Recognition of our sinful nature

1. To gain spiritual growth, firstly, we need to know how sinful we are, how weak we are against sins, and the only remedy -- "Jesus." Romans 7:15-25
2. What are our sins? Recognition of our sins is important as a 1st step toward solving the problem. (Psalms 32)
3. What should be the motivational force behind us? Jesus's love. Yet, how can we be attracted by this love? (John 21:1-17)
4. The meaning of life. For what do we live? For Jesus. (Romans 12:1-2, 14:7-8, Galatians 2:20)
5. How do we get closer to God? How to spend quiet time with God? John 15:1-10, Isaiah 40:29-31)
6. How do we live a victorious life? How to apply what we learn? Matthew 4:1-11, Galatians 5:22-23)

We all want spiritual growth.  Yet, we do not know that our sinful
nature (flesh) always stands in the way.  To really see a breakthrough
in our spiritual growth, we cannot underestimate how easily we sin.
Even Paul, probably one of the greatest spiritual leaders, was
struggling with his sinful nature, as he mentioned in Romans 7:15-25.
So whether we are Sunday School teachers, Church Board members, Bible
study leaders, and spiritual leaders of all kinds, we are influenced by
our sinful nature.  Why? Are we not saved through Jesus Christ?  Yes,
our spirits are saved, but our bodies are not (yet).  Not yet today,
but someday it will be.  Therefore, though we are Christians, we still
need to struggle with our sinful nature until we (our bodies) die.

And we are fighting a losing battle because there is absolutely no 
strength from ourselves.  Although we are determined to do good things,
such as serving in fellowship or Church, or recite Bible verses, or
are determined not to sin --- these are all good things, but they are
not enough.  We need to recognize that we are sinful in nature.  Our
pride is standing in our way, our demandingness is ruining our ministries,
our worries weaken our determination, our self-protectiveness freezes our
hearts, our love for worldly things steals away our love for Jesus...  
Consequently, although we are spiritual leaders or trying to be good 
Christians, these sins -- pride, demandingness, worries, self-
protectiveness, materialism, are just some of the manifestations of 
our sinful nature, and are standing in our way towards real spiritual 
growth.

So what is the solution?  There is one and only one solution -- Romans
7:24-25 -- "What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body
of death?  Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
These verses MUST be taken SERIOUSLY.  Our sinful nature easily blurs us
from seeing the truth behind these verses.  We are easily tempted by
the world -- nice cars, expensive house, fame, power, money, honor,
securities... These things easily become our idols, and our eagerness
towards relying on Jesus diminishes.  Just like a candle in a strong wind.
Our fears, anxieties, stemming from not trusting God, drive us away from
God and toward the world.  Our avoidance of pain at all costs freezes our
hearts.  We are scared to be hurt, therefore, we avoid being nice to others.
Especially to those who have, or potentially will, hurt us.  We are scared
to suffer, because we hate pain.  We are scared to be poor, because we
despise poverty, and even poor people.  Therefore, we spend more time 
making more money (to increase our physical comfort, decrease chances of
suffering), buying lots of luxurious things, demanding the people around us
to behave the way we want (out of pride usually), spend less time in Church
activities and ministries, because they are not sources of "gains" but are
viewed as "liabilities."  Is working hard in your job wrong?  Is making a
big salary wrong? Is buying a nice, brand new car wrong?  Is buying an
expensive, beautiful house in a neighborhood that excels academically wrong?
Is watching TV, going to movies, having fun partying wrong?  Is skipping
fellowship and church activities wrong?  Is avoiding people you don't like
wrong?

Surprisingly they are not necessarily wrong, even biblically.  They are 
wrong when they become our idols, the center of our lives.  We need to 
ask ourselves honestly one big question -- what motivates me to do what
I am doing?  What exactly we do is less important than what make me do
it?  You killed a person, for example, and I killed a person.  If I killed
him because I hated him, and you, out of self defense, then, in the eyes
of God, I am wrong and you are not.  I said something to edify others and
you did the same.  If I did it out of pride and you, out of love, then,
I sinned, and you did not.  What motivates us?  What is behind our deeds?
If I do things out of sinful nature, no matter how good the things I have
done, I have sinned.  If we do it for Jesus, according to God's Will, then
we are okay.

Then how can I overcome my sinful nature?  Only through Jesus our Savior.
When we pray, we communicate with God, to seek His Will, and wait for His
rescue.  Therefore, praying and reading Bible are the basic things we must
do so that "Jesus can rescue me from this body of death, our sinful nature."
A Christian life without prayer and God's Word is a branch detached from the
main trunk, a reservoir without water, a car without engine and gasoine.
Our power of overcoming our sins comes from praying to Jesus and obeying
God's Word.  If we are lazy for devotion, spend at least a few minutes
praying about it, just tell God that we know we are sinning, and ask for 
His deliverance.  We are like a toilet that needs God's water for flushing.
Until we recognize how "dirty" we are, we probably remain sinful.

Acknowledgement of our sins is the first step towards spiritual growth.
Repentance and begging for forgiveness from God is the important second
step. (Psalms 32)  We need to live with a clear conscience so that God's
strength and love can pour upon us.  When we kept silent about our sins,
our strengths are sapped as in the heat of summer.  There is a wall built
between God and us, and between us and people around us, when we do not
repent for our sins.  We actually cannot enjoy a love relationship at the
deepest level with sins unconfessed.