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Why do Christians continue to struggle against sin, even though they are a new creation in Christ and the Spirit of God dwells in them (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16)? The apostle Paul writes about this battle in his letter to the Roman church:
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. (Rom. 7:21-23)
Even though all believers are hagios (holy; set apart; Col. 3:12) as God's adopted children, they have not yet received their resurrected bodies and they still live in bodies that have been corrupted by Adam’s fall in the garden of Eden.
A Christian’s sanctification includes both the dying of the old nature and the coming to life of the new nature.
The Heidelberg Catechism, first published in 1563, is a highly regarded summary of the Christian faith. Below are some key aspects from this beloved catechism regarding the continued presence of sin in the life of the believer and the believer’s duty to strive to obey God:
Q. What is the dying of the old nature?
A. It is to grieve with heartfelt sorrow that we have offended God by our sin, and more and more to hate it and flee from it. (Heidelberg Catechism 89)
Q. What is the coming to life of the new nature?
A. It is a heartfelt joy in God through Christ, and a love and delight to live according to the will of God in all good works. (Heidelberg Catechism 90)
All believers are in the process of dying to the old self (mortification) and living unto God (vivification). Thankfully, sanctification is a gift from God given to all his children, who have been justified by the finished work of Christ imputed to them through faith alone, by God’s grace alone, in Christ alone.
Christians will not be free of their sinful flesh while alive in this present age.
Growing in holiness is both a lifelong duty and process for the believer that is never complete in this life:
Q. Since we have been delivered from our misery by grace alone through Christ, without any merit of our own, why must we yet do good works?
A. Because Christ, having redeemed us by his blood, also renews us by his Holy Spirit to be his image, so that with our whole life we may show ourselves thankful to God for his benefits, and he may be praised by us. Further, that we ourselves may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and that by our godly walk of life we may win our neighbours for Christ. (Heidelberg Catechism 86)
Q. Can those who are converted to God keep these commandments perfectly?
A. No, but even the holiest men, while in this life, have only a small beginning of this obedience; yet so, that with earnest purpose they begin to live not only according to some, but according to all the Commandments of God. (Heidelberg Catechism 114)
As the Heidelberg Catechism reminds us, Christians will not be free of their sinful flesh while they are alive in this present age. Christians can be selfish, thoughtless, mean, rude, and hurtful—just like non-Christians. Christians, however, have God’s Word and the Holy Spirit working in their hearts to conform them to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18). Believers also struggle with laziness, lack of discipline, pride, and various temptations, like everyone else does. As the Heidelberg Catechism points out, God’s children will have heartfelt sorrow over their sin and want to turn from it and turn toward Christ and his will for them (John 14:15-24).
Believers are called to strive to live holy lives, even though they will do so imperfectly in this life.
While Christians may not always realize the harm they have caused to others, this doesn’t excuse their sinful behavior. When a Christian brother or sister has sinned against us, we must remember that all of us have acted wrongly at various times in life. We need to forgive others—both Christians and non-Christians—as our heavenly Father has forgiven us.
Believers are called to strive to live holy lives, even though they will do so imperfectly in this life. This is the duty—and the joy—of every Christian. We can rejoice with the apostle Paul that God will deliver us from our bodies of death through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 7:24-25). Blessedly, one day our struggle will be no more. We will receive new imperishable bodies that will be free from sin forever, and we will dwell in the presence of God to his glory in all.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Rom. 8:22-23)
Related Articles:
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2 Important Things to Remember about Fighting Sin—Romans 7:13-25
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What Is the Difference between Justification and Sanctification?
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3 Reasons to Be Thankful for the Lord's Discipline in Your Life
Le Ann Trees is managing editor of Beautiful Christian Life.
Recommended:
God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life by Gene Edward Veith Jr.
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