Jim Tumlinson One beggar leading others to where the bread is

This is a question that many ponder, ask others or even ask themselves. How many Christians have even said "Am I really a born again Christian since I have this sin issue in my life"? Some will even say that if you have habitual sin in your life your are not really a Christian. That is judgmental and legalistic there are way too many scriptures to refute this kind of thinking. Here are some things that may help if you are having problems with habitual sin.

Paul tells us in Romans that it is the sin in my flesh that does it. It may also be a generational thing, someone in the family generations had the same issue but no one knew about it or talked about it and so it continues trying to destroy. One may never stop the habitual sin. There are some things we can do to help either stop or get through it.

1. Get an accountability partner you can trust
2. Get a mentor who will help you grow through it.
3. Read your bible, just to read, not to necessarily deal with the sin
4. Ask God to reveal His grace to you
5. See if you can go through a deliverance session

Now the good news! Your sins were forgiven before you were born. I'm not saying it is okay to sin. What I am saying is that your sin was dealt with already. 

Heb 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! NIV

Phil 2:12-13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him. NLT

1 Peter 5:8-11 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. NIV

The point of these is to help you in your struggle. We are the righteousness of God in Christ. That means we are always in right standing with God. NO MATTER WHAT We must remember we are a spirit (that is sinless) we live in a body (which sins) we have a soul, our mind will and emotions (which sin). 

God does not want us to focus on our sin because it was dealt with long before we were born, unless we don't receive the gift of eternal life in Jesus. If we continue to let it get to us then we will walk around feeling guilty for something that was paid for on the cross. Then we won't work in the kingdom because we don't feel worthy.

Our job is to do good works no matter what our flesh does. Sin is what we do but not who we are. We are the righteousness of God, Holy, acceptable, apple of His eye no matter what. I'm not saying it is okay to sin but take the focus off the sin and put it on your right standing with God. As long as you try not to sin you will sin. As long as you focus on doing good you will do good.

Romans 8:1 says there is no condemnation for those in Christ. We are always in Christ because we are born again and thus there is no condemnation no matter what. The devil may accuse you or try to get you to condemn yourself but stick to the scriptures.

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Lastly I have found it is easier to get through these things not out of my love for God but out of His love for me. There is more power in His love for me than my love for Him

January 11 2014 • 12 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Anthony Clinton Teacher in China

Just for a moment let's imagine a Bible that applies to a Christian who could not lose their Salvation no matter what sins they were habitually committing. There would be absolutely no need to mention any warning of danger such as grievous wolves not sparing the flock. Why would you warn anybody if your sins were all forgiven and nothing you could do would require you to protect yourself because you are eternally safe. It would be like facing the jaws of a deadly ravenous wolf and someone came to warn you of the danger shouting out as loud as he could. "Beware of the Dangerous wolf!" You turn back to him and say, "Hey man calm down relax have drink, the wolf is caged and he cannot devour me." 

Of course the book of Galatians would be totally irrelevant because whether you did or did not go back to the old testament law you were already forgiven so it did not matter what you actually did, you are forgiven. 

You could blame your homosexual habit on genetics and continue knowing it would not matter because you received Christ and the fact you went back to your old life of Gay living because now you were feeling secure because your sins would all be overlooked and all you would need is some therapy to help you cope with the difficulty. So if once we were converted and born again we go back to the old life of drunkenness, or whatever, hey in the final end your sins are covered. 

Its even more interesting when someone says if they did go back they were not Christians and then teach Christians that do have habitual sin problems that there is no need for repentance and reconciliation but just some helpful counseling because God overlooks your sin. 

