When We Sin

By Paul Chappell

"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. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments."

1 John 2:1-3

A pastor finished his message early one Sunday, then he decided to see if his congregation understood what he had preached. So he asked, “Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?” There was a short pause and then, from the back of the room, a small boy spoke up, “You have to sin.”

There are some people who teach that it is possible for a Christian never to sin. I’ve often thought that it would be nice if they were right! But Scripture makes it plain that although we should always obey God and His Word, we will not. Paul wrote, "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do" (Romans 7:19). The question is not whether we will sin, but whether we will respond properly when we do sin.

There is an old saying in the legal community that a lawyer who represents himself in court has a fool for a client. I am so grateful that when we sin we do not have to stand on our own before God. Jesus acts as our attorney—placing His blood and His righteousness on our account in place of our sin.

This truth is critical for us to grasp. I have counseled many people who were struggling with guilt over a past sin. They are being held captive by the enemy rather than living in the freedom that is available to every child of God.

Today's Rooted Principle:

God is always faithful to forgive when we repent and seek His mercy.