Living the Christian Life – Chapter 8: The Problem of Sin

Every human being on earth is born with a sinful nature. From our earliest years, once we know right from wrong, we are engaged in sinful behavior. We know it’s wrong to steal that cookie when our mothers tell us not to do it, but we do it anyway and hope we aren’t caught. But while our mothers might not notice this infraction of the rules, God sees everything. Because we know it is wrong, but do it anyway, we commit sin in the eyes of a holy (perfect and awesome) God.

The apostle Paul writes about this human frailty in the seventh chapter of Romans:

“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” (vs. 18-20 NLT).

As Paul points out here, we human beings have a problem—and it’s called sin. But as we mentioned in earlier chapters, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross paved the way for our salvation, freeing us from the power of sin.

What does this mean for our sin nature? When we confess our sin and ask Jesus to be our Lord, we receive by faith the gift of salvation that was purchased by His shed blood on Calvary (Acts 20:28). In fact, the blood of Jesus not only covers our sin, it obliterates it.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son
cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7 ESV).

“All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our
sins by shedding his blood for us” (Revelation 1:5 NLT).

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions
and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and
crucified them there” (Galatians 5:24 NLT).

“Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and
the sins of all the world’s people” (1 John 2:2 CEV).

Here is the glorious news for the Christian—because of the blood of Jesus, when God looks at you, He no longer sees your sin, but instead He sees you as holy.

Did you catch that? Because of the power of the shed blood of Jesus, which washes away your sin, you can be holy as He is holy.

The apostle John makes this awe-inspiring statement:

“But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins,
and in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5 BSB).

When you are born again, your spirit becomes right with God through Christ, who takes away all sins. This is the Good News!