Bible Study Passage: 1st John 1:5 – 2:6
One of the most aggravating, painful, and confusing aspect of our walk in Christ is our struggle with Sin. As a follower of Jesus Christ, we may find in us this dual nature. Our inner being delights in God and ready to do His will. Yet we find our flesh, vulnerable to Sin. We find ourselves constantly in the battlefield. Struggle with sin in the life of a believer is one of the major theme in the book of 1st John. It is a fact that we Christian do sin, we are not perfect. We do not stop sinning, the moment we become Christian. We cannot deny it, cannot ignore it or live with it. 1st John 1:5 – 2 – 6 specifically deals with the Sin in the life of a believer. (Check out Fellowship with God -Bible Study on 1st John 1:5-10).
Deception of Heart
- 1:6 – If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.
- 1:8 – If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
- 1:10 – If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
- 2:4 – Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.
We can deceive ourselves to convince us that ‘everything is alright’. Only in the light of God’s word, our true condition is ‘exposed’, we can truly see where we are. (James 1: 22-25 – Word of God like a Mirror)
Measure of our Walk – Love for God
- Ever increasing and completing love for God is the measure of our walk in Him.
- 2: 5 – “But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them.” If we obey his words, his love is reflected in our actions and also motives behind them.
- This is similar to 2 Corinthian 12: 9 – My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
- Just as His strength is made perfect (complete) in our weakness. His Love is made complete, when we recognize our selfish motives and bring it to him.
Prayer
Eph 3: 16-19 – “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Update (Jan 2015)
There have been few comments which disagrees with the content of this bible study. The purpose of this study is not to have a compromised view of Christian life. But it states the real struggle with sin when we become Christian. Even Apostle Paul describes this struggle in Romans 7.
Romans 7:21-25 – “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
The only way to overcome the sin in our life is to constantly ‘exposing’ ourselves in the light of the Word of God.
As 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
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10 replies on “Struggle with Sin in the Life of Christian”
keep up the bless work for christ i am studying in the book of revelation chapter 21 and i came a cross the topic sin in the live of a christen it help clear up some things for me,thinks for been their (GOD BLESS.
Thanks for sharing. God bless
I do enjoy your sight but have to respectfully disagree with the dialogue you have put forth on sin. If a christian is sinning then he won’t be a christian long. It would be pleasant to the mind to say that sin is continuing in every christians life. But sinners cannot enter the kingdom of heaven and to teach otherwise is very contrary to the word of God in all respects. The Apostle Paul made this very clear. In fact the said “GOD FORBID” when it came to those claiming to have a right to allow sin in their lives because of the grace God shed upon their lives.
When we are living in “right relationship” with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we will do everything possible to live a life obedience to Gods word. But Sin will separate us from the Love of God and “IF” we continue in sin then God has no other alternative but to separate us from Himself. Why? Because In Gods righteous Character we will not, then (during Israels reign”, now, or forever allow sin to enter therein. In the lives and hearts of His people. I know its taught in my churches today and many adhere in large volumnous numbers to those tabernacles that teach those things itching to the ears but BEWARE and be WARNED of Gods word regarding Sin. “SIN will not enter the kingdom of heaven and we cannot be a part of His kingdom if we are living in sin. WE CAN LIVE ABOVE SIN if we are willing and are obedient to Gods Holy Word.
“Be Ye Holy for I am Holy”
Carefully Study Gods word and then you can Ask His Spirit to come in and Guide, Direct and teach you ALL TRUTH.
AMEN AND GOD BLESS YOU!
remember James 1:15 “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and
sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. ..” THIS MY FRIEND IS SPIRITUAL DEATH. Adam and Eve sinned and not only brought physical death but also Spiritual death upon themselves and all mankind. They were cast out and only the blood could bring them back. “Romans 5:12” Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned–
Allow Jesus Christ to cleanse your heart and then you will find peace through Jesus Christ.
Sin will bring DEATH !! Gods word is explicit on this.
Romans 6:6 (LISTEN AND READ CAREFULLY) NOT WHAT I SAY BUT WHAT GODS WORD SAYS:
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might
be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin .
GOD BLESS YOU
GODS SERVANT
any questions?::::
gsd01645@mail.wvnet.edu
keep up the good work of God ,God is awesome and excellent .
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A sinning christian is a contradictory statement. It is like saying a person is short and tall at the same time. Study I John 1 with an open mind and I think you will come to a different conclusion. He continues in the 3rd chapter to say a child of God does not commit sin. His opening statement in the first chapter is his answer to the Gnostics who said they had no sin.
Mr. Martin Rudd:
I believe this lesson was about Sin in our Christian walk. From your comments, there are several points you presented that I agree with(Sin separates us from God, no sinner will inherit the kingdom of God) however, there are some comments presented I do not agree with: 1.Sin is within all our nature, and I believe that this lesson was not to accept sin and continue sinning, but rather recognize that we ALL sin and present ourselves before God, Confess and ask for forgiveness and pray that God will guide us away from sin by giving us wisdom and a desire to walk with God , rather than to meddle in our sinful nature. 2.Its my belief that We all should approach the sin of others, very carefully because “We All have sinned and have come short of the glory of God.”
I agree with you on a lot of your comments, but it bothered me reading them because it seemed as though you were”attacking” and like you were on a judgment level and not once, that I recall did you mention sin in your Christian walk,but rather churches and the author of this study.I am not in a place of judging, I just am concerned for those that say, “I’m right, your wrong!” type attitude when it comes to sin. We all have and will continue to sin whether it’s intended or not, it’s how we approach and rectify sin that’s important and that is going to God, asking for a true heartfelt confession, and seek him. Thank You and may the blessings of God be bestowed upon you!
Hi Rob,
Thank you. You have so wonderfully articulated the actual purpose of this study. I recently heard about William Carey’s epitaph, which says, “A wretched poor and helpless worm, on thy kind arms I fall.”. (http://www.wmcarey.edu/carey/obits/epitap2.jpg). Perhaps, it reflects our utter unworthiness before God, as stated in this article. (http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/should-i-want-to-be-such-a-worm).