Each of us were born in sin. We all had the capacity and will to be rebellious and do our own thing. This occurred because of the fall in the Garden of Eden (Rom.3:23, Rom.5:15-17). But God did not leave us this way, He provided a way for us to be changed from the inside out! Galatians 3:22 says, “But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”
JESUS TOOK OUR SIN
John 1:29 reveals that John saw Jesus and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Also Hebrews 9:26 says, “…now at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Verse 28 says, “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
MADE FREE FROM SIN
Romans 5:19 says, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” Romans 6:18 “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” Romans 6:22 “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”
Colossians 1:14 says, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Through the work of the Cross, “…by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of God…He has forgiven all trespasse, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross.”(Col.2:11-14).
THE OLD LIFE CRUCIFIED
Romans 6:6-7 says, “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.” Romans 6:11 says, “Likewise you also, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
SET FREE FROM THE LAW (DOMINION) OF SIN
Romans 8:2 says, “For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” But what about the sins that we may have committed since being born again? They were taken care of with the others of the past, as well as, all future sins that may occur. You see, Jesus has shed His blood once for all time and eternity and it is sufficient to forgive and take away our sins.
NO MORE SIN CONSCIOUSNESS
Hebrews 10:1-3 says, “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshippers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sin, but in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.”
HOW TO CONFESS OUR SINS
1 John 1:9 says,”If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The way most evangelicals have understood this verse is that I should name out my sins one at a time and tell the Lord I am sorry for them and ask Him to forgive me. However, I will suggest a better way to confess sin. I understand that God has already provided for the forgiveness of my sins once for all. When I recognize that I have sinned I declare in prayer that His blood through grace has forgiven me of my sin (s) and I thank Him for it. By praying this way I have acknowledged my sin and His forgiveness !