WE ARE CALLED TO be righteous. In his first epistle, John says, “Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous” (1 John 3:7). We have been given a covering of righteous before God because of the work Jesus did on the cross. Paul writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:16-17). Although we have been set free from the bondage of sin, we have not yet been delivered from temptation. And so, we must work out our salvation daily, yearning after righteousness.
His Spirit in us produces righteousness as a part of the process of sanctification.
We have not been left powerless against the lust of the flesh. Paul says, “…the law of the Spirit of life has set us free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2). By sending His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, the Father has done for us what the Law was not able to do—condemn sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us through Jesus. To better explain this, Paul says, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:5). John tells us in chapter two of his first epistle that every person who lives a consistently righteous life give evidence that he or she is born of God.
John tells us whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning. Why? Because “…God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). Not wanting to leave us with a lopsided equation, John adds, “…whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother” (3:10b). The Greek word “practice” is ποιῶν (poiōn), a present-tense active participle, suggesting a conscious choice. One who practices sin acts, brings about, commits, considers, does, exercises, observes, performs, sows, works, or produces sin. Such person continues to be dominated by the devil.
The Bible tells is that with every temptation to sin comes a way of escape. This is a good thing, because as we mature in Christ, the battle with sin does not get easier. Rather, it tends to get harder. Our resolve not to sin is made stronger by striving to grow in the stature of Christ, not in exercising our I shall not sin! muscles. In fact, the harder I tried not to watch pornography, the more I thought about pornography. Dangerous liaisons formed between me and the devil. “Well, it’s been a long time since I last watched porn, so at least I’m getting better.” Victory over habitual sin comes not from “trying” to avoid sin, but from setting our eyes on Christ and practicing righteous living.
Evan Milton said in his blog, “There’s a difference between committing sin and practicing sin. Committing sin is when you occasionally stumble in your walk with Christ into sin. Practicing sin is sinning on a repeated, ongoing basis without any care at all about whether or not what you’re doing is evil or immoral.”1 We must not deliberately go out of our way to sin, but we are prone to falling into sin. For some individuals, their “go to” sin is an addiction or mental stronghold. Others tend to return to old coping skills when stressed or troubled. But those who turn to sin on a daily basis without a sense of regret or conviction do not have the Spirit of Christ in them.
If, when we sin, we confess our sins to God, He will forgive us (1 John 1:9). I remember hearing the lyrics to a song by the Goads years ago that said, “A man who falls by the side of the road can pick himself up, dust himself off, and start all over again.” So, get back up and try again. Focus on the victory we have in Christ through his death and resurrection. Do not focus on “not sinning.” We no longer have to be slaves to sin. But if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (see 1 John 1:8-9).
Steven Barto, BS Psy, ThM
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture contained herein is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
Footnotes
1 Evan Milton, “Does Repetitive Sin Mean We Are Not Saved?” Cerebral Faith (a blog), retrieved Feb. 2, 2024, https://cerebralfaith.net/does-repetitive-sin-mean-we-arent-saved/
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