Christian Sins
Christian Sins
There is no doubt of the fact that Christians often indulge in sin. God has told us that if any of us deny the existence of the old nature we are deceiving ourselves, while if we admit the presence of the old nature but believe that the incurable sins are curable, "we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:8, 10). Those two searching statements found in the First Epistle of John are like the darkest of settings to bring out the precious stone of grace that lies embedded between them. For set exquisitely between the two verses that keep us from the false teaching of the denial of the old nature and the false teaching that finds any hope in the old nature, God has given us the great promise that "If we confess our (the Christian's) sins, he is faithful (to the mercy displayed at Calvary), and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us (Christians), from all unrighteousness."
This very fact that forgiveness for our sins is provided in advance is the greatest reason why we must yield our lives to our Lord, so that He may furnish the power to keep us in our proper sphere. The second chapter of 1 John begins, "My little children." This is one word in the original language that really means "born ones," but the nearest we can approach it is by the use of the Scotch word bairns. "My born ones," the Holy Spirit tells us, "these things write I unto you (Christians), that ye sin not. And if any (born-again) man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins (i.e., Christian sins), and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1, 2).
What a contrast! Let us see what this means, practically. Two men stand before you. One is an unbeliever and the other has been born again through belief in the blood of Christ. They are both tempted, and both of them fall. Which sin is the worst in God's sight? The sin of the unbeliever is merely one more spot on the filthy rags that God can never accept (Isa. 64:6), but the sin of the believer is far worse. This is shown by a penetrating remark made by a Chinese Christian. He was asked, "How do you differ from the heathen?" The keen reply throws a floodlight on our text. "We Christians wear a white robe on which every spot is visible."
True, the sin was forgiven before it was committed; Christ bore it and it is a part of the "all things" from which we have been justified (Acts 13:39). But that is all the more reason that our God would deal with it severely - not with a judgment that involves our eternal salvation, but with a discipline that may shake our lives now, and may affect the remainder of our lives here on earth.
1. Is being made holy and not participating in wicked deeds done by working tediously to avoid certain sins or is it simply looking to who Christ? Explain your answer.
2. What is repentance?
3. What does it mean that Christ bore our sin?
4. If he was spotless and perfect can he bear our sin?
