A Christian Must Leave Sin Behind

Do you want a new life or not?

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No one can continue to hold tightly to sin and come to God at the same time.

Those who hear the Gospel of Jesus are told to “repent” or “turn away from” their sin (Acts 2:38).

Christians cannot continue to live in sin while at the same time laying claim to God’s grace (Romans 6:1-2). When you were baptized into Christ, you were set free from sin by the blood of Jesus (Romans 6:3-7).

We were set free from sin to serve God and not sin (Romans 6:13). Why should we want to serve God instead of sin?

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

We should want to serve God rather than sin because it promises death - while God offers eternal life in Christ Jesus.

What Paul Reminded the Christians in Corinth

The Christians in Corinth needed a reminder that they had left the life of sin behind.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Some of the Christians in Corinth had worshipped idols at one point. They were alcoholics, they were having sexual relations with whoever they wanted whenever they wanted - some had even been thieves.

Paul reminded them, “That is who you were in the past. But you’ve left all that behind.”

• They were washed. They had been made clean from the filth of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 22:16; Revelation 1:5).

• They were sanctified. They had been set apart by the blood of Jesus for the purpose of being and living as God’s own special people (1 Peter 1:13-16; 2:9-10).

• They were justified. They were guilty of sin, but by the blood of Jesus Christ, they were legally considered innocent by God (Romans 5:6-11).

Paul reminded the Christians in Corinth, “The blood Jesus shed on the cross for you (2 Corinthians 5:21) is a reminder of the price for your sins.” God paid the ultimate price to demonstrate His love for us (Romans 5:6-9; John 3:16) so that we might choose to live a life obeying Him out of love.

If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15)

I hope you always remember that God loves you. No matter what sins you have committed in your past - God still loves you.

If you will submit yourself to the King of kings and Lord of lords, turn from your life of sin that has left you feeling so empty, and be baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27), you can leave all the guilt and emptiness behind.

Thanks to God, Christians get to live a new life!

Let’s not bring our old life of sin along with us - we serve a new Master now who offers us far better promises.