How often have we compared our sins with other people’s sins, and concluded that ours aren’t as bad? When we refuse to confront our sins and deal with them, we become a target for the enemy. And when we look at someone else and say, ‘I would never do that,’ we fail to build a safeguard against it. The Bible says: ‘If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall’ (1 Corinthians 10:12 NLT). The truth is that we will all sin. The Bible says, ‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 NIV). But there’s good news: ‘He appeared so that he might take away our sins.’ Our sin doesn’t mean the end for us. Because of Jesus, we’re not written off. Instead, we’re loved, forgiven, and accepted. We’re promised eternal life because of Jesus’ sacrifice. John 3 says: ‘For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him’ (vv.16-17 NIV). Jesus will forgive our sins, declare us righteous, and give us strength if we come to Him with a repentant heart and receive His mercy and grace. But, we have to be willing to confess and deal with our sins. We have to take them seriously. We can’t use the forgiveness of God as an excuse to keep on sinning, or to put ourselves into situations where we know sin could occur. After all, ‘No one who lives in him keeps on sinning’ (1 John 3:6 NIV). When we truly value the sacrifice that Jesus made to wipe all our sins away, we’ll want to avoid sinning again. And we’ll be more aware of the things that could lead us down the wrong path.

What Now?

Is there a sin in your life that seems to have become a habit? Spend some time confessing it to God and asking for His strength to overcome it. It might be a good idea to talk to someone you trust too, so that you can be accountable.