When my oldest was a toddler, he asked me why I still sinned. Kids keep ya humble, right? I’ve walked with Jesus for most of my life, yet I still battle sin. This will be a continuous battle for all believers on this side of eternity. No sin can change our standing before the Father. However, being in Christ means we should aim not to sin and handle things in a God-honoring way when we do sin.
There’s a great example of this in 1 Samuel 12. Israel sinned by asking for a king (God was to be their King). They realize this, and Samuel graciously reminds them all hope isn’t lost. He exhorts them to turn to the Lord, and not to turn to worthless things that can’t deliver. We aren’t the Israelites, but we can still apply these principles in our battle with sin.
First, when we realize our sin, that’s a grace of God. God disciplines those he loves (Heb. 12:6), so though conviction doesn’t feel good, we can trust it’s indeed a good thing. Lacking conviction over sin is a red flag that we may not have been in Christ to begin with. Therefore, conviction assures us of our salvation.
When that conviction comes, the next step is to confess our sin and turn to Jesus. Unfortunately, when I feel conviction, that’s not often my go-to step. I want to suppress it, acting as if it doesn’t exist. I’m tempted to turn to empty things that can’t profit or deliver, such as my phone, music, or my to-do list. My phone may help me forget about the sin momentarily, but it can’t rescue me from it. My to-do list may keep me temporarily busy, but it can’t deliver me from sin. None of these things can provide forgiveness or grace. They can’t change me to look more like Christ. Regarding eternal matters, these things are worthless.
Instead, I need Jesus. While all our sin is covered by Jesus’s atoning death on the cross, we’re still called to confess our sin to the Lord (1 John 1:9). In fact, repentance (turning from sin and to Christ) should be a normal practice in the Christian life. The keyword here is practice. Since sin will be a lifelong battle, we’ll continually need to turn from it and turn to Christ. This won’t come naturally. What’s natural is suppressing, ignoring, or justifying sin. However, the more we practice repentance, the more we’ll see Christ’s grace and sanctifying work in our day-to-day lives. Therefore, when we realize our sin, the best thing we can do is confess to Christ. This is where true grace, mercy, rescue, freedom, and change are found.
The temptation to hide from God when we sin isn’t new. This started with the very first sin at the Fall. Adam and Eve sinned and immediately realized something was terribly wrong. Their first instinct was to hide (Gen. 3:8). God is omnipresent and omniscient, and so as David says, we can never flee from his presence (Ps. 139:7). Confessing our sin, then, isn’t providing the Lord with new information. Just as He came to Adam and Eve in Eden (Gen. 3:9), He also comes to us. Our confession is agreeing with what God’s Word says about our sin and asking Him to help us turn from it so we may walk more faithfully unto Him. Satan will tempt us to justify our sin, think it’s not “that bad,” or forget about it. He wants us stuck in these cycles of apathy, shame, and condemnation, because when we turn to Christ in repentance, there’s great freedom, joy, and growing in Christlikeness to be found.
Sin is burdensome. It weighs down. It clings closely (Heb. 12:1). When we confess our sin instead of turning to worthless things of this world, we experience weight lifted off our shoulders. Jesus is our Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14-16). Because of that, we get to boldly approach His throne of grace. When we do, He meets us with grace and mercy.
All hope isn’t lost when we sin, because Jesus paid it all for us on the cross. By God’s grace, may we not continue walking in sin, but by the Spirit. When we sin and are convicted, praise God! It’s a reminder we’re His child. Confess and repent. Ask God for His help to turn from that sin and turn to Him. He never asks us to do any of this alone. The Holy Spirit indwells us to help us. He’s given us a church family we can also to confess to, where can find both support and accountability (James 5:16). Then, rehearse the promise of Romans 8:1. In Christ, you’re not condemned! Trust that Christ’s work on the cross is sufficient, and freely walk in His grace upon grace, inching closer each day to looking more like Him.
Ultimately, remember the battle is already won. I love the Shane and Shane song, “You’ve Already Won.” It says, “I’m fighting a battle You’ve already won.” We often apply this song to trials or challenging circumstances, but for me, this song encourages me in my sin battle. Because I’ll be honest, the sin battle is wearisome. Daily, I fight sin that Jesus has already been victorious over. In Christ, I can overcome. It won’t be easy and usually isn’t instant, but sin no longer has dominion over me. One day, I’ll see Jesus face to face, and I’ll get to experience the full freedom from my sinful flesh. What a day that’ll be! Praise God for His grace, which was sufficient to save me, but also sufficient to sanctify me, from now til the day I see my precious Savior face to face. May we see our battle with sin as an assurance of our salvation, and then, by the help of the Spirit, may we continually throw that sin off, daily living more honoring to the Lord.
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