One obstacle to overcoming sin is the failure to develop the love that we are to have for our fellow man. Many sins we commit are against others. When we do such things, we are demonstrating a lack of love for those whom we sin against. Paul tells the saints in Rome that if we start with loving others, many sins will be avoided.
“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:8-10).
If we truly love others, we will seek their best interest ahead of our own. We will not wrong them for our own personal gain. We will not do harm to them. Instead we will love them as we would love ourselves. Jesus says that this was second in importance after our primary duty to love the Lord.
“The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:39).
It is interesting that our love for others is based upon the love we should naturally have for ourselves. If we hope to treat others in the way Jesus has told us to, then we must have a proper appreciation of who we are. However, this does not mean we are to be arrogant. After all, as we have already noticed in this study, we have sinned and are therefore deserving of death (Romans 3:23; 6:23) so we have no reason to be arrogant. But we must have a proper view of ourselves within the context of how God sees us.
“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27).
We have been made in the image of God. That means we occupy a special place in His creation. We bear His likeness in ourselves.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
God loved us enough to send His Son to die for us. This was no hollow or meaningless sacrifice. One does not need to be a parent to know how difficult it would be for one to watch his own child suffer. God even knew ahead of time the suffering and death Jesus would have to endure – it was part of His eternal plan. Even knowing this, He was still willing to send Jesus to Earth in order to have Him suffer an agonizing death for us.
“Opening his mouth, Peter said: ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him’” (Acts 10:34-35).
We do not appreciate it when people fail to show us the kindness, respect, or consideration that they show to others. But God is not like this. He is impartial. He treats all people the same. No matter who we are, and no matter how much (or little) others appreciate us, God is willing to accept us if we obey Him.
“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
God loves us enough that He wants us to be saved. Our salvation will result in an eternity in heaven with Him. This is what God desires. He has done everything necessary in order to make this possible.
We are to love others in the same way that God has loved us. As John writes, “If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11). We must see others as God sees them. We should treat them in such a way as to reflect the kindness that God has shown to us.
Treating Others as God has Treated Us
So how are we to treat others? First, we should recognize that they were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). They bear His likeness. Therefore, they are special. Second, we should be willing to sacrifice for them, just as God was willing to sacrifice for us (John 3:16). This means we actively put their interests ahead of our own. Third, instead of showing partiality, we should treat others equally. We should never treat someone as if they are not as important as someone else. Fourth, we should work to save them. God loved us enough to want to save us, so He did what was necessary to make that possible. If we truly love others as God loves us, we will do whatever we can for their eternal benefit and work to save their soul through the gospel.
Doing these things will naturally preclude us from sinning against others. It becomes difficult to wrong someone when we are actively and consciously trying to treat them as God treats us. In all of our dealings with others, we are to have the mind of Christ.
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:3-5).
Jesus is our perfect example. As He walked here on this earth, He never sinned against anyone. He loved us with so great a love that He was willing to die for us (John 15:13). This is the attitude we must have toward others. We must seek their best interest first, even if doing so requires personal sacrifice on our part.
If we do not have this mentality, we will continue to sin against others. But as long as we are able to treat others as Jesus did and as God treats us, sin will find no place in our lives to do wrong to others.
Summary
When you sin against others, you demonstrate a lack of love for them. To overcome sin, you must grow in your love for man. To do this, first remember the ways in which God has demonstrated His love for you. Then, treat others as God has treated you.
This material is taken from the book, The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome, published by Gospel Armory, © 2010.