Jesus warned us if we did not forgive our brother we will not be forgiven by Him. (Matt 18:35) Likewise John told us that if we hate our brother, meaning if we hate a fellow Christian, not only would we not be forgiven, we would no longer have eternal life abiding in us. So to fail to forgive a brother then one is not forgiven, to hate a brother from the heart darkness enters them and eternal life removes from them. 
No, absolutely no way that all sins are forgiven without a reconciliation and repentance from habitual sin. To teach this would be turning the grace of God into a license to sin. It would allow an excuse for people to walk in the flesh and have no fear of the consequences for doing so. So let's take time to understand the Scriptures warnings to Christians in (Galatians 5:16-26) Paul shows that there is a way to make sure you don't walk according to the flesh and be condemned with the wicked. Walk in the Spirit and you will not walk in the Flesh. So with his warning he mentions what the sins of the flesh are and that if a Christian habitually walks in them they will not be in the Kingdom of God. He first exhorts them to walk in the Spirit and then makes it clear that IF they do then they are walking in a Crucified life. The options he was warning them not to take one being hatred. Again this is a sin that comes from carnal living and can plunge Christians into darkness. Those sins will not be forgiven just because you had a rebirth experience unless you are reconciled to your brother. 
The question you may ask yourself is,"doesn't the sacrifice of the one time offering of Christ sufficient to forgive all sins no matter what?" Christ's death was sufficient for all sins of every person on the planet but it only becomes applicable if we are converted and continue in the grace of God. 
Just imagine if you sinned by saying "I no longer want to go to Church and I am no longer interested in the Church thing, I want to go back to my old life. Do you really think God would still accept you on the day you meet Him? The answer about such a sin as this, which is apostasy, is in (Romans 11:20-23) If someone tells you that habitual willful sinning without a return to Christ will not result in cutting you off from God it would be better you heed this Truth.

January 12 2014 • 41 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Danny Hickman

Romans 5:13 says "for until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law." Also Romans 4:15 states that the law works wrath and where there is no law there is no transgression. These scriptures make it clear that those who have become heirs with the risen Christ are now become born again into the family of God and are no longer KEPT by the law of Moses, but are now KEPT by the Spirit that lives within them. What law? I thank God through His Son Jesus that there is no law for me to break! Only grace...

April 16 2014 • 7 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Ezekiel Kimosop

No! It is not in the nature of a true believer to sin habitually but by inadvertence. This is not to suggest that true believers are sinless because this would be a violation of 1 John 1:7-10. 

We live in an imperfect world of sin and evil and we do not meet the standards of a holy and righteous God. The blood of Jesus covers our sins so long as we walk with a heart that is purposively yielded to Christ. Hebrews 4:16 says "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." 

A Christian's life is being continually renewed to conform to the image and likeness of Christ and this life cannot be defined by habitual sins of the flesh or addictive sins. There is overcoming power in Christ and every child of God who struggles with a sin habit can actually receive strength from Christ to overcome.

To sin continually and habitually is indicative of a life that has not been liberated by Christ and which Satan reigns in their members.

October 28 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Dale Richardson

You cannot sin habitually and expect to enter the kingdom of heaven. The bottom line is this, Adam and eve were expelled from Eden because of disobedience, so the requirement for entry is going to be obedience, if it were not so Jesus would not have to die for our sins. The promise of victory over sin was given at the fall in in genesis 3:15 "15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

That is a promise to resist satan and sin. God made a provision for us to over come sin. Adam and Eve were slaves to sin when they disobeyed God and God made it possible for them to once again choose, because they could not even take responsibility for their actions. Thus is the nature of sin. 

Jesus came to save us from our sins, not in them. Romans 6:23 "23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." sin leads to death. 

The next thing is that the word of God must be above any human being. You cannot possibly suggest a sinful human to be a solution to sin before God that is legalism. Any way to try to earn salvation outside of God is legalism. Nothing we can do on our own can stop us from sinning. We must submit ourselves to Jesus. As a Christian we are to lead people to Christ not to man.

October 29 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Bryan Barnes

The answer to this question is no. The bible teaches us that he who is born of God doesn't continue in sin. He who makes a practice of sin doesn't know him or hasn't seen him. I have come to my study of the word of God that if one sees him self the way God sees him in Christ Jesus, then it will be impossible for him to remain in sin. I'll recommend that you read 1 John 3:4-11

October 29 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report