Toward Christ and Away From Sin
We must strive for holiness and victory over sin, not just trying to avoid it.
Mary Wilder Tileston emphasizes the concept of being more than conquerors through Christ's love, urging believers to seek full, glorious victory in the Holy War against sin. She encourages not just abstaining from sin but actively pursuing the opposite virtues by stretching forward to Christ and His holiness. Tileston highlights the importance of striving for absolute conquest over sin early on to avoid prolonged and difficult battles, emphasizing the need to keep irritability under control to prevent a more significant struggle with passion.
Text
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
ROMANS 8:37
LORD, in this awful fight with Sin
I would not just prevail;
Against each lust so strong within
I would not almost fail.
Full, gladsome, glorious victory
Should crown the Holy War;
Lord! I would triumph well--would be--
A more than conqueror.
THOMAS H. GILL
DO not try only to abstain from sin, but strive, by God's grace, to gain the opposite grace. If thou wouldest not slip back into sin, thou must stretch forward to Christ and His holiness. It is a dull, heavy, dreary, toilsome way, just to avoid sin. Thou wouldest not simply not be impatient; thou wouldest long to be like thy Lord, who was meek and lowly of heart. Thou wouldest not only not openly murmur; thou wouldest surely long, like the beloved Apostle, to rest on Jesus' breast, and will what He wills.
EDWARD B. PUSEY
THE only real relief is in absolute conquest; and the earlier the battle begins, the easier and the shorter it will be. If one can keep irritability under, one may escape a struggle to the death with passion.
JULIANA H. EWING
Sermon Outline
- The Problem of Sin
- Trying to avoid sin is not enough
- We must strive for holiness
- Through God's grace, we can gain the opposite of sin
Key Quotes
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“Full, gladsome, glorious victory Should crown the Holy War;” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“It is a dull, heavy, dreary, toilsome way, just to avoid sin.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- We should strive for holiness and not just try to avoid sin.
- We can overcome irritability and other struggles by keeping them under control.
- Through God's grace, we can gain the opposite of sin and achieve victory over it.