TO SIN OR NOT TO SIN

“Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.”
1 John 3:4-6 NLT

The sin issue stands squarely on the centre of our lives as long as we are in this world. John deals with this matter simply, concisely, step by step, so that we can never be in doubt about what God’s part is and what our part must be.

Step one: Everything that is contrary to God’s character is sin. Get that straight! Since His law is the expression of His character, when we defy Him by disobeying His instructions, we act in rebellion against Him. That is intolerable, no matter how big or small the transgression might be.

Step two: God dealt with our sin by sending His own Son to take away our sin. Jesus became the scapegoat in our place. His death as our substitute allows Him to forgive and remove our sin and our guilt in total. He declares us, legally, not guilty. He wipes the record clean. There is nothing in our “debit” column.

Step three: He has given us a fresh start. It’s up to us to keep our accounts up to date. Those who have been cleared of debt must do everything they can to keep their record debt-free.

However, we still have the possibility of incurring debt again because of the old sin-nature’s presence. God has not removed our old nature. There is still a war going on between the flesh and the Spirit.

“The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.”
Galatians 5:17-18 NLT

This battle is real, but God has provided powerful resources to ensure victory over the sinful nature.

He has given us His nature, so now we have two natures, the old and the new.

“And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”
2 Peter 1:4 NLT

He has put His own Spirit in us to guide and empower us to overcome sin.

” So, I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves…. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses…. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
Galatians 5:16, 18, 25 NLT

His Word is always at our disposal. The Holy Spirit continually reminds us of both God’s standards and His promises. We need never be in doubt about what God’s will is since it is, written in His Word.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

God’s peace is a powerful guard against enemy activity in our hearts.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

His grace is freely available to help overcome temptation and keep us steadfast in our faith and faithfulness to Him. Through prayer, we access His grace in times of need.

“For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:17 NLT

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
Hebrews 4:16 NLT

Our faith in God and in His promises is the link we have with Him to overcome the world’s pull on us.

“For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”
1 John 5:4-5 NLT

His love for us is the power that holds us steady and keeps us going in the face of every obstacle.

“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”
Romans 8:37 NLT

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”
Romans 8:38 NLT

Step four: The question is, “Why do professing Christians continue to live in sin? “ By that, I mean, “Why do people who say they are believers act as though they are not?”  John’s response is quite simple. They are not true believers. Their behaviour denies their confession. They cannot claim what they do not possess.

The presence of God’s Spirit is the final guarantee and godly behaviour the proof that true believers belong to God.