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The Sin Model: The limits of confessing sin.

My mother, sisters, and I have recently started a bible study together. I ran across a study called How We Grow by Henry Cloud and John Townsend (2001). I have previously worked with and used materials related to boundaries created by this duo and was interested in reading more of their information. As licensed psychologists and believers, their work focuses on bringing biblical truth to light regarding personal and relational issues. The study, so far, has been enlightening, and I plan on sharing a few of our insights from the study over the next few weeks and months.

The first enlightenment I received was four different models of how people grow. Cloud and Townsend (2001) argued that most Christians view human growth through the lens of the following four models: sin, truth, experiential, and supernatural. I’d like to look at all four models, why they are appealing and why they aren’t complete. For this blog post, we will focus on the sin model. The sin model says all problems result from sin. God, the creator and sustainer of all life, is good and worthy of praise and adoration. Human beings, since the epic failure of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, are full of sin and, therefore, bad. We should just stop sinning and be good.

The model presents a simple concept that highlights key components of Biblical truth. God is good and worthy of praise. Because of the fall, we are sinners who need to confess our sins and turn away from sin and disobedience. Unfortunately, the basic premise behind this model is that if you confess your sin, you should automatically be able to stop sinning. I’m not sure about any of you other sinners out there, but this is not as easy as it sounds. For example, have you ever had a conversation like the following with God?

“Lord, I’m really struggling with my addiction to chocolate. I know the amount I eat isn’t healthy and that I’m using it to soothe myself when I should be seeking you. I confess my sin of idolatry and ask you to remove the temptation from me. Amen.” Meanwhile, you stock the house with candy in case the grandkids come, or you put some in a high-up cabinet just in case you have visitors come and you need a quick snack or treat to serve. Or, when you go out to your friends for supper, and they serve chocolate, you don’t want to be rude and not eat that luscious chocolate cake.

In my view, this scenario highlights two possible negative outcomes. First, if I regularly have this experience with sin in my life eventually, I will see a pattern of continued failure, which can lead to self-loathing. Why can’t I get over this temptation when I have been praying so ardently for God to remove it? I must be beyond redemption, I must be broken. Or, it could lead to a complete abdication of responsibility. I’m praying to God to remove this temptation, he hasn’t so far so I guess I just need to keep praying.

True human growth from a Biblical standpoint requires not just prayer but action. In this scenario, we ask God to take the temptation from us while actively sabotaging his ability to work in our lives. The grandkids and guests don’t need chocolate for a treat—fruit can work just as nicely and it won’t tempt you. Alcoholics don’t go to parties and drink because it might offend the host if they don’t. If chocolate has become your idol, God would probably appreciate you taking action to remove it as much as possible from your physical space, right?

The sin model alone can’t support true human growth. As I mentioned before, in my own life I have used this to be spiritually lazy thinking that if I just confess my sin it will be enough to create change. Don’t get me wrong, I am not arguing that we shouldn’t confess our sins. The Bible is very clear on our need to do so (James 5:16; 1 John 1:9; Acts 3:19; Romans 10:10). However, if Christian growth and maturity were just a matter of confession and willpower, there wouldn’t be as much struggle for believers and the church pews would be even emptier than they are now!

In what ways can you see the sin model in how you have approached spiritual growth and change?

Next time, we will cover the truth model of human growth.

Contributed by Liz Hunt

Sources:

Cloud, H., & Townsend, J. (2001). How people grow: What the Bible reveals about personal growth. Zondervan.

The Sin Model: The limits of confessing sin.

My mother, sisters, and I have recently started a bible study together. I ran across a study called How We Grow by Henry Cloud and John Townsend (2001). I have previously worked with and used materials related to boundaries created by this duo and was interested in reading more of their information. As licensed psychologists and believers, their work focuses on bringing biblical truth to light regarding personal and relational issues. The study, so far, has been enlightening, and I plan on sharing a few of our insights from the study over the next few weeks and months.

The first enlightenment I received was four different models of how people grow. Cloud and Townsend (2001) argued that most Christians view human growth through the lens of the following four models: sin, truth, experiential, and supernatural. I’d like to look at all four models, why they are appealing and why they aren’t complete. For this blog post, we will focus on the sin model. The sin model says all problems result from sin. God, the creator and sustainer of all life, is good and worthy of praise and adoration. Human beings, since the epic failure of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, are full of sin and, therefore, bad. We should just stop sinning and be good.

The model presents a simple concept that highlights key components of Biblical truth. God is good and worthy of praise. Because of the fall, we are sinners who need to confess our sins and turn away from sin and disobedience. Unfortunately, the basic premise behind this model is that if you confess your sin, you should automatically be able to stop sinning. I’m not sure about any of you other sinners out there, but this is not as easy as it sounds. For example, have you ever had a conversation like the following with God?

“Lord, I’m really struggling with my addiction to chocolate. I know the amount I eat isn’t healthy and that I’m using it to soothe myself when I should be seeking you. I confess my sin of idolatry and ask you to remove the temptation from me. Amen.” Meanwhile, you stock the house with candy in case the grandkids come, or you put some in a high-up cabinet just in case you have visitors come and you need a quick snack or treat to serve. Or, when you go out to your friends for supper, and they serve chocolate, you don’t want to be rude and not eat that luscious chocolate cake.

In my view, this scenario highlights two possible negative outcomes. First, if I regularly have this experience with sin in my life eventually, I will see a pattern of continued failure, which can lead to self-loathing. Why can’t I get over this temptation when I have been praying so ardently for God to remove it? I must be beyond redemption, I must be broken. Or, it could lead to a complete abdication of responsibility. I’m praying to God to remove this temptation, he hasn’t so far so I guess I just need to keep praying.

True human growth from a Biblical standpoint requires not just prayer but action. In this scenario, we ask God to take the temptation from us while actively sabotaging his ability to work in our lives. The grandkids and guests don’t need chocolate for a treat—fruit can work just as nicely and it won’t tempt you. Alcoholics don’t go to parties and drink because it might offend the host if they don’t. If chocolate has become your idol, God would probably appreciate you taking action to remove it as much as possible from your physical space, right?

The sin model alone can’t support true human growth. As I mentioned before, in my own life I have used this to be spiritually lazy thinking that if I just confess my sin it will be enough to create change. Don’t get me wrong, I am not arguing that we shouldn’t confess our sins. The Bible is very clear on our need to do so (James 5:16; 1 John 1:9; Acts 3:19; Romans 10:10). However, if Christian growth and maturity were just a matter of confession and willpower, there wouldn’t be as much struggle for believers and the church pews would be even emptier than they are now!

In what ways can you see the sin model in how you have approached spiritual growth and change?

Next time, we will cover the truth model of human growth.

Contributed by Liz Hunt

Sources:

Cloud, H., & Townsend, J. (2001). How people grow: What the Bible reveals about personal growth. Zondervan.

https://rhubarbandrubbish.com/2023/01/magical-thinking-does-god-have-a-magic-wand/: The Sin Model: The limits of confessing sin. https://rhubarbandrubbish.com/2023/01/the-experiential-model-i-am-my-experience/: The Sin Model: The limits of confessing sin. https://rhubarbandrubbish.com/2023/01/the-truth-model-the-truth-will-set-you-free/: The Sin Model: The limits of confessing sin.

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