LEARNING ACTIVITY #15

How Come Christians Still Sin?

In previous Learning Activities, we have seen that when a person believes in Jesus Christ that God comes and indwells the believing person. Knowing that God is holy and does not sin, the question should arise at some point in your study as to why it is that Christians still sin when they have God living in them?

Perhaps before we start on that question we should address a more basic understanding. Some Christians believe that they never sin any more after becoming a Christian. We need to look at the Scriptures to see if this is so.

Using your Bible, look up the following verses and write them in the space provided. As you proceed answer the questions as they appear in this document.

1. 1 John 1:8 _______________________
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2. 1 John 1:10
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3. Romans 3:23 _
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4. What do the three verses above tell us about all mankind? _
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Since Jesus' death on the cross was for ALL sin, the antidote for our sin is simply given in scripture as:

5. 1 John 1:9 _
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This "confession" can either be a verbally expressed confession to God (audible prayer) or it can be a mental thought process from a realization that what you have done was wrong.

Now back to the question of why you sinned.

6. Romans 12:2 _
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7. How does the above verse state that we can "prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God?"

8. Philippians 2:5 **

9. 1 Corinthians 2:16
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10. What do the two verses above tell you about the subject of "mind renewal?" _
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The reason that our minds need to be renewed is because our mind is influenced with understandings that are contrary to God. Also, the understandings of the mind are what the will acts upon causing us to make decisions that affect how we permit our body to act. As the mind goes, so goes the body. If you give your mind to Christ in you, the body will start to become less of a problem.

In the Philippians 2:5 verse of #8 above, we find the very important word "let." We must let (allow, permit) God to renew our minds. The mind is somewhat like a computer disk that has many information files in it. The information in our minds consists of the ideas of men (some of which is not truth), and some of the truth of God. What needs to happen is for the "files" that are not of God to either be erased and replaced or overwritten with God's truth. What part do we play in this process of mind renewal? By listening to and reading what God says and believing it! There are many sources for mind renewal, the most powerful being the Bible.

The renewing of the mind is one of the great works of God in our lives. We can rest assured that He will do what is necessary in His timing and in His way. There are a number of areas we should keep in mind during this life-long process.

a. We need to be open to God working to change how we think and how we view things.

b. The entire world is like a schoolhouse which is being used to teach us and we should try to look at everything that happens, or does not happen, from God's point of view, and as an opportunity to learn more about the Christ who lives in us.

11. John 17:17
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12. Matthew 4:4
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From the two scriptures in #11 and #12 above we can see that we need to be open to what God may be saying to us when we read and study His written word, the Bible!

In conclusion, the answer to our original question is found in the fact that all Christians have a partially renewed mind. When a Christian operates or makes decisions out of an unrenewed mind (the Bible calls this a carnal mind) they sin. Our free will is also involved in this process, but that is a topic for a later Learning Activity.

Click on Self-Check below to check your answers.

Self-Check

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