Why Self-Help Can’t Heal a Sin-Sick Heart
Why the Spirit Only Transforms Hearts Surrendered to God’s Word
Chris* was a man I met for lunch to address his anger issue. Admittedly, this appointment was set up by his Christian parents, and we didn’t know each other very well. I quickly found out that he did not know Jesus.
Nor did he care to know about Jesus.
Five minutes into the conversation, he listed reasons for his anger. Some justified and others not so much. I recognized that this was a heart issue more than a passionate hormone imbalance of a young adult screaming, “he is right all the time, and that no one listens to him.”
In the end, after several attempts to bring Christ into the conversation, our time was over. Chris had no interest in solving his anger issue with the truth of God’s word. Nor did he respond to the call for repentance or simply to admit he was part of the problem, or that he had a sin problem. From a psychological, anger management, and self-help perspective, I could’ve equipped him, but his denials of fault created roadblocks in that avenue. You can address some anger with techniques, but correcting anger in the heart takes the Holy Spirit and God’s Word
Chris had never experienced the cleansing work of God’s forgiveness- to have his heart be open to God’s life-changing word. (See Jeremiah 31:33-34) Only God’s word brings the power of the truth that sets us free.
In The 7 Resolutions, Karl Clauson writes:
“Resolving to think the truth is the single most important resolution of the seven.”
Additionally, in his follow-up book Killing Sin- Conquer That One Thing That Is Defeating You, Karl explains:
“The Holy Spirit takes good information (God’s Word) and comforts, guides, and empowers us to apply it, bringing transformation—the design God had all along.”
The lack of time in God’s transforming Word keeps many people from experiencing the Spirit’s transformative work that Karl mentioned above. Some people don’t even crack the cover of their Scriptures outside of Sunday morning
When God’s word says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” And, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:9, 11 respectively), those are not instructions to simply learn more knowledge, rather it is taking God’s word into our hearts by enjoying and valuing our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Through the interactive relationship with God, we encounter by reading the Word and trusting His Spirit, we are changed.
If you are having a tough time hearing God’s will for your life, receiving comfort from God’s truth, or experiencing the power of God to resist temptations, take a good, honest look at your Bible intake and address it.
Be honest:
Perhaps you’re in a dry spell, and the words on the pages are dull and meaningless.
Perhaps you don’t open and read the Bible because you don’t understand it.
Perhaps your reading isn’t changing your heart, and your sin struggle is worsening.
Building a habit to read God’s Word and inviting the Spirit’s work to renew your mind and awaken new affections for the things of the Lord and his power takes time to nurture and feed.
I have three encouragements toward nurturing this:
Stand firm and don’t give up. Consistent exposure with a praying and submissive heart to the truth of God’s word is what is called for. Take 5 minutes, open your copy of the Scriptures or a Bible App. Then, read or listen for 5 minutes. There isn’t one Bible reading plan that is a magic bullet that kills your sin, or sharpens your dullness overnight, rather choose one that you can be consistent with.
Find a reading partner or two that you can sharpen this habit with. Read the same chapters together and text or email with each other throughout the week about observations or questions you have. Share where you may be struggling with God’s word and your ways. Be honest with each other and pray for one another for the life-changing work of God’s word to sanctify each other to be more like Jesus. Meet together every couple of weeks to go deeper into your conversations, and if you find yourself not being consistent in reading, meet anyway and read the agreed-upon chapters or passages together.
Remember, God’s Word is not given to us so we can be the best version of ourselves. Don’t treat the Bible as a self-help guide. God’s word is given to us to know God personally and be made in the likeness of Jesus Christ. This is done through a relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. We enter into that relationship through His grace and our faith in him. The more we know Him, the more we are changed by our interactions with His Word and Spirit.
Eric preaches, teaches, and serves as a lay elder in his local church and writes regularly at For1Glory.com. He and his wife, Melanie, live in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and have three adult children.
*Name has been changed.
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