Balancing Desire to Please God with Personal Sin Struggles
Balancing Desire to Please God with Personal Sin Struggles
The apostle Paul's statement in Galatians 1:10 highlights the tension between pleasing God and pleasing oneself or others: "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ" [1]. This dichotomy is at the heart of the Christian struggle with sin.
The desire to please God is rooted in the understanding that believers are not their own, but belong to Christ (1 Corinthians 3:23) [8]. This ownership implies a responsibility to live according to God's will, rather than personal desires or the expectations of others. As Torrey's Topical Textbook notes, selfishness is contrary to the law of God and is exhibited in pleasing oneself, seeking one's own interests, and living for oneself [4].
However, the presence of sin within the believer creates a tension between the desire to please God and the struggle with personal sin. Paul describes this internal conflict in Romans 7:25, stating, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin" [2]. This struggle is a universal human experience, as the one tradition notes that "all human beings are born sinners" (Psalms 58:3) [7].
The key to balancing the desire to please God with personal sin struggles lies in acknowledging one's sinfulness and seeking God's help. Confession of sin is a crucial step in this process, as it involves acknowledging one's sin before God and seeking forgiveness (Torrey's Topical Textbook: Confession of Sin) [5]. The Psalmist prays for God to "make me to go" and "strengthen me" to do his duty, recognizing that both the understanding of duty and the ability to perform it come from God's grace (Psalms 119:35) [10].
Self-examination is also essential in this process, as it involves evaluating one's actions and motivations to identify areas where sin may be present (Torrey's Topical Textbook: Self-Examination) [6]. The apostle John emphasizes the importance of acknowledging sin and seeking forgiveness, stating that "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
Different Christian traditions have understood the nature of this struggle and the means of overcoming it in various ways. For example, some interpret Paul's statement in Romans 7:14 as describing the conflict between grace and corruption in the heart of a convinced but unregenerate soul, while others see it as describing the struggles of a renewed but imperfect soul [9]. Nonetheless, there is a consensus across traditions that the struggle with sin is a fundamental aspect of the Christian life.
Ultimately, the Christian's hope lies not in their own ability to overcome sin, but in the fact that they are "of God" and that "he who is in [them] is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). By acknowledging their sinfulness, seeking God's help, and striving to live according to His will, believers can navigate the tension between pleasing God and struggling with personal sin.
The pursuit of a clear conscience before God and man is a vital aspect of this journey, as exemplified by Paul's statement in Acts 24:16: "In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man" [3]. By striving for a clear conscience and seeking to live a life that is pleasing to God, believers can find balance in their desire to please God amidst their struggles with personal sin.
Sources
- Galatians “Galatians 1:10 (NASB) — For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”
- Romans “Romans 7:25 (ASV) — I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
- Acts “Acts 24:16 (BSB) — In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Selfishness — Contrary to the law of God -- Le 19:18; Mt 22:39; Jas 2:8. The example of Christ condemns -- Joh 4:34; Ro 15:3; 2Co 8:9. God hates -- Mal 1:10. Exhibited in Being lovers of ourselves. -- 2Ti 3:2. Pleasing ourselves. -- Ro 15:1. Seeking our own. -- 1Co 10:33; Php 2:21. Seeking after gain. -- Isa 56:11. Seeking undue precedence. -- Mt 20:21. Living to ourselves. -- 2Co 5:15. Neglect of the poor. -- 1Jo 3:17. Serving God for reward. -- Mal 1:10. Performing duty for reward. -- Mic 3:11. Inconsistent with Christian love -- 1Co 13:5. Inconsistent with communi”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Confession of Sin — God requires -- Le 5:5; Ho 5:15. God regards -- Job 33:27,28; Da 9:20-23. Exhortation to -- Jos 7:19; Jer 3:13; Jas 5:16. Promises to -- Le 26:40-42; Pr 28:13. Should be accompanied with Submission to punishment. -- Le 26:41; Ne 9:33; Ezr 9:13. Prayer for forgiveness. -- 2Sa 24:10; Ps 25:11; 51:1; Jer 14:7-9,20. Self-abasement. -- Isa 64:5,6; Jer 3:25. Godly sorrow. -- Ps 38:18; La 1:20. Forsaking sin. -- Pr 28:13. Restitution. -- Nu 5:6,7. Should be full and unreserved -- Ps 32:5; 51:3; 106:6. Followed by pardon -- Ps 32:5; 1Jo 1:9. Illustrated -”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Self-Examination — Enjoined -- 2Co 13:5. Necessary before the communion -- 1Co 11:28. Cause of difficulty in -- Jer 17:9. Should be engaged in With holy awe. -- Ps 4:4. With diligent search. -- Ps 77:6; La 3:40. With prayer for divine searching. -- Ps 26:2; 139:23,24. With purpose of amendment. -- Ps 119:59; La 3:40. Advantages of -- 1Co 11:31; Ga 6:4; 1Jo 3:20-22.”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 58:3: 58:3 All human beings are born sinners (see 51:5); however, whereas the wicked indulge their sinful nature, the godly fight against it (Rom 7:19-23; Jas 4:1-10).”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 3:23: 3:23 Just as they may now claim everything as their own, so Christ has claimed them for himself (see Rom 14:7-9), and in Christ they are ultimately claimed by God (see 1 Cor 6:19-20; 7:23).”
- Romans (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Romans 7:14: Here is a description of the conflict between grace and corruption in the heart, between the law of God and the law of sin. And it is applicable two ways: - 1. To the struggles that are in a convinced soul, but yet unregenerate, in the person of whom it is supposed, by some, that Paul speaks. 2. To the struggles that are in a renewed sanctified soul, but yet in a state of imperfection; as other apprehend. And a great controversy there is of which of these we are to understand the apostle here. So far does the evil prevail here, when he speaks of one sold under sin”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:35: He had before prayed to God to enlighten his understanding, that he might know his duty, and not mistake concerning it; here he prays to God to bow his will, and quicken the active powers of his soul, that he might do his duty; for it is God that works in us both to will and to do, as well as to understand, what is good, Phi 2:13. Both the good head and the good heart are from the good grace of God, and both are necessary to every good work. Observe here, I. The grace he prays for. 1. That God would make him able to do his duty: "Make me to go; strengthen me for”