IF Jesus has truly set us free from sin, then I suppose the question we should be examining is this: “Why does one continue to ....sin?” (John 8:34-35; Rom. 8:17-18)

You might be quick to reply and say: “Well, we are not ‘perfect’, nobody is!”

No one said you were. But what did Jesus (and others) seem to suggest was going to happen regarding this idea of being ‘perfect’ or ‘complete’? (Matt. 5:48; James 2:2-4; 1 John 4:12,17)

You might be inclined to say you don’t ‘sin like you used to’, but you still sin.’ In fact most seem to passionately believe that we will ‘always continue to sin...on this side of heaven’.

So why would Jesus have taught to “Go, and sin no more.”? (John 5:14; 8:11)

You have to admit, that sounds pretty ‘black and white’, does it not? I mean, He could have lovingly said...”Try harder to do better and you will sin less and less”; or He could have said, “Look...I know you are sinners and will always sin, but you need to cut loose of those really big ones and if you do, I’ll be cool with it.” But that is not ...what He said.

And why would Jesus even speak so matter of fact about us being totally free from sin, if He knew it was not possible for us? I mean...that would be akin to child abuse, would it not? Can you imagine a parent demanding their child score a 100 or an ‘A’ in every subject, making every basket they throw up on the court in games, etc?

OH...He just wanted us to have that as a ‘goal to aim for’, you say? Well that sure muddies the waters, does it not? I mean, the most vilest and evil person could cackle and shrug their shoulders and say their ‘aim was not very good’ but still enter those ‘pearly gates’, right? (And let me assure you, the most wicked of men have the same opportunity to receive eternal life as anyone else)

Jesus told us ‘most assuredly’...”Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin...and a slave does not abide in the house forever.” (John 8:34-35). What are we going to do with that?

So maybe the real issue here is...are we incapable of laying down some sins, or just...unwilling?

And just to keep things simple and clear here, when we talk about ‘sin’, we are talking about ‘breaking God’s law’. (1 John 3:4). And in the name of ‘short and simple’, all the law is summed up in this one word: “Love”. (Gal. 5:14). But we are not talking about ‘fleshly’ love or ‘human’ love; we are talking about loving others as Christ loved us. (John 13:34-35). His love is the standard.

Here is where we come across sounding so wishy-washy on the subject...Some convicted child murderer is released from prison and wants to attend your church. He best have laid down that ‘sin’ cause we sure don’t want him doing ‘that sin’ anymore around here. But that sin of always nagging and fault finding and gossiping about others...it’s ok to continue doing ‘that one’, right? Oh...you try over and over to do better with that, but can’t truly repent and turn from those sins? What’s wrong with that picture?

If you stand on the side of saying we are incapable of ‘sinning no more’, then what does that say about the ‘power’ or lack thereof, when it comes to the Creator of the universe setting you free from sin?

And if you are honest enough to admit that maybe you are unwilling...to turn from ‘some sins’, then you realize what is really the issue here, yes? You might possibly be loving something...more than God. And when this happens, we have now made it...and ‘idol’. Because really, that is what an ‘idol’ is...anything we love more than, or put before God. And you do know that ‘no idolaters have any inheritance in the kingdom of God’. (Eph. 5:5)

That rich young ruler in Matt. 19...only had ‘one thing’ to lay down in order to be ‘perfect’ (21). Was he incapable of laying down that sin of covetousness, or was he unwilling? Either way, he turned and walked away...and was sorely conflicted, to say the least. (22)

Did he receive eternal life that day? What say you?

So what is it...that you seem to struggle with? Since you are ‘not perfect, just forgiven’, as we like to say...what sin has so easily ensnared you? (Heb. 12:1)

Are you just incapable of repenting and turning from it, or ...unwilling?