It is not all about sin

It seems that sin management is the main priority of many Christians that I think may fit under the category of "Idolatry." Some Christians talk and think more about sinning and sins than they do Jesus Christ Himself.

For over 20 years I tried to manage my sins. I found out that I could not even manage even one sin. If you have taken on this responsibility you will fail and all you will experience is grief and despair. Let me make this very clear, this is NOT your responsibility!!! God never intended that you manage your sins. That is impossible!! God has already dealt with the sin problem once and for all.

The Bible says that Jesus came to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. That's the reality we need to lock in on in life! Sin doesn't intimidate God. He defeated it, once and for all, on the cross. So why should we spend our time making sin the object of our attention? When He took all of our sin into Himself and said "it is finished", that's exactly what he meant. Now we are to focus on Jesus Christ, not ourselves, not our sins. We're to focus on Jesus Christ. The Bible says if you set your mind on the things of the flesh, you will reap the things of the flesh. So if we want to walk in victory over sins, we don't do that by focusing on the temptation to sin, we focus instead on Jesus.

"But don't we need to focus on overcoming our sins?" some may ask.

In Col.3, Paul said "If you are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

As we focus upon Jesus Christ, we will find that the attraction toward that temptation that has us in its grip, will become weaker and weaker. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is our strength. I think of the old song that said "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace."

The perfect sacrifice for sin has been given and the Bible says that because of that we can now live without sin-consciousness. (See Hebrews 10:1-2) Now we live with the consciousness of Christ, our Righteousness!

The primary project for most Christians in the modern church is to reduce the number or frequency of sins in their lives. It's a sin management program that they devote themselves to with great zeal and sincere commitment.

It all sounds so good on the surface. That's the subtlety with legalism. It sounds right to the religious ear despite the fact that it contradicts and ignores what the Bible teaches. It sounds so right to some that to become Godly requires that we work hard to change our bad behaviors and replace them with good ones. To them it's all about diminishing the number of sins that we commit and increasing the number of good things that we do. But Godliness doesn't come from that. Godliness is not the absence of sin.

The truth is this, the reason you're godly is because the Spirit of God lives in you. The Holy Spirit came into you. Jesus said, "it is necessary for me to go away, so that the Holy Spirit can come." And when the Holy Spirit came into you, He said: "I'll never leave you, or forsake you." Since the Holy Spirit came into your spirit, and your spirit is the core of your identity (and it is), then you are holy, you are Godly, because God's Spirit is inside you. It doesn't have to do with resisting sin, or giving into sin. The truth is, you're just as Godly whether you sin, or don't sin. Your identity isn't established by what you do. It is established by what He has done!

That fact scares the legalists, because it causes them to think "If you tell people that, they'll go out and sin!" No, to the contrary. When we understand who we are, and we know that we've been made godly through Jesus Christ, that activates - becomes a catalyst within us - to not want to go out and live a sinful lifestyle. Religious rules are to sins what gasoline is to a fire. (See Romans 7:5) Jesus, on the other hand, is our Fire Extinguisher.

The idea that if we resist sin, we become more Godly, that is a lie that will cause you to take your eyes off of Jesus Christ, and put them on your temptation. Remember, the Scripture says if you set your mind on the things of the flesh you'll reap the things of the flesh.

The truth is, we need to put our eyes on Jesus Christ, and know that we are already Godly in Him, and when we understand that, and we rest in Him and in the reality of our own righteousness in Him, then the godliness which is ours in Christ, will be reflected through our lifestyle and our actions, and the sins of our life will simply fall away because we're so consumed and obsessed with Jesus. Stop trying to stop sinning and start trusting in the One who has dealt with your sins in totality! You're not evil. You are holy. Deal with it :)

When Jesus died, He said, "It is finished." Now by faith we can experience that freedom. The gospel of the cross is that Jesus Christ has dealt with all of our sin. We are forgiven, righteous, and are now free to live out of Divine Life!

The authentic message of the gospel of grace is largely absent in the religious climate of the church world today. The gospel of grace is the proclamation that our God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit came down to this world, dealt with our sin once and for all and has reconciled us back to God. Now all of our sin has been dealt with and has been forgiven! That is the truth of the gospel!

