Will My Sinning End after Accepting Jesus?

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Martinho in email asked me a really great question: “If I have repented my sins, accepted Jesus as my Savior and pray that my sins will end, will I stop sinning?”

You and I (and everyone else) sin. Sin is a term used in archery meaning, missing the mark. We sin when we chose to not do what we are supposed to do and chose to do things we are not supposed to do.

Often sin is due to temptation; our being tempted to do something we shouldn’t or tempted to not do something we should. Temptation is always around us for us to sin. It is not a sin to be tempted however to give into the temptation, meaning to do whatever it is we know is wrong, is sin.

People who have repented and accepted Christ Jesus as their Savior, have their sins forgiven by God. Repented means that we turn away from doing the sins we have done admitting that we were wrong in doing them and pledging to not do them again and that we turn away from committing future sin. Accepting Christ Jesus as our Savior means that we humbly bow before God admitting that we by our own means can do nothing to take away our sins and are admitting that we owe absolutely everything to God.

God has made to us a promise that;

 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10: 13

What that means is that for us who have repented and accepted Christ Jesus as their Savior, the Holy Spirit of God informs us that not only are we being tempted to sin, the Holy Spirit informs us of how we can avoid sinning and gives to us the means and strength to not give into the temptation and sin. An example would be you and I are walking in a shopping mall and there’s a really nice small portable radio I like so much that I’m tempted to put it into my pocket without paying for it. The Holy Spirit would inform me that it is wrong to steal and that if I want it that I should pay for it and if I didn’t want to pay for it that I should leave it alone. My choice is to either listen to the Holy Spirit and not steal it and either purchase it or leave it there. God always leaves the choice making up to the individual because God has given to us free will to choose. If God had not given to us free will to choose, we all would be programmed like robots doing everything by script.

Yet you and I do not always make the best choices in our life and thus we may at times fall into temptation and not listen to the Holy Spirit informing us of how to escape. Thus, even though we pray, our sins will not end while we are here on this earth before Christ Jesus’ return. Only Christ Jesus was and is perfect and did no sin while He lived on earth. For us who have repented and accepted Christ Jesus as our Savior, only when we get into Heaven will our sins end.

We are told to; “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1: 2-3

Being forgiven of our sins by God does not however mean that we should just go out and sin because we know God will forgive us. For anyone who knowingly sins is knowingly going against God and is saying to God that God doesn’t matter.

‘Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.”‘ James 1: 12-14

So Martinho, because you and I don’t always make the right choice and thus we will at some time sin. Only Christ Jesus was and is perfect and did no sin while He lived on earth. For us who have repented and accepted Christ Jesus as our Savior, only when we get into Heaven will our sins end.

4 Comments

  1. Christians tend to fall into sin after coming to Jesus Christ, but it is not willful sin but accidental sin. To say that you are sinless is not correct. When Christians get the holy spirit the demons that were operating in their lives will be paralyzed plus the fear of God keeps them from committing willful sin, but they can fall into accidental sin and repent because that is what the blood of the lord Jesus Christ was meant for.

    • You are mistaken in thinking that Christians (followers of Christ Jesus) cannot fall into “willful sin” per what is taught in the Bible. This type of thinking (a Christian cannot willing sin) can lead a Christian directly into sinning.

      The Bible sometimes draws distinctions between deliberate known, unintentional known and unintentional hidden (accidental) sin. Many times, they are lumped together in the words related to sin. This is similar to how sometimes the Bible draws distinctions between imputed sin (see Romans 5:18), the inherited Adamic sinful nature (Colossians 3:9), sinful words (see James 3:8) and sinful thoughts (see Matthew 15:19). At other times, the Scriptures combine two or more of these together in words related to sin.
      It is difficult in some cases to know whether a particular sin we battle with has all deliberate aspects known to us or whether it also has some unintentional aspects as well. For example, does a certain fear we fight have some underlying hidden unintentional aspects that magnify it? This is why we need God’s guidance about such matters.

      A deliberate known sin occurs when a person who knows God’s revealed will written in the Bible or on his conscience or spoken to him by the Holy Spirit, chooses deliberately to disobey. (Note all guidance from the Holy Spirit will never be contrary to the teachings of the Bible). It can also be called intentional known sin.
      Deliberate known sin is specifically spoken of in Exodus 21:14, Numbers 15:30, Deuteronomy 1:43, 17:12, 17:13, 18:20, 18:22, Psalm 19:13, Luke 12:47-48, John 15:22 and
      Romans 7:7. In Psalm 19:12-13, David draws a distinction between hidden sin and presumptuous sins: “…Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from
      presumptuous sins…”

      The distinctions between known and unintentional sin are not only found in the Mosaic Law. In Luke 12:47-48, Jesus drew a clear distinction between deliberate known sin and unintentional hidden sin: “And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”

      There are two types of unintentional sin:
      · Unintentional hidden (accidental) sin see Leviticus 4:13-35 and 5:14-19. Such hidden sin can take two forms. The first of these is any disobedience to a specific Biblical command when the offendant was unaware of the command. The second form of hidden sin relates to any area in our lives in which we are not like Jesus Christ in character to the degree created beings are able.
      · Unintentional known sin. This involves an unplanned or unintended disobedience to a Biblical command which the offender knew. He accidentally did evil.
      Leviticus 4:1-12 and Numbers 15:22-29 refers to unintentional sin in general.

      Many more verses in the Bible relate to sin and the overall theme of the Bible is that you and I willingly sin, regardless of our acceptance of Christ Jesus or not.

      You and I even as followers of Christ are sinful. We Christians sin willingly knowingly and unknowingly, even though we follow Christ Jesus. To say that a Christian does not willingly sin is in itself sinning per the Bible.

  2. accepting the lord Jesus Christ will aid in living holy life, because you will end up hating what Christ hates and love what Christ loves, and this will go a long way in making sin to be quenched in your life.

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