| When Christians Sin |
| by David A. DePra |
| If there is one thing we know is NOT the will of God, it is sin. Sin is |
| never God's will under any circumstances. Indeed, sin is the very |
| antithesis of the will of God. |
| Jesus Christ took care of all sin through the Redemption. In His |
| Redemption is provision for every possible act of sin, condition of |
| sin, as well as the sin nature itself. Jesus won full forgiveness, |
| victory, and finality over all of these. |
| Now ask: Do we sin? Yep. No matter how much we believe and |
| try to obey, we sin. That's because despite the fact that the victory |
| over sin is complete in Christ, we are still in the process of both |
| discovering and experiencing that victory. Despite the new life |
| within us, we live in a dead, fallen creation. We are incased in a |
| fleshly body, prone to the corruption of this dead creation. And |
| many times, either consciously or unconsciously, we yield |
| ourselves to it. We sin. |
| How is it that Christians sin? How is this possible if Jesus died |
| for sin? And if we sin, then what? What happens when Christians |
| sin? |
| No Condemnation |
| God cannot, in a moment, wipe away the possibility of sin. To do |
| that, He would have to wipe away our wills. He would have to make |
| it impossible for us to choose wrong. Not only would that reduce us |
| to being mere robots, but if God wiped away the possibility of sin, |
| He would also have to wipe away the possibility of good. Afterall, |
| if we cannot choose wrong, then we cannot choose right. And if we |
| cannot choose right, then there is no such thing as righteous |
| character. All "character," in that case, would be imposed. |
| Thus -- Christians MUST have the power to sin. We must. And |
| the fact is, we DO sin. A lot. Probably much more than any of us |
| realize. Especially when you consider that sin is not just a matter |
| of external acts. It is also a matter of internal attitude. The slightest |
| lack of love in my heart is sin, and flawed, in the eyes of God. It is |
| enough to condemn me. |
| But there is good news: Sin does NOT condemn me. In fact, |
| for a Christian, there is NO condemnation. God says, "There is |
| therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus." (Rom. |
| 8:1) That pretty much tells us that if we feel condemned, it isn't |
| coming from God. God doesn't condemn. Ever. |
| Of course, this IS contingent upon whether we are in Christ. |
| If we are not in Christ, we are already condemned. We are already |
| dead. (see John 3:18) |
| Now assuming you are in Christ, do you really believe that there |
| is NO condemnation towards you from God? Ever? Do you really |
| believe Romans 8:1? |
| Let's read that verse again: |
| There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in |
| Christ Jesus. |
| That's really clear. It is as straightforward as can be. But does |
| God really mean it? Some of us can't quite accept that God could |
| mean there is NO condemnation for us -- ever -- as Christians. In |
| fact, if we were to paraphrase this verse to make it reflect what we |
| usually believe, it would probably read like this: |
| There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in |
| Christ Jesus -- EXCEPT WHEN WE SIN. |
| Isn't that right? Somehow we think that if we are in Christ, there |
| is no condemnation for us -- EXCEPT or UNLESS we sin. Then, |
| even if we don't actually spell it out in so many words, we think |
| there IS condemnation. We think there MUST be, or else God |
| is excusing our sin. To us, God must condemn us for sin or He |
| takes sin lightly. |
| This is error. God takes sin so seriously that He absolutely had |
| to have a just reason for being able to forgive it. So in Jesus |
| Christ, God took sin upon Himself and died. THAT is why God is |
| able to forgive, and that is why there is NO condemnation. Thus, |
| to say that God must now condemn for sin is ignoring the fact that |
| He has already dealt with sin. It is actually a denial of what Christ |
| has done. |
| Putting Sin Between Us and God |
| Condemnation suggests that we must take our sin and put it |
| between ourselves and God. Then we must take steps to get it |
| out of the way. Some people, however, never get it out of the way. |
| This, despite spending their lives trying. This is bondage. |
| The fact is, sin is already out of the way. So, if we believe, we |
| won't put it between us and God. We will know that in Christ, it is |
| already forgiven. |
| Did you ever realize that the only person who can put your sin |
| between you and God is YOU? That's right. No one else can do |
| that -- the most they can do is deceive you into doing it to yourself. |
| But in the final analysis, they can't do anything to force you to put |
| your sin between you and God. You must do it. You must fall for |
| the lie and practice the unbelief -- personally. |
| Now, when we put our sin between us and God, we never define |
| it that way. We say God has put our sin between us and Him -- and |
| that we are simply facing the truth. But here is where we are blind to |
| real Truth -- of the gospel. God cannot put my sin between Himself |
| and me. Ever. Never. Why? Because Jesus died to take away |
| the sin! If God ever, even once, were to put my sin between myself |
| and Him, then Jesus died for nothing. That simple act of God would |
| be a total and complete contradiction of the Truth of the |
| Redemption. |
| So what we have is this: There is no condemnation for those in |
| Christ Jesus. When? EVEN when we sin! Indeed, ESPECIALLY |
