Thoughts on the Spiritual Life - VI - H. C. G. Moule

Such is the general complexion of this delightful passage. And now one leading and most important detail in it is the absoluteness, the totality, which marks its gracious precepts. I venture, in view of this, to entitle this chapter “The Total Abstinence of the Gospel”; total abstinence from allowed sinning, and particularly now from sinning against the law of lowliness, meekness, patience, and kindness, in word, work, and will. The words Total Abstinence have a familiar reference to one form of philanthropic effort in face of a great and terrible need. But I do not speak of this here. I claim the phrase for this yet greater and nobler application, in the light of the word of God. I use it, for myself and for my reader, in regard not of strong drink but of allowed sin. Total Abstinence from this is the very watchword of the true Christian’s daily rule.

It has sometimes been said that we, who firmly believe in the Christian’s need to the very last to confess himself a sinner, to confess his sins, are guilty of “allowing a little sin.” God forbid that such a thing should be truly said of our principle, and purpose, and aim in the presence of the Lord. It is one thing to hold, in the light of Scripture, and in view of experience, that to the last here below our reception of perfect grace is imperfect; that to the last the light of God has enough to shew us about ourselves to humble us in the dust, now, before Him; that there is sin, and more sin than we can tell, even in one imperfectly reverent thought of Him; to say nothing of cruder forms of ill. It is another thing to “allow a little sin,” even the least; to think it a trifle to lose a moment’s patience, to live half an hour’s selfishness, to speak one unkind sentence, or use one unfair argument, to entertain one envious or repining thought, to wander in wish and fancy while we worship, to neglect plain, simple duties (perhaps) in favour of spiritual luxuries. To “allow” such things is grievous sin. To say that anything whatever that is not in the mathematically straight line of God’s will does not matter, that it is an unimportant detail, that we cannot help it, that “we are delivered to do it”; this indeed is sin. Not one of these things “is the will of God in Jesus Christ concerning us.” Not one of these things, as we look back upon it, need have taken place. Against them, each and all, lay the rule of spiritual Total Abstinence; and grace was ours in Christ Jesus, for each moment as it came.