Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to the world primarily to redeem man from sin. This free gift of redemption is available to all who believe Jesus came, died and rose again.
Redemption gives life to our spirits, sets us free from the bondage of sin and grants us access to fellowship with God. However, there is the question of what to do if you sin. What should you do if as a born again, Spirit filled believer, you sin?
The Bondage of Sin
All men who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour are under the bondage of sin. This is because Adam, the ancestor of all men sinned against God. The consequence of Adam’s sin, among other things was that sin got implanted into man’s nature; that is all men born under the lineage of Adam.
This is the bondage of sin; the fact that all men are born into sin because of their ancestry to Adam. However, when we receive Jesus Christ, we come under a new lineage that is not bound by sin. The bible explains it this way in the book of Romans:
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:…For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” – Romans 5:12, 17
Jesus Christ came to give us a way out from this bondage. When we accept what He did for us, we are set free from the bondage of sin. This is called Salvation.
What if you sin after being saved?
First, we must realize that it is possible to sin even after being saved. The bible says in 1 John:
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” – I John 2:1
In the above scripture, God tells us not to sin. However, it says if you sin, you should realize that Jesus Christ is still advocating, that is, supporting your cause before God the Father.
Second, we should also understand that the above scripture is not a justification to continue in sin. Jesus Christ came to set us free from sin, not provide a way for us to continue in sin without consequence. If we are truly saved, our hearts will desire to live in righteousness and when we sin, we will be convicted in our hearts.
In 1 John, the bible tells us what to do if we sin:
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – I John 1:8-9
Third, if we sin, we must acknowledge our sin. Trying to justify our actions when we clearly know that we have done wrong will not justify us in the eyes of God. The bible records King David’s confession and repentance in Psalm 51 after he slept with Bathsheba and killed her husband:
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:…” – Psalm 51:1-4
When we confess our sins to God in sincerity, we admit that we have done wrong and He will cleanse us from those sins and grant us grace to walk with Him. The bible says He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from our unrighteousness when we confess our sins to Him.
A word about dealing with sin
If you sin is how God defines the activity of sin in the life of a believer. It should be a rare condition and not the norm after salvation. However, sin does not just stop after salvation. We have a part to play in living righteously.
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law but under grace.” – Romans 6:12-14
The key word in the scripture above is yield. If we yield our bodies to fleshly lusts, it results in sin and unrighteousness. However, if we yield to God and to the dictates of His Word, it results in righteousness and holiness. The word yielding implies choice. You have the right to chose who you yield to and ultimately if you please God or not. This is one way to live above sin.
Another way to prevent sin from being the norm in our lives is to meditate on God’s Word; to think on God’s Word till it becomes a part of your spirit. The bible says in Psalm 119:
“Wherwithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word…Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” – Psalm 119:9, 11
Let us yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit and let us keep God’s Word in our heart, reading studying and meditating on it all day. If we will do these things, sin will lose its hold on us and we will live pleasing lives to God.
Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour? Visit our Salvation Message page to give your life to Him today.
David Adeniji is the Founder and President of The Behold File, a teaching ministry founded in 2003. The Behold File provides a platform through which the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of men to see Jesus so they can be changed to be like him.