Jesus nailed our sins to His cross when He allowed Himself to be crucified. It wasn’t just His human flesh that died that day; it was an end to sin’s power to control you ever again. Sin is part of the “old things” that have passed away and no part of the new things you have in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Because of this, habitual sin cannot be a pattern in the life of a true follower of Jesus. The only way we can sin is to decide to be in willful disobedience to God’s commands, and those who love Christ obey His commands. (John 14:15) This leaves us with only two options: either God’s Word is not true or we don’t love Jesus like we say we do. If we continue to sin, where’s our proof of love?
Habitual sin is something almost everyone who calls themselves a Christian has gone through at some point and at the same time seems impossible to reconcile with one being a true follower of Jesus. John writes, “Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. This is how God’s children—and the Devil’s children—are made evident.” (1 John 3:9-10) This passage isn’t speaking about occasional sin because only Jesus ever lived a perfect life, as scripture makes clear. (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 1:8-10) No, this is speaking of habitual sin, the kind where you sin, ask forgiveness, and then do it again and again.
The first word Jesus uttered in His ministry was “repent.” (Matthew 4:17) To repent means to turn away from and to go in the opposite direction. If we repent of our sin, we can’t then keep doing it because it would be behind us. The only way we can sin in a habitual manner is to never let go of the sin. We love it more than we love God. We would rather indulge in sin than obey the commands of God. To that person, we must ask, where is your proof of love for Jesus?
As Paul put it, “How can we who are dead to sin continue to live in it?” (Romans 6:2) We can’t. Sure, we’re going to mess up. We will sin. But when we do, every true follower of Christ will be sick about what they’ve done. They will repent and beg for the forgiveness Christ won on the cross. (Psalm 51:17; 2 Corinthians 7:10) Such a person is not eager to jump right back into the same sinful habits and lifestyle. Being forgiven for a sin is akin to dodging a bullet. It changes you when you recognize you should be dead, but by God’s grace you are still breathing. (Ephesians 2:4-5; Romans 6:23)
Our proof of love for Christ is in our obedience. (John 14:21; 1 John 2:3-5) To live in disobedience to His commands is to live outside the will of God at best, and outside of loving Him at worst. Those who don’t love Jesus will not inherit the eternal life they are seeking. (1 Corinthians 16:22; John 3:36) If we believe in Jesus and confess Him as Lord, He will save us. (Romans 10:9-10) But to proclaim Him as Lord demands surrender and obedience. (Luke 6:46) If we obey, we will not continue to revel in our sin. (Romans 6:12-14; 1 John 3:6)
Where’s your proof of love? Do you love Jesus more than the greatest pleasures and desires in this world? Do you love Him more than material wealth, personal satisfaction, and reputation among sinners? Many will come to Him on their last day and call Him Lord, but He will tell them what they, deep down, already know: they don’t love Him and He doesn’t know them. (Matthew 7:21-23) You cannot love God and hold on to this world. (1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4) Don’t be deceived, and don’t be a fool. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Mark 12:29-30) Surrender to His Lordship and receive His gift of salvation today. (Romans 10:9-13; 2 Corinthians 6:2)