Correction

How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

Romans 6:2

Why is it so hard for us to resist sin in our lives? As Christians, we do stumble, but we do not live a lifestyle of continual, unrepentant sin. All of us have weaknesses and can fall into sin, even if we don’t want to. Even the apostle Paul did what he didn’t want to do because of the sin at work in his body (Romans 7:15).

The person who has truly died to sin cannot possibly still live in it. The idea that a Christian can continue to live habitually in sin is not only unbiblical but irrational. Christians obviously are able to commit many of the sins they committed before salvation, but they are not able to live perpetually in those sins as they did before. “No one who is born of God practices sin,” John declares, “because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9). It is not merely that Christians should not continue to live in sin but that they cannot.

God’s grace covers all our sins. Satan tries to get us to think that there is no hope when we sin and that there is no possibility that we can be forgiven and restored. He will try to get us to feel consumed and trapped by guilt so that we do not feel worthy of God’s forgiveness any longer. But since when were we ever worthy of God’s grace? God loved us, forgave us and chose us to be in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-6), not because of anything we did, but “to the end that we who first have hoped in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:12). We must always keep in mind that there is no place we can go that God’s grace cannot reach, and there is no depth to which we can sink that God is no longer able to pull us out. His grace is greater than all of our sin. Whether we are just starting to wander off course or we are already sinking and drowning in our sin, grace can be received.

Grace is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). When we sin, the Spirit will convict us of sin such that a godly sorrow will result (2 Corinthians 7:10-11). He will not condemn our souls as if there is no hope, for there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). The Spirit’s conviction within us is a movement of love and grace. Grace is not an excuse to sin, and it dare not be abused, meaning that sin must be called “sin,” and it cannot be treated as if it is harmless or inoffensive. I believe that the most miserable people on the face of the earth are Christians who are in sin because God will not let us remain in our sin.

For those whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and He flogs every son whom He receives.

Hebrews 12:6

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark