How much can a Christian sin?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

According to the Bible, all human beings are born with a sin nature because of Adam’s transgression (Genesis 3; Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 15:22). However, when Jesus came, He willingly went to the cross to die for humanity’s sins (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Peter 2:24). His resurrection three days later defeated the power of death for those who place their faith in Him as Savior (Romans 6:9–10; 1 Corinthians 15:55–57; 2 Timothy 1:10). Those who are in Christ are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19), who convicts believers of sin (Ephesians 1:13–14). Though Christians still have a sin nature, we are “new creations” in Christ, so we have the power to resist continually sinning (Romans 6:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Rather, true believers will manifest the fruit of their salvation (Galatians 5:22–24). Though every Christian will fall into sin occasionally, a Christian empowered by God's Spirit will progress in living a more holy life than before salvation.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Genesis 3:6 shows how sin entered the world: “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Through Adam, humanity inherited a sin nature (Romans 5:12), but children of God are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and do not live a lifestyle of persistent sin (1 John 3:9).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• In Matthew 7:22–23, Jesus taught, "On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" Salvation is based on grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9), not works. But believers’ works testify to their faith (James 1:22). Those who call themselves Christians but live in consistent sin may not be true followers of Christ. A believer cannot live in consistent sin; it is inconsistent with a new life in Christ.
• Romans 7:19–20 records the apostle Paul’s struggle with sin: "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” Like Paul, Christians will naturally desire to do what is right, even when their actions are wrong.
• Considered the greatest missionary of the early church, the apostle Paul expressed in 1 Timothy 1:15–16 how sin becomes increasingly recognizable to those in Christ: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Anyone who wears contact lenses knows how fuzzy everything looks when they’re out. And if you’ve ever gotten dressed before putting them in. . .well, you might go through the day hoping that no one notices the stain on the front of your shirt. With contacts out, flaws seem to disappear; with them in, everything comes into focus. That’s what our reaction to sin seems like before versus after salvation. Before salvation, maybe we’d shrug off calling out sick to work to go shopping instead. “After all,” we’d reason, “the company can afford it, and I deserve it.” Maybe we’d have a good laugh with our friends as we brag about the colorful “sign language” we used on that bad driver we came across the other day. Salvation changes all that. It’s not that we’re guaranteed never to lie or vent our anger after being saved. It’s that our attitude about those sins will be different as children of God. Once we accept Christ and are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, our sins become crystal clear. We can see. Like the apostle Paul, we will still struggle with sin. That’s because our sin nature is at odds with the “new creation[s]” we have become in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). That struggle shows growth, though. Sinning isn’t easy for us anymore; the Holy Spirit’s conviction won’t let it be. Instead, He convicts us to repentance. Though every Christian will continue to sin until being made new in heaven, a Christian empowered by God's Spirit will progress in living a more holy life than before.

UNDERSTAND

• Christians have the ability to sin just as badly as unbelievers.
• Christians are convicted by the Holy Spirit, leading them to repentance, rather than a life characterized by sin.
• A true believer will repent of their sin.

REFLECT

• How have you experienced the Holy Spirit’s conviction in your life when you fall into sin, and how does that encourage you?
• What steps can you take to resist sin and grow in holiness?
• How does the struggle with sin reveal areas in your life where you need to grow in your relationship with God?

ENGAGE

• How can we encourage each other to remain accountable in our walk with Christ and be humble and vigilant about sin in our lives?
• How can we help each other see the Holy Spirit’s work in convicting us of sin and leading us to repentance?
• What are some practical steps we can take to help others who may be living in unrepentant sin to experience the conviction and transformation of Christ?