Josh Matthews: Stubborn Sins

In today’s episode of The BCC Podcast, Kevin Carson, Executive Director of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, is joined by pastor and biblical counselor Josh Matthews for a candid conversation about stubborn sins—patterns believers may confess and fight, yet still find themselves struggling with again. Josh shares personally from his own ongoing battle with food, comfort, and self-control. Kevin and Josh begin in Romans 6, exploring the believer’s union with Christ and the hope it provides in the fight against sin. Lasting change is not ultimately found in greater willpower, stricter rules, or better systems, but in knowing and believing what God says is true of us in Christ: we have died with Him, been raised with Him, and sin no longer has the right to rule over us. They also discuss genuine repentance, the call to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” while making no provision for the flesh, and the limitations of external rules and self-discipline. While practical strategies can be helpful, they cannot substitute for the heart change that comes through Christ. Ultimately, the goal is not simply to stop a sinful behavior, but to grow in our love for Christ so that our affection for Him increasingly surpasses the comfort, pleasure, or satisfaction sin promises. As believers grow in knowing and treasuring Christ, they learn not only to say no to sin, but to pursue Someone far better.   FROM OUR SPONSOR:  To learn more about an undergraduate degree in biblical counseling, go to BoyceCollege.com/1514. For more information on the Biblical Counseling and Master of Divinity degree in 60 months, go to BoyceCollege.com/five.   Support 15:14 – A Podcast of the Biblical Counseling Coalition today at biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/donate.