| when we sin. In fact, at what other time would Paul be talking about? |
| He certainly wouldn't be assuring us that there is no condemnation |
| when we obey! Nonsense. He is telling us that there is no |
| condemnation for those in Christ -- EVEN when we sin. |
| License? |
| Some people will not stand for this Truth because, to them, it |
| opens the door for license. To them, if God does not condemn us |
| when we sin, then we are free to sin. |
| First of all, ask: Has God's condemnation ever stopped anyone |
| from sinning? No. Sure, maybe we have developed a religious |
| pattern of being controlled by condemnation -- one which we think |
| keeps us in line. Maybe we are so used to obeying God to avoid |
| "His condemnation" that we are convinced condemnation is from |
| God -- and a good and valid thing. But in reality, condemnation |
| never really stops anyone from being a sinner. Condemnation is |
| the product of being "under the law." And the law points out sin; |
| shows us to be even greater sinners than we imagined. The result |
| is not greater obedience. It is greater condemnation! |
| The law -- any law -- makes no one righteous. It shows us to be |
| sinners. It simply points out sin and brings greater condemnation. |
| This is why we cannot be "under the law" if we are "under grace." |
| We are saved solely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. And in |
| Him there is NO condemnation. |
| Second of all, let's suppose there IS condemnation for those in |
| Christ when we sin. If that's the case, then what are we supposed to |
| do to get rid of the condemnation? Well, believe in Christ. Right? |
| Sure. But the moment we believe in Christ, what happens? There is |
| no condemnation! So why go through the destructive practice of |
| embracing condemnation, only to end up right back where we |
| belong: In Christ? Better to never leave to begin with. In Christ, |
| there is NO condemnation -- EVEN when we sin. |
| What we are seeing is this: There is no condemnation for those |
| in Christ -- before we sin, during our sin, and after our sin. God |
| doesn't impose condemnation upon us under any circumstances. |
| He can't. Condemnation is not a Christian vocabulary word. |
| But back to this issue of license. If I say God must condemn |
| Christians when they sin, or license will reign, I am really betraying |
| my blindness to the gospel of grace. Why? Well, if I really knew |
| the grace of God, I would also know that there is no possibility of |
| license in it. Indeed, it is morally impossible for someone to repent |
| of sin, see their need for Christ, embrace the forgiveness and grace |
| of God, and then say, "Ok. Now I'm a saved Christian. I'm free of |
| condemnation. I can sin all I want." |
| But wait. Some Christians do practice license. They do say that |
| they are saved, but they are involved in all kinds of sin. Doesn't |
| this prove that once you release people from condemnation that |
| you give them license to sin? |
| People who are guilty of moral license -- if that is REALLY what |
| they are practicing -- are not using the grace of God as a license. |
| No. They have never received the grace of God. They have |
| never reached that point. They stopped short -- way short -- of that. |
| What they have done is develope a religion to make themselves |
| feel comfortable with their sin, and called it "Christianity." But it is |
| not Christianity. It is a counterfeit. |
| License is never the product of faith. It is a product of unbelief. |
| People who call themselves Christians, but who, in their heart, |
| want to sin, are not that way because they believe. They are that |
| way because somewhere along the line they refused to believe. |
| Are We Free to Sin? |
| Now we come to an important question: If, in fact, there is NO |
| condemnation for those in Christ Jesus -- even when we sin -- then |
| why not sin, that grace might abound? Well, this exact question, |
| word for word, is asked in the Bible. And it is likewise answered: |
| As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through |
| righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall |
| we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? |
| God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer |
| therein? (Rom. 5:29-6:1) |
| The reason we don't "sin that grace might abound" is NOT that |
| we will be condemned for it. Paul goes out of his way to make sure |
| that we understand this, climaxing in the statement that there is NO |
| condemnation for those in Christ, only two chapters after the above |
| verse. But note what Paul does give as the reason we do not "sin |
| that grace might abound:" We are dead to sin. We have been |
| baptized into the death of Christ, and raised to newness of life. |
| The reason Christians do not use the grace of God as a license |
| to sin is that we are "dead to sin" and "alive to God." But this is not |
| merely a "positional" status we have, or merely a "doctrinal" Truth. |
| These verses are talking about our spiritual condition through the |
| new birth. Someone born of God WILL NOT "sin that grace might |
| abound." The new nature within them won't allow for that. |
| This Truth is found in I John. There we find what might, on the |
| surface, appear to be verses that contradict each other, but which, |
| upon closer examination, are really an explanation of how a |
| Christian will still sin, but will never WANT to sin -- using the grace |
| of God as a license. |
| If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the |