Jesus came to put away your sin and He fully succeeded at that. (See Hebrews 9:26) We need to stop worshipping our sins by focusing on them and glory in the finished work of the cross. God's grace is bigger than our sins and He will use our lives for His glory. Let's just trust Him to do it!

One of the most commonly used words in the New Testament referring to the relationship that exists between Christians has the connotation of a party. It is the word "koinonia," usually translated in the 1611 KJV as "fellowship". An accurate twenty-first century paraphrase could be the word "party." Through the work of the cross the Trinity has dealt with the sin issue in our lives. Now, the Holy Spirit has been sent to invite us to enjoy the divine, supernatural party which will last for all eternity. Forever we will celebrate His life! Is your life characterized by an aura of celebration? On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus clearly said that He wants His joy to fill our lives (John 15:11).

I can now rest in God's finished work instead of attempting to fight my sins and failures. I now enjoy His Victory daily.

Amen, thanks for posting this.

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David

It is not finished if the sin nature is still churning out sins. Christ freed us from sin on the cross but we have not appropriated that if we walk away from it and continue to have no control over the flesh. The scriptures is speaking to those who have appropriated it and are without sin. Don`t listen to this lie from the pit - he who sins is of the devil. Believing that Christ delivered us,and making that complete consecration will bring it into effect.

Looking at legalism to excuse us is a deadly error.

Brothers and sisters, don`t believe a lie. The reason why you are struggling and dry and discouraged is because you are still sinning. And then it is all about sin but Christ has the remedy but it is not cheap. You must give up all self will.

1 Corinthians 1:27-31 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

God our Father has chosen to put wisdom, righteousness sanctification and redemption, which is all Jesus Christ, chosen to put Him in us, "the foolish to confound the wise".

It is by Christ and Christ alone that makes us not of this world, but of citizenship in heaven by Christ who is born again in us. All sin is taken away in Christ, it is faith by Grace that makes us presentable to God our Father. Sin will take care of itself when we no longer have these flesh and blood flesh bodies to live in. If it were not for Christ in us we would all be Lost, with our without sin, but all have sinned and none seek God. It is only by the birthing of the Incorruptable Seed in us that we are God's children. I will learn obedience just as Christ did by tthe things I suffer. As Paul, who rejoiced in his suffering, because it brought Him to God, through Jesus Christ who will set us all who believe free and free indeed.

In Christ: Phillip

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Phillip

Yes, we are saved from sin, and yes our inherit Satanic Natures [ KJV ; our flesh..] compel us to act upon our sinful natures...otherwise there would never be a struggle against it.

T.AUSTIN-SPARKS writes: in the book; "That which is born of the Spirit."

"Some may honestly think that all that matters is that you should be saved, and IF you are saved forever and you can get on with saving others. It is important to be saved, but the word of the Lord makes it quite clear that to be saved from Hell, SAVED FROM SIN!,to be saved from judgment, is only the BEGINNING of things and that you may have that and miss and miss the very great purpose for which you are saved.

So, that out of 27 books in the New Testament, 21 are given up to leading believers into THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST."...TAS

Paul wrote of his struggle, and remedy.
Romans 7:

17. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

18. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

On the other hand;
1 John 1:9-10
King James Version (KJV)

9. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10.If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

Sin and Death and Hell are all related within the World, the Flesh and the Devil, and we surely must overcome them all, as we become conformed, transformed into the living reality of the image of Christ. This is God's purpose for man.

"The soul that sinneth shall die." Thank God there is a remedy!

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James

You may want to read Charles Leiter's book entitled "Justification and Regeneration". It explains these powerful truths for anyone to understand.

Renoncer

Its all about Love.

The Cross that takes away the sin of the world. Love in the plan of God from before the foundation of the world.
Eph 1:4

That we love one another as He has loved us and gave Himself for us. Our soul mind labour, His labour in us that we have a love affair with Him and each other, by the renewing of our minds to the Mind of Christ birthed in us.

In Christ: Phillip

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Phillip