Stopped sinning yet?

1 John 3:9

"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God."

The verse needs no further explanation. It is as clear as can be written.

The Word says that we, who are born again, cannot go on sinning. Yet many of us struggle with sins at some point in our born again life. In such times, Satan tempts us to question if we are indeed born again; he is good at condemnation.

Even the Apostle Paul struggled with it (Romans 7:7-25). His words that many of us identify with are ".... For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." (Romans 7:18-19)

Let us examine God's Word again.

Is John speaking against believers who are struggling against sins? No he wasn't. Otherwise, Paul would have been condemned.

The fact that we struggle with some particular sins shows that we are fighting against them, even if we seem be unable to overcome them for a while.

Do remember that we are "work-in-progress" projects for the Holy Spirit. We have old habits that we have yet to conquer and where temptation in these areas is strong. While the Holy Spirit works with us on these weaknesses, Satan attacks us relentlessly to wrestle us away from Him.

The truth is that John was referring to those who make a practice of sinning and look for ways to justify it. They not true born again believers and so do not have God's seed in them. But for us who truly believe, the Holy Spirit lives in us and gives us the strength and power to stop sinning.

I have learned that there are three steps to find victory over prevailing sins:

1. Seek the power of the Holy Spirit and God's word.
2. Flee from situations where temptations thrive.
3. Ask for help from the body of Christ.

Paul finally proclaimed as wretched as he was in his struggle, he was liberated through Jesus Christ (Romans 7:24-25).

God has given us the power to stop sinning. Are we merely seeking to stop or are we depending on Him and have "stopped" sinning?

We can stop sinning. Let's do it!

God bless.

Steven