The Christian and His Sin

The Christian and his sin? Wait a minute. His sin? Yes. As God’s people we have the ongoing problem of dealing with the presence of sin around us and the capability to sin. Before salvation I didn’t think about coming to church, not using foul language, or following after whatever I wanted. We all did these things. But when we were saved, things changed. However, the devil is still around. Sin is still present around us. We just see them more clearly now. We’re in the light; sin is in the dark. Even at the best we can do we will still sin. It’s no longer comfortable for us to sin since we’re saved.  Sinning should make us miserable now. David said he felt dried up like the heat of summer until he asked God to forgive him of his sin. Be thankful for that. It if doesn’t bother you to sin there is a deep spiritual problem.

We can’t be sinless. The Lord knows that. Only One was sinless–Jesus. God does tell us to be perfect even as he is. He doesn’t mean perfect in the sense we think. He means for us to be mature Christians. We can overcome because the same Savior who saved us will forgive us when we do sin. Never use Jesus as an excuse to sin but go to him when you do sin.

I John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

The Apostle John wrote this to say we are not to continue in sin. We have a new nature from God now that we’re saved. It’s a divine one. Our old nature was from Adam and Eve. Our human kinship goes all the way back to them, and we are born with a sinful nature. We we get saved we’re saved from the sins of that old nature and given a divine nature, a gift from God. Can you not sense a difference in yourself now! We’re not saved by feelings but we know we have a nature from God. We now belong to God’s family because Jesus Christ, his only begotten son, has saved us and birthed us into the family. The old nature is there but the new one prevails through our faith. The devil still uses our old nature. He tempts us through weakness in our old nature. Jesus is an ever present Savior. John said if we sin after we’re saved Jesus is our advocate with the Father in heaven. The devil tempts us. He manipulates us. If we give in we feel condemned, and rightly so. It’s against the new nature to sin. It hits us like brass knuckles in the face. The devil knocks us down and then looks at us and says “see there.”  He derides us to devalue us. He slanders and uses anything he can. Remember, he’s a liar. Pay no attention to the devil. The truth is that Jesus is there as the advocate to plead our case to the Father. First John 1:9 says If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we choose to get up from that sin and confess it, Jesus will forgive us.

John goes on to say in verse 10: If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. If we act like we never sin, we’re telling God he got it all wrong. He did not. We’re not perfect. We get to heaven because we trust the perfect One. It’s by God’s grace and mercy that we’re saved and that same grace and mercy helps us grow to become the grown up Christian we should be in the Lord. We are to recognize our sin, not hide it. Confess it to the Lord. We should be ashamed, but do as so many others have done: get on your knees and pray. You don’t have to be a weak, wishy-washy Christian. It’s why we pray. It’s why we come to church. As we grow we do so by paying attention to the teachings of God’s Word. We can choose to do right. Verse 3 says hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. Choose to do right and keep his commandments. Verse 4 says those who say they know God but don’t keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. When we fail to do right, we cannot stand. When we sin, we slip; we fall. But verse 5 says whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. Why live right? Why choose the right thing? Sure trusting God keeps us out of the torment of hell, but we should love the Lord more than we love our sins.

God loves us. He knows how to love us. We can all love him more. Verse 6 reminds us He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.  As a Christian, consider the old man “hands off”, a “forbidden zone” in your life. Before the devil can start on you every day, and he does; before you put your feet on the floor, call on the Lord first thing for help in that day. That’s how you deal with sin.  It is not by our might but by HIS!