The following is a lengthy excerpt from Repentance and the 21st Century Man by C. John Miller. I read it some weeks ago and the bold section has stayed in my mind since.
Branch-sins are those faults which others most quickly see in us. They are the sins which most obviously get in the way of relationships with others. They are branch-sins, however, not because they are little sins but because branches are more observable than roots and because branches derive their life and strength from hidden roots.
Take laziness as an example. Rarely do you hear anyone say much about it. But laziness is one of the most widespread and flagrant sins in modern life. Since World War II a generation of people has swarmed onto the stage of history whose members do not like to work and, in some cases, are proud of it. At present we are experiencing something like an epidemic of moral vagrancy, with more and more people moving restlessly from job to job and increasing numbers of young people hating the very idea of sustained work. There are professing Christians among their number as well, who claim that their drifting is in obedience to the Holy Spirit, when, in fact, they have confused the leading of the Spirit with romantic impulse.
The biblical teaching on work must be made clear. Labor is one of God’s creation ordinances. At the beginning, the Creator made work an integral part of man’s life and service (Gen 1:28-30). Since the fall into sin, work has come under God’s curse and man no longer understands its full significance (Gen. 3:17-19). However as a consequence of Christ’s resurrection victory, He was constituted the Lord of a new creation. Now this risen Lord requires that Christians live out their lives as new men. This means that they stop stealing and freeloading and go to work so that they may have the means to give to others (Eph 4:17-28, especially v. 28).
It is because of sin that the biblical concept of vocation (work as a calling from God) has been replaced by the modern concept of life as a happy vacation from work responsibility. And the source of the resistance to work can go deep, into the hidden motives of the heart.
Behind the on-again-off-again work habits of our day is a worldly pride. Fused with this pride is the fear that exhausts the sluggard before he hardly lifts a finger. Furthermore, interpenetrating the whole complex of man’s sin is the negative power of unbelief, which constantly feeds man’s rebellious opposition to God.
We saw this in the case of a young woman who was brought into our home in a very weakened physical and emotional state. We were told that her emotional problems were so serious that there was danger that she might die.
What were we to do? It was clear that she had only consented to stay with us because she was ill. Nevertheless, she was convinced that her life would soon come right side up. After all, she was a devout fundamentalist who had already “accepted” Christ.
After she gained some strength, we laid out a program of light work and household responsibilities for her. But it didn’t come off. She resented each task when it became monotonous. Work literally made her sick. Desperate, we had no place to go but to God. From Him we learned to deal truly with her in love. In effect, we said, “You must get up and work even when you do not feel like it because this is what Christ commands.” However, it was like pushing a string. She had no confidence that she could do anything well. Outwardly she would accept a responsibility but underneath she rebelled against any task that crossed her will.
As we daily repented of similar sins in our own lives, the love of Christ entered into us with special power. We began to understand and freely to forgive. There was nothing in her that was not in us also. The difference, however, was that she knew nothing of the joy and power which comes through a believing repentance.
Finally, in a dramatic confrontation she was converted. She met Christ the Lord and saw what His claims really were. The resistance to discipline was broken and a new life emerged. But for this to happen, the Lord had to dig up the root sins of rebellious pride and unbelief. It is her contention that before this uprooting took place she was trusting in “eternal security” and not in Christ for salvation. [emphasis mine]
Now she is able to work a full-time job and no longer needs the shelter of our home. When strength permits, she willingly volunteers to come over and help out with household chores. In a new way she lives by faith, and the awareness of the love of God so fills her life that now my wife and I really find ourselves being taught by this vital Christian. This is not to suggest that the young woman is turned into a super Christian. But the difference is fundamental, so much so that it is difficult even to identify the new person with the old.
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