Carrying Away the Mind

By John Fast

In our previous study we began to examine how indwelling sin opposes all that is spiritually good by way of its being deceitful, and that the ultimate goal of sin’s deceit is to bring about spiritual and eternal death (Jm 1:14, 15). We saw how it achieves its ultimate end by instilling a false sense of spiritual security, thereby hardening the heart and blinding the mind to a right and true understanding of spiritual truth; to “delude you with persuasive argument” (Col 2:4). Read more »

The Deceitfulness of Sin

By John Fast

Indwelling sin powerfully and actively opposes all that is spiritually good in two ways. In our last study we looked at the first of these ways, by strength and force, and the several ways in which it forcefully opposes all that is of God. In this study we will consider sin’s power from its being deceitful. Where strength and deceit are combined there is always great power and danger. Read more »

Enmity Expressed by Opposition

By John Fast

In our last study we examined how the hostility of indwelling sin exerts itself by way of aversion to all that is God and is spiritually good, as well as some means for preventing its effects and dominance. In this study, we will consider the second way which hostility exerts itself, and that is by way of opposition. Read more »

Enmity Expressed as Aversion

By John Fast

Having considered in our previous studies the nature and power of this law of indwelling sin, especially its hostility to all that is God (Rm 8:7), we turn in this study to investigate more thoroughly the ways in which this hostility manifests itself. This enmity is real and powerful, but power is only revealed in something that has life, and the strength of life is discovered by the strength of its actions. Read more »

Indwelling Sin as Enmity

By John Fast

In our last two studies we identified five attitudes and behaviors toward indwelling sin which make it obvious whether a person is a child of God or is still a child of the devil (1 Jn 3:10). Nothing can be more clear than that Jesus came into the world to redeem sinners (1 Tm 1:15), and that which He redeems sinners from is sin; “…it is He who will save His people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). Read more »