“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us”
“We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin”
I am often asked about this question. It may not always take on this form but the struggle is the same; an attempt to understand sin and the Christian life. The answer is simple and complex. Yes, Christians do sin; and no they shouldn’t. In order to understand this better we need to travel back to our days in confirmation and review the meaning of two important words: Justification and Sanctification.
Our Catechism offers these helpful definitions.
Justification: “The gracious act of God by which a sinner, for Christ’s sake, is declared righteous, without guilt, and free from condemnation. He, for Christ’s sake, acquits a repentant and believing sinner of his sin and guilt, and looks upon him in Christ as though he had never sinned.”
Sanctification: “The gracious work of the Holy Spirit whereby He day by day renews the believer more and more after the image of God.”
Consider these scriptures:
- II Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
- 1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”
- Romans 3:24 Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.
- Hebrews 10:14 (NKJV). For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
On the cross, God laid all the sins of humankind (past, present, and future) upon Jesus Christ, whereby he suffered the full extent of God’s wrath and made the complete and final atonement for our sins. Through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (trusting in His sacrifice alone to pay and atone for all our sin) we are declared righteous by God.
God counts Christ's perfect life as if we lived it, and counts our sins as paid for by Him on the cross. From the time of our conversion, we are clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:27). No longer when God looks at us does He see a sinner; He sees a perfect saint.
However that does not mean we are free from sin. The Christian will still be tempted by the World, by the Devil, and his own nature. He will still daily struggle with sin, and at times succumb to its pull and fall. When this happens, the Christian should turn to the Lord in contrition and repentance, confessing the sin asking the Lord to help him stand strong in the face of temptation (Psalm 32 and 51).
He must daily abide in Christ (John 15) through times in the Word and Prayer, whereby he (and his desires) is slowly changed into the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is sanctification. It is a process and is never complete until we reach heaven. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
Until ones dies, he will struggle with sin, however this struggle is different for the Christian. For he is no longer a slave to sin, but has been set free from it’s control. When he sins, feelings of guilt and remorse fill his soul. He now desires new things - good things - Godly things; and through the power of the Holy Spirit can carry them out.
In Romans 7:15-20 Paul talks about this struggle. In verses fifteen he says, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” And again in verse eighteen and nineteen, “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”
The struggle of sin real. Although sin will always be a battle and we will never fully rid ourselves of it, the Christian should not accept or excuse sin in his life. Rather, he should strive to lead a sinless God-honoring life in all that he does. When he does fall, repent and move on. Even though we can’t reach perfection this doesn't mean we should not strive for it. Just as the athlete tries knowing he will miss, he strives for perfection. The Good news is, that we are made (and are being made) perfect in Christ even though we struggle with sin.
“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”
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