Why we continue to sin as Christians

Justification and sanctification in the life of a Christian

I keep hearing the question of why we Christians sin, even though we are Christians. After all, the Bible says that we are freed from sin. Am I not a Christian? How can that be? At first glance, it seems to be quite a paradox.

Everything was perfect in the beginning

To answer this question, we have to go back to the very beginning of world history: to Adam and Eve. It was there, in the Garden of Eden, that sin originated in man. The world was created by God perfectly, free from sin. Humans and animals lived together in harmony with God. Through Satan's seduction and Adam and Eve's decision to rebel against God, and all the consequences that resulted from this, we are still affected by sin today. Or rather, we have a sinful nature. We are inherently bad, even though God created us perfect. Every single one of us is under the influence of original sin, since we are all descendants of Adam. (cf. Ephesians 2:1-3). We are born guilty before God through this original sin. For this reason, every person needs redemption through Jesus Christ.

Christians in the eyes of God

Now the Holy Scriptures clearly testify that those who are in Christ have been justified before God. This justification is an act of God in which God declares us believers righteous before Him through faith in Jesus Christ (cf. Romans 3:24). It is solely a gift of grace from God, which is granted to us through the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this new identity as “righteous” before God, we are free from the punishment of sin (eternal death) by His grace and are in a new covenant with our Creator.

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The perpetual nature of sin in us Christians

Although we are justified before God, we will continue to notice the reality of sin in our lives. I think we have all experienced this. And not only us, but also the apostle Paul gives a testimony of his own inner struggles with sin in Romans 7:

“For the good that I want, I do not do; but the evil that I do not want, I do” (Romans 7:19).

This dilemma, which Paul describes there, shows the permanent presence of the sinful nature even in those who are in Christ.

The kingdom of God - “Already” and “Not yet”

That already sounds like another paradox. But in order to understand it, we need to understand the kingdom of God. At least part of it. The kingdom of God has already been brought into the world through the coming of Jesus Christ (already now), but its full unfolding is yet to come (not yet). In this interim period, we live in a tension between the new creation, which we are in Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17), and the old, fallen nature that is still at work in us. On the one hand, the Holy Spirit gives us a new life by freeing us from the slavery of sin, but on the other hand we still live in our body or with carnal desires, which is still sinful. It will tempt us to sin again and again. In addition, we are constantly confronted with sin in our everyday lives, as we are also influenced by the sins of other people and other temptations in the world. We cannot break this cycle on earth for the time being.

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Ongoing sanctification

To understand the dilemma, we need to distinguish between justification, which is a one-time act, and sanctification, which is an ongoing process. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit, who gradually transforms us into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). This process is necessary because the old sinful nature, although broken in its power, has not yet been completely eradicated. In this life, the believer is therefore both righteous and a sinner (“simul iustus et peccator”). God does not take this task away from us. Theoretically, he could, but he does not. For good reason: while we have attained justification through the grace of God and our faith in Jesus Christ alone, sanctification calls us again and again to actively cooperate with God. God wants a relationship with us. We should decide for God again and again. God appeals to us to avoid sin and to live a life that corresponds to our new identity in Christ (Ephesians 4:22-24). A holy life. However, as we live in a fallen world and remain in mortal bodies, we will continue to encounter temptations and fall into sin as I have just described. Despite this reality, we do not have a free pass to sin, but an incentive to repent and live a life of growth in holiness. Why should God give us a life in eternity in heaven or on the new earth if we don't actually want it? In this respect too, we have the “free will” to decide either for or against God. We have to endure this process. In principle, it is a test that examines our faith. The Holy Spirit helps us to manage this battle with sin. Even if we continue to sin and then find repentance and conversion again and again, we can rest in the grace of God. Jesus will complete his good work in us. (Cf. Philippians 1:6). We confess our sins, repent of them and finally turn back to God again and again.

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Our lives as Christians are characterized by a deep tension: on the one hand we are righteous before God, on the other hand sin is still in our lives. However, this tension should lead us to a firmer faith and a deeper relationship with God. Sanctification works in us as long as we keep turning back to God and repenting. This is also not a work in itself, but the Holy Spirit working in us through faith. It is the nature of true faith to bear fruit. This faith always leads us back to God. The purpose of sanctification is to strengthen us in our faith, to test us and to strengthen our relationship with God. We are allowed to completely surrender to God with our worries, fears and needs. He wants to help us and sustains us with his grace, which we receive as a gift.