44 - Mortification of Sin
The fundamental principle of the brain’s plasticity reveals the Lord’s command in Romans 12 can occur on the biological level:
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2, ESV
As Dr Norman Doidge has said, “Neurons that fire together wire together.” The connections in our brains can be transformed and our minds renewed through the work of the Holy Spirit empowering us to make Godly choices in our thoughts and actions.
In a prior edition of R4R, I reflected on the difficulties of learning to hate your sin without hating yourself[1]. Attractions to the same sex can feel so deeply personal, seeming to direct all of our interactions with others. Yet that is a lie – we don’t have to live our lives through that lens. In Mis-Subcategorizing Sin – Part II[2], I wrote about this and how I found the answer to the question, “How can love be sin?”
The other maxim raised by Dr. Doidge about the brain was, “Don’t use it, and you’ll lose it.” This provides encouragement for us as we mortify sin – or put sin to death in our daily lives. When we actively and purposefully cooperate with the Holy Spirit in resisting sin, we’re not only obeying the Lord, we’re gradually eroding the temptation’s pull on us in the future.
Mortifying sin involves our consciously choosing to reject lust, greed, envy, pride, etc. When a temptation pops up, we must say no, nail it to the cross, and run to Jesus. We seek the Lord’s strength to do this. It can take perseverance, as old neural pathways that lead to momentary feelings of pleasure are easy to fall back into, and creating new connections in our minds can take time.
We need the Lord’s help also to recognize sin for what it is – a destructive force in us and in the lives of those around us. As CS Lewis poignantly wrote in The Great Divorce, “There are no private affairs.”[3] Relational sins will resound throughout society, and it is up to each of us as individuals to do our part to stop it. We can also be mindful of the situations that set us up for temptation. You may recall the acronym HALT – reminding us that we need to be careful when we’re hungry, lonely, angry, or tired. In those states, it is easier for us to fall into sin. Simple things like a healthy diet and getting enough sleep can make a difference in our spiritual lives as well as our physical well-being.
Anger can lead us to lash out at others and act in other sinful ways when we’re alone. Years ago, I had a music collection by a woman who happened to identify as lesbian. Although she was an excellent artist, I wondered if I should be listening to her work or if it had some type of bad influence on me, so I put it all on a shelf for a while as a test. (This was back in the days of CD’s when you could put your music collection on a shelf.). Turns out the only time I thought about listening to this music again was when I was angry. This struck me as quite strange, as the music had nothing to do with anger. I wondered if I was being subtly drawn to rebelliousness when I was in that state of mind. So, I decided to get rid of those tunes and kept an eye on that pattern.
Loneliness was another challenge while living as a single woman for decades. I learned to schedule monthly visits or outings with friends and found a good balance in communicating with loved ones during the week. Currently, the connection found in my weekly Band meeting provides a stabilizing influence that ripples throughout my relationships with all those around me. And this brings us back to creating new, healthy and holy pathways in our minds.
Putting on the New Self in Christ
Photo by Zhen Mogila on Unsplash
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ! — assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:17-24, ESV
Rejecting sinful desires is not enough. We need to put on the new self found in Christ, embracing all He is and provides for us.
We cannot conjure up new attractions or desires for the complimentary sex, but we can nourish what is there. Have you ever noticed something drawing out feelings for the complimentary sex in you? It may be the flickering hint of a thought. Sometimes, particularly if we’ve embraced labeling ourselves by our temptations (Ie – calling yourself “gay,” lesbian,” “queer,” or “trans,” etc.) it can make it easy to brush off any desires that challenge that notion of who we think we are.
Our tastes and attractions are very personal. I wrote about some of what sparked new desires in me in “Off the Plateau – Part II.”[4] Journaling or creating a scrapbook can provide positive reinforcement and create an environment where Godly desires can grow. I still have the collection of songs, poems, and other observations that helped to spur these changes in my life. Touching base with mature Christian friends who would pray with and for me was also key. Relational sins require repentance but also resolve best in the midst of healthy relationships. If you know someone who is struggling with unwanted attractions to the same sex, don’t underestimate the blessing simply being their friend can be!
For more on mortifying sin, tracing through relevant Scriptures, see: https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/how-mortify-sin
[1] “Hating Sin Without Hating Yourself,” Debra Baty, R4R, Feb 6, 2024
[2] “Mis-Subcategorizing Sin – Part II,” Debra Baty, R4R, May 26, 2022
[3] For a review of this chapter, see: https://restlesspilgrim.net/blog/2018/05/13/the-great-divorce-c4/
[4] “Off the Plateau – Part II.” Debra Baty, R4R, Apr 21, 2022
