We all try to live a sinless life because the wages of sin is death. Also, the condition for eternal life is sinlessness. Millions of professing Christians have tried to live a life without sin but have failed in their efforts. Yet there are 144,000 in the last days who overcome every sin in their lives, and besides this there will be a great multitude in heaven who also have gained a sinless condition. This means that to overcome sin is not an impossibility; it can be done. But we have to learn how to do it.
The first thing that we want to do is to repent. We need to feel sorry for the sins that we have done. Then we need to confess our sins to God and to the persons against whom we have committed sins. After this we make a decision not to sin anymore and ask God’s help to live a sinless life. So far it seems clear what we must do. But then the problems come when, with the best intentions, sin still enters into our lives.
What happened to the power of God which was supposed to enable us to move mountains, and nothing should be impossible to us? If this happens, then some commandment of God we have failed to fulfill. Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37–40
If we love God above all then our money, our time, our talents are spent mostly on Him and His work. If we spend most of our money on ourselves, then we love ourselves more than God. If we have no time to do missionary work, nor attend all religious meetings, then we do not love God above ourselves. Love and sacrifice go hand in hand. We prove our love by sacrifice.
Jesus said, “For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.” Matthew 25:35–36. All these are expressions of love to our neighbour. If any of these things are neglected, then we are lawbreakers and the power of God is not with us. We either obey and keep all of God’s commandments, or not any one of them.
James writes to us, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10. God will give us power to keep all His commandments, but if we decide to break one of them then we lose this power, and then we cannot keep any one of them correctly.
Jesus said, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” Luke 16:10. The reason for this is that small unfaithfulness will take the power of God away from us and then we cannot be faithful in greater temptations that Satan brings on our way. To Adam and Eve the seemingly small sin was sufficient enough that they were cast out of Paradise. Can we enter in if we have a small sin that we are guilty of? Even the neglect of constant prayer can cause us to fall into sin.
“No man is safe for a day or an hour without prayer. . . . We should study the Bible with humility of heart, never losing sight of our dependence upon God. While we must constantly guard against the devices of Satan, we should pray in faith continually: ‘Lead us not into temptation.’” –The Great Controversy, p. 530
It is a continual miracle of God to live a sinless life. It is a life of continual happiness, peace, and joy.
We are to look to Jesus all the time. Meditate on His death on the cross. Peter could walk on the water as long as his eyes were beholding Jesus, but as soon as he turned his eyes away from Him, he began to sink.
“If they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the city, they were safe.” –Early Writings, p. 14
There is a selfish religion that has no value, no salvation in it. People want to enter into heaven and have eternal life, and also escape the hell fire. In human strength alone they follow the rules that are required for church membership, but it is not enough for salvation. These professing Christians do not love God, neither their fellow men.
In Egypt there is a snake called aspis vipera; when it bites someone it puts him into a pleasant sleep from which he will never wake up. So also the practice of sin puts us to sleep. First we lose the sinfulness of it. Then we try to minimize its evil character, and we also think that someday later we will stop practicing it. And one sin quickly leads us to another sin, and again to another. It may happen that we will never wake up from this sleep of death. We need to avoid the company of sinners, because sin is very contagious.
David writes, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Psalm 1:1
Very strict rules were given by God to Ancient Israel, not to mingle with outsiders, with the surrounding nations, because their influence would lead them to sin. Just to look at sin is dangerous. Eve looked at the forbidden tree, and this looking created a desire in her to taste it. Satan has inspired so many worldly books, movies, television programs, which are poisonous and do create sinful thoughts and desires in those who read them and watch them.
If someone decides to do sin wilfully after they have received knowledge about it, there is no more chance of salvation to them, because they sin against the Holy Spirit. “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” Hebrews 10:26
Jesus was tempted in every point where we are tempted, yet without sin. He knows how to overcome sin, and He can help us also to overcome.
When Jesus said to the lame person, “arise and walk,” he could do it. When He said to the blind person to open his eyes and see, he could do it. In the same way when Jesus said to a sinner, “Go and sin no more,” he could do it, because every time He provided power for it.
“He who lays hold upon the righteousness of Christ may become a perfect man in Christ Jesus.” –Testimonies to Ministers, p. 150
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed [the divine principle of life] remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9
What we need to do to help others to overcome sin, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:13
May The Lord help us overcome all sin and by our example help others also to overcome is my desire and prayer. Amen.
Timo Martin