What happens when I sin after I've come to Christ?
When a believer sins, their salvation is not undone; Christ is their advocate with the Father. But the Spirit is grieved and fellowship is clouded. The remedy is confession: God is faithful to forgive and cleanse, and He grows us through our failures.
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
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Honesty: believers still struggle
'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.' Even Paul cried out over a war within: 'For the good which I desire, I don't do; but the evil which I don't desire, that I practice.' A believer is not someone who never fails, but someone who refuses to make peace with failure.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice. But if what I don’t desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present. For I delight in God’s law after the inward man, but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
The gospel does not leave you stranded in guilt. 'If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.' Your standing before God rests on His finished work, not on your performance, and He is right now pleading for you.
My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' David learned it: 'I acknowledged my sin to you… and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.' Whoever conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes it obtains mercy.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
We do not approach God on the strength of our clean record but on the faithfulness of our High Priest, who was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Because of Him we can 'draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.'
For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
'There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.' The Spirit, not the accuser, is the one who convicts, and He convicts to restore, not to destroy. God even works our failures for our good, making His grace sufficient in our weakness.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.