One of our great desires as Christians is to be free from our sin. We know that we have been freed from the penalty of our sin (Rom 8:1). We also know that we have been freed from the power of our sin (Rom 6:6-9). However, we are all too familiar with the reality that we have not yet been freed from the presence of our sin (Rom 7:21-24). We are reminded daily that we fall short of God’s glory. We sin against him and find ourselves confessing those sins and experiencing forgiveness and restoration (1 John 1:9).

The presence of sin hinders us in every aspect of the spiritual life. We want to worship God without any imperfections, but we fail. We want to serve him from the purest of motives, yet we struggle with our motives because of sin. The heart is so deceitful. It’s enough to ask God to take away our sinful nature. Yet the New Testament is clear: we won’t stop sinning until we physically die.

In 1 Peter 4:1, Peter makes this point when he writes, “because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” Christ suffered in the flesh. He died physically, and Peter warns the believers that they should arm themselves to do the same. The reason for this is that it will mean the end of sinning. Paul made a similar point in Romans 6:7 when he stated a principle that is true in both he physical and spiritual realm: “for he who has died is freed from sin.”

A dead body no longer sins, and until then, we will need to learn to appreciate God’s grace that has dealt with our sin at the cross and learn to grow in the knowledge of that grace. We need to love it, appreciate, and grow deep in his forgiving grace.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).

Categories: 1 John 1:9, 1 Peter 4:1, Confession of sins, sin