| truth is not in us. (I Jn. 1:8) |
| Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth has not |
| seen Him, neither knows Him. (I Jn. 3:6) |
| Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed |
| remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. |
| (I Jn. 3:9) |
| A Christian cannot say, "I have no sin." That, as John puts it, is |
| self-deception. In fact, if we actually say that, it is evidence that the |
| Truth is not in us. Why? Because the Truth in us will make it |
| painfully obviously to us that we DO sin. And it will also provide |
| the redemptive solution in Christ. |
| Yet despite fully confessing that we do sin, John says that if we |
| abide in Him we "sinneth not." He adds that if we are born of God |
| we do not commit sin. How can both be true? |
| Well, the Greek words behind "sinneth not," and "does not |
| commit sin" are words which carry the meaning of habitual, willful |
| sin. This is sin which is embraced by the one sinning, and sin with |
| which the sinner is at ease. It is sin which meets with no resistance |
| in the will of the person sinning. This is an attitude towards sin |
| which a born again believer will never have. |
| If you look around you, you might see people who claim to be |
| born again, but who continue to act as if they are not. It might seem |
| as if they are "sinning that grace might abound." Well, we cannot |
| know what is in their heart -- although we can certainly call any acts |
| of sin what they are. That kind of person could actually hate the |
| fact they are sinning, and be in the process of crying out to God for |
| help. Or they may not really be born again. It is up to God to judge. |
| Not Wanting To Sin |
| A real Christian doesn't WANT to sin. There is a reason for this. |
| It's because you cannot become a genuine Christian unless you |
| have first repented of wanting to sin. To become a Christian, you |
| must repent, embrace forgiveness, and in an attitude of need, |
| receive the grace of God. If you still want to sin, you aren't going |
| to do any of that. |
| You see, Christianity is not a religion to adopt, or a list of |
| teachings to start obeying. It is a new birth. If I am a Christian, I |
| won't want to sin because I have entered into Christ forsaking sin. |
| I have repented of "wanting to sin." |
| Now, don't get this mixed up with the flesh "wanting to sin." The |
| flesh often likes to sin. There are still pulls of the flesh to overcome |
| once we are Christians. That is why the Bible says that the flesh |
| and the Spirit are contrary to one another and constantly at war. |
| We have our flesh, which tends towards sin. But we have our |
| inner man, who does not want to sin. We must yield our members |
| to the Holy Spirit, and not to the flesh. |
| Some Christians have trouble with this distinction between the |
| flesh wanting to sin, and THEM wanting to sin. They see that their |
| flesh has certain pulls and it convinces them that they want to sin. |
| But the fact is, if I am worried about it at all, then I probably don't |
| want to sin. I probably hate the fact that my flesh likes certain sins. |
| This resistance to sin in me is from the new life God birthed in me. |
| Read Romans 7. There we find Paul telling us that that he does |
| not want to sin, but does sin. It is almost like he is describing two |
| people. But we are no different. A real Christian does not want to |
| sin. But his flesh, the law of sin within, does tend towards sin. His |
| life is spent learning how to yield to God and overcome the flesh |
| through the victory of Christ. |
| Cleansed From All Sin |
| So what is the relationship a truly converted Christian has to |
| sin? He doesn't want to sin, but often does sin. He desires to |
| obey God, but often fails. He makes lots of mistakes. But always, |
| before, during, and after he sins, he is in Christ. And Christ took |
| away all sin. |
| We also see this in I John: |
| My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And |
| any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ |
| the righteous. (I Jn. 2:1) |
| But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship |
| one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses |
| us from all sin. (I Jn. 1:7) |
| If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, |
| and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I Jn. 1:9) |
| Now notice what it says here: The Blood of Christ cleanses us |
| from ALL sin. How much sin? ALL sin. Likewise, we are cleansed |
| from ALL unrighteousness. How much unrighteousness? ALL |
| unrighteousness. No wonder there is NO condemnation for those |
| in Christ. There is no sin or unrighteousness there to condemn. It is |
| finished! |
| The Good News |
| For two-thousand years, much of this Truth has been preached |
| backwards. We have been told that we must "do this or that" to |
| "keep in" the grace of God, and to "keep out" of condemnation. |
| The Truth is, we are ALREADY in the grace of God, and ALREADY |
| delivered from condemnation. Because of that, we "do this or that." |
| Because we have received the grace of God, we obey God. And |
| because we have been delivered from condemnation, we obey |
| God. |
| But we don't do it perfectly. Not even close. Christians sin all the |
| time. But when we do sin, we do not then come under |
| condemnation. We come under the grace and forgiveness of God. |
| THAT is New Covenant Christianity. That is the gospel. It is the |
| result of what Jesus Christ has done through His finished victory. |