not a one-time act but a daily habit of weakening it. At its core, the human heart is bent toward evil, just as Genesis 6:5 declares: “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” To kill sin is to uncover and reject its advance quickly, as Ecclesiastes 8:11 warns: “When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong.” In practice, killing sin is the deliberate weakening of evil desires so they do not strike with their full force, frequency, or violence. James 1:14–15 captures this process with sobering clarity:
“Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
Killing sin, then, is about stopping desire before it matures, refusing to let temptation reach full term. It is not merely about slaying the act itself but striking at the root, the conception of desire in the heart. To look outward is already too late; the battle begins within. To kill sin is to recognize the affliction of one’s own heart (1 Kings 8:38–39) and to discern the unique ways sin seeks to express itself in you. It is to remember sin’s many faces and resist them daily, even when they seem dormant. To kill sin is to see your desires through the eyes of God, to hate what He hates and to love what He loves. Killing sin is learning to rejoice in every victory, praising God each time temptation comes, and you do not fall but endure to fight another day. Over time, victory ceases to be the rare surprise and becomes the steady expectation of a Spirit-filled life.
When Sin Feels Heavy: How Do We Overcome?
When sin feels heavy, the first step is to look for its dangerous symptoms. Some sins take root over years, worldliness, unchecked ambition, lust, or greed, and when left unattended they harden like scar tissue, becoming resistant to ordinary remedies. Like drug-resistant bacteria, such sins demand extraordinary measures of repentance and grace. Other sins deceive the heart into quiet justification. We soothe our conscience with excuses, like Israel insisting they were Abraham’s children while rejecting Abraham's Father, or those Paul warns not to continue sinning so grace may abound. When grace is twisted into license, sin has already begun to rule. At times, sin does not even need to be fully acted upon; its victory is already secured in a heart that secretly longs for it. Hidden affections for sin, even when restrained outwardly, rot the soul from within. Still worse is when sin is fought only out of fear including fear of shame, fear of consequences or fear of hell itself. If love for God is not the motive, then sin has already claimed the will. The cross offers not restraining grace alone, but renewing grace, and it is love for Christ and not dread that breaks sin’s hold.
Killing sin requires a clear and lasting sense of its severity. Every sin works to dull the conscience, to minimize its guilt, until the heart is hardened and blind. Hosea warns us that sin, if left unchecked, will rob us of all sense until folly consumes us. To fight sin, we must confront its true weight, the grief it brings to the Holy Spirit, the wounds it inflicts on Christ, the peace and strength it robs from our lives, and the eternal destruction it leads to if left unrepented. God’s mercy is not to be trivialized. His rod of discipline is real, and His holiness will not be mocked. No evil goes unpunished, and no one can live in peace with God while hiding in unconfessed sin. We must then load our conscience with the truth of our guilt, both under the law and the gospel. The law serves as a tutor, showing us the terror of God’s justice and exposing our sin for what it is. The gospel deepens this awareness, reminding us that to despise so great a salvation is to stand guilty of the blood of Christ Himself. Beyond this, we must remember God’s personal mercies, His patience, His deliverance, His blessings poured out despite our failures. To sin against such goodness is to sin against love itself.
Overcoming sin requires a desperate longing for deliverance. We cannot make peace with our sin, not for a moment. Paul groaned under the weight of his body of death, crying, “Who will deliver me?” David wept under the grief of his own foolishness. Godly sorrow is not optional; it is a grace that keeps the heart alive to repentance and fuels unceasing prayer. To long for freedom is to keep the soul vigilant, always pressing toward deliverance.
But we must also be honest about our vulnerabilities. Our very personalities, our backgrounds, even our environments can make us prone to certain sins. Yet this is no excuse. Vulnerability is the open door temptation most often walks through, and it requires extra diligence and discipline. Paul said, “I discipline my body and keep it under control.” Fasting and other practices may weaken the flesh, but only the Spirit can slay sin. The means are helpful, but they must never be exalted above Christ.
We are called to watch carefully for when and how sin usually overcomes us. Christ commanded His disciples to “watch,” and David testified that he kept himself from guilt by considering his ways. Sin is cunning; it studies our patterns and waits for opportune moments. Mapping its movements in our lives allows us to anticipate its strike. And when sin does move, we must fight it immediately. James shows us its deadly progression: desire conceives, sin is born, and death follows. To delay is to lose. Christ calls us not to negotiate but to flee.
Finally, victory comes in remembering the greatness of God and the smallness of ourselves. Sin thrives where pride lives, but humility crushes its power. Job, beholding the majesty of God, despised himself and repented in dust and ashes. Habakkuk trembled before God’s glory. Moses, who spoke with God as a friend, still saw only a glimpse of His back. To stand in awe of God’s majesty is to realize how far we are from Him, and how desperately we need His sanctifying grace.
So let us not speak peace to ourselves until God Himself speaks it. Until then, let us fight, watch, repent, and long for deliverance. We must not rest until the Spirit has conquered every desire that wars against the soul. Until the day we are with Christ and temptation no longer stalks us from behind, we must stay awake, watchful, and armed, refusing to yield even for a moment.
Prayer - Lord, Deliver Me From Sin
Lord Jesus,
I confess that sin is not easily slain in me. Though the cross has secured my victory, I still wrestle daily in this body of flesh. I do not want the illusion of transformation but the reality of an encounter with You that changes me day by day. Like Paul, I cry out, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” And I thank You, Lord, that the answer is always in You.
Holy Spirit, teach me to kill sin at its root. Expose every hidden desire before it conceives and grows. Let me not rest in shallow victories or outward appearances, but give me true transformation from the inside out. Keep me from making peace with my sin, even for a moment. Give me a holy desperation that drives me to prayer, to repentance, and to constant dependence on You.
Father, remind me of Your mercy, Your patience, and Your love. Let that remembrance break my pride and stir me to fight harder. Keep me watchful, alert, and quick to flee temptation. And when You give me victory, let me rejoice, knowing that each battle won is proof of Your Spirit at work in me.
Until the day when sin is no more and death is swallowed up in victory, keep me pressing forward. Strengthen me to fight, to repent, to endure, and to long for You above all else.
Amen.