Being forgiven for a sin does not guarantee that you will not commit it again.
Forgiveness is a blessing, divine evidence of and continuing provision of God’s love, mercy, and grace, and our privilege as born again, sons and daughters of God. Through Jesus Christ, we have God’s power through Christ in us to be free from the bondage of sin, but we have to do our part in recognizing, confessing, and confronting the sin.
Inside of us, there is a reason...a root cause…a deficiency somewhere that caused us to sin in the first place. That is what needs to be addressed, because the moment we stray from God, when we are not walking in His Spirit, guess what we will be tempted to do again in the flesh?
“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.”
(James 1:14 NLT)
We did not drop this robe of flesh when we put on God’s robe of righteousness. Until we are fully sanctified, we will still deal with our fleshly desires that, when given even a second thought, will drag us away from following after God.
It seems that when a Christian is caught up in a sin, for the most part, it is the norm and tendency of the church to forgive the repentant sinner. Sometimes, they even carry on as if nothing ever happened. The Bible clearly states that we are to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). This kind of forgiveness is a wonderful thing, but we cannot overlook and ignore the root cause of the sin. If left unchecked, it will resurface.
This kind of forgiveness is a wonderful thing, but we cannot overlook and ignore the root cause of the sin. If left unchecked, it will resurface.
Even Paul, a significant spiritual leader and influencer of the early Christian church, admitted that he, too, struggled with sin. This battle with his sinful nature he speaks of in the following passage:
“So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT)
The Christian who fell under the pressure of temptation needs to be surrounded by strong brothers and sisters in Christ who come alongside immediately and intentionally, who know how to put on the armor of God and stand in His Truth. They need to love and disciple, walk with, and hold accountable the weaker brother or sister in Christ. Through biblical and wise counsel, the root cause of the sin needs to be found out and faced full on.
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” (Proverbs 12:15 KJV)
“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14 KJV)
When we feel that we lack what we need or want, as soon as we perceive a deficiency and desire to fill that need in the way that seems right to us, we must immediately surrender our desires and our ways to God. It is important for us to learn to have our innermost needs and desires to be met by our Heavenly Father.
In the time immediately following a Christian Sinner’s repentance and attempt to turn back to God, it is imperative that we help equip them with the tools to continually renounce that sin and commit to crucifying the flesh in surrender to Christ’s work in his or her life. During this recovery period, the wounded individual is weak and most vulnerable to the attacks of satan and his demons who do not want to see the sinner set free. This is a most critical time, and the one who is healing from the effects of his or her own sin will be in the battle of a lifetime. It is indeed a spiritual battle for his or her very own life.
Consider the following:
Just because you are sorry doesn’t mean you have repented.
Just because you have been forgiven doesn’t mean you are free.
Repentance is not just a matter of being sorry, but there is also a necessary element of confession and turning. Repentance is saying, “I’m sorry, I did it, it was wrong, and I am turning away from my sin and back to God.”
The Christian who has fallen under the pressure of temptation and sin needs to be surrounded by strong brothers and sisters in Christ who come alongside immediately and intentionally, who know how to put on the armor of God and stand in His Truth. They need to love and disciple, walk with, and hold accountable the weaker brother or sister in Christ. Through biblical and wise counsel, the root cause of the sin needs to be found out and faced full on.
Forgiveness should be followed by fight.
In this we should say, “I freely receive God’s forgiveness. I have His power to choose not to do that sin again. I need His Word and His Life to help me. I will do my part to be diligent in heeding His Truth and walking in His Spirit so that I might not sin against God. I will put on the Armor of God so that I might stand against all of the fiery darts of the devil. I am fully aware that in a moment of weakness and self reliability I could commit the very same sin I was forgiven of. In my flesh I am weak, but in Him, I am strong. I am both fully aware of my condition without Christ and fully aware of my position in Christ. Lord help me to stand.”
The process of sanctification may not be easy, but it will be completed. God will continue completing His perfect work in us until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). As long as we are in this world, this world is in us. Our sinful nature that we were born with is still in us, but thanks be to God, the risen Christ is in us, and the life that He lives, He wants to live in us. We can overcome sin with Him.
No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT)
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