Romans 6:1–2 NIV
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?"
How do you view sin? More importantly, do you understand how God views sin?
I will be honest, there was a time when I professed to be a Christian and a disciple of Jesus Christ, yet I was still drowning in sin. Much of it was hidden. It did not always show on the outside, but it lived within me: unforgiveness, impatience, people-pleasing, and the lies that followed, sins only I knew about. My friend, the list could go on.
I wish I could say that I have arrived and now recognize every sin in my life. But if that were true, I would not need a Savior. Only God knows all things, and I am not Him.
What I have learned along my journey is this: God does not take sin lightly, and when we sincerely ask Him, He lovingly reveals what must change.
For the past two years, my consistent prayer has been, “Jesus, teach me how to love like You.” Each year, the Lord has faithfully exposed an area of my character that required repentance. This year, during prayer and fasting, my plea was for patience—with myself and with others. One morning, as I sat in meditation, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly to me:
“Mercy is the foundation of patience.”
That revelation led me directly to James 2:12–13.
This passage is often misunderstood and used to justify tolerating ongoing sin in the lives of those who claim to follow Christ. But when read in full context, that is not James’ message at all, especially when we consider who James was.
James, the brother of Jesus, did not initially believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Scripture tells us little about his life before conversion, except that the risen Christ appeared to him, and he believed (1 Corinthians 15:7). James writes not as someone excusing sin, but as someone transformed by mercy.
His teaching aligns closely with Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:21–35 and Matthew 7:5, where Jesus reminds us never to forget the mercy we ourselves have received. When we forget God’s patience toward us, it becomes difficult to extend that same mercy to others as we share the gospel.
This is an important reminder: we are always growing in Christ. But growing in Christ is not the same as remaining in sin and convincing ourselves that change is impossible.
Jesus was clear, new life requires death. In John 12:24–25, He teaches that unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone. Transformation requires surrender.
The Apostle Paul warns that those who continue to reject God’s warnings are living as enemies of the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:18). He goes on to say that their end is destruction (Philippians 3:19).
Many of us confuse temptation with sin. Scripture reminds us that Jesus understands our weaknesses because He was tempted in every way, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). James further explains that temptation is part of the spiritual battle, but sin occurs when we give in to it (James 1:13–15).
The struggles you faced before coming to Christ may still try to confront you. However, your decision to reject them is what declares, to the enemy and to the world, that you are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Saying “I can’t change” makes God a liar, and God does not lie. If His Word declares that you are made new, then believing otherwise is accepting a lie from Satan.
I often remind those I serve that having a thought is not the same as agreeing with it. Thoughts may come, but what we choose to believe and act upon determines the direction of our lives.
From my own deliverance, I know this truth firsthand: the power of Jesus, through His Word and the Holy Spirit, has the ability to completely transform a life.
Will you stumble? Yes.
But weakness becomes strength when we hold firmly to Jesus as our anchor, through meditation on His Word and by choosing His commands over our feelings, thoughts, cultural influences, religious traditions, and even traumatic experiences (2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 6:19).
When Paul wrote, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), he was not granting permission to continue in sin. Immediately after, he reminds us that we are justified freely through Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24).
Jesus Himself declared that unless we repent, unless we change, we will not enter the kingdom of God (Luke 13:3, 5; Mark 1:15; Acts 3:19).
Any voice that tells you otherwise is not mercy, grace, or salvation. It is the voice of the enemy, leading to condemnation and eternal judgment, as described in Revelation 20.
Let us choose to live transformed lives, not striving for perfection, but pursuing holiness through Jesus Christ, led and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
