The Slippery Slope of Sin

When you come into the kingdom, you no longer are under the Old Law. The New Testament offers grace which blots out all of our sins. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Eph 1:7-17). 

Jesus paid the price for all of us to be free from sin. “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21). However, grace does not give us a license to sin, but rather gives us the power to live above sin and the ability to live a disciplined life. 

Sin remains a problem with most believers, because if we do not live in righteousness, if we not do not attempt to be holy as our Father is holy (1Pet 1:15), we put ourselves in the crossfire of the devil. James explains that sin is to do what you know not to do. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (Jam 4:17). In other words, because you know the truth but don’t live by it, your own conscience will condemn you.

Sin creates a chink in your armor and eventually it’ll take you down. The first tactic of the enemy is to tempt you to sin, then he reinforces sin in your life to make it habitual so that you can no longer resist it, and then he condemns you for it so that you can’t be all God wants you to be. He tells you that you can’t be used by God and if you try to stand up for the truth or for righteousness, he tells you he’s got the goods on you and will expose you.

He first tempts you, then accuses you, condemns you, then silences you. It’s not only the minister that is at stake but also the ministry. Once it has affected your sample, it stains your whole mission. That’s why we, as believers, should not only live in fellowship but be so united that we can police our own people. We should stand by each other in order to stand for each other so that we can all stand together to emulate Christ.

If believers do not have the conviction to stand up for each other, when someone falls, then they’ll condemn them and to distance themselves from them and say, “I never knew you,” rather than to restore them to fellowship and discipleship.

Most believers do not have boldness themselves because they do not live in righteousness. They believe in God but they don’t believe in God’s ability to use them, because they know they’re sinners and if they try to stand up, they know there are plenty of people who are going to condemn them and remind them of their faults and sins. And that’s sad. We all end up falling for the condemnation of the devil. The accused and the accuser. 

There’s power in righteous living. That’s how Jesus could say, “The ruler of this world is coming but has nothing in Me.” (Jn 14:30). He had no sin that the enemy could condemn Him with. Even when they tried to raise false witnesses against Him, their testimony would not stand. And that’s why we should live in accordance with the commandments of Jesus. To live free of condemnation.

So if you’ve got sin in your life, there are 2 solutions.

1. Avoid sin altogether and live in righteousness, fully hidden in the life of Christ. “Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Eph 4:24). 

2. Die to yourself so that even if you’re not perfect, you’re humble enough to acknowledge your sin and repent.

If you’re dead to yourself, you’re no longer afraid of what people might bring up against you because you have no SELF-righteousness, your righteousness is only in Christ. If you sin, you repent: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). 

Even though you’re not perfect, your life can be transparent through repentance. God can use sinners. In fact those are the only ones He can use… Look at King David, and Moses and Paul, they were all murderers.

But be aware of the fact that, “The sin you defend, is the sin you’re in.” That’s one way you can know you’re vulnerable in some area. The areas of your life you don’t want to talk about, are usually the ones that you keep in the shadows. Sin weakens you, it puts you in bondage, it hinders your effectiveness because it takes the wind out of your sails; the boldness out of your testimony.

That’s why the life of a believer has to be a life of discipline. That’s why we’re called “disciples”. We discipline ourselves to obey the commands of Christ. Jesus said, “If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (Jn 8:31,32). 

“If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (Jn 8:36).