If I’m a “new person” in Christ, why do I still sin?

Romans 6:6-7We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

2 Corinthians 3:18The Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Hebrews 10:14By that one offering he [Christ] forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

Hebrews 12:1-2Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

1 John 3:5-6You know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

Jesus Christ sacrificed himself to free us from sin in every way. Through the cross, we are justified—freed from the punishment of our sins forever. That is why Hebrews 10:14 says we are “forever made perfect” by Christ’s offering. But this kind of perfection is only the beginning. After all, if Christ only freed us from sin’s punishment and not from its influence over us, that sin would continue to hurt us and others. That is why the Holy Spirit was sent to us: to guide us away from sin, to help us know God and become more like him. This process of “being made holy” is called sanctification, and one day, God will make that sanctification complete. Then, we will be fully free of sin, perfect in every way.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3When I [the apostle Paul] was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?

2 Corinthians 13:11I [Paul] close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul describes some believers as “infants in Christ”—Christians who are still indulging in sins (such as jealousy) and need reminders of the basics of their faith. As we can tell from both of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, the church in Corinth was often an immature church. Yet Paul never gave up on the Corinthians and always encouraged them to live humble lives in pursuit of following Jesus. Immaturity is not desirable, but it is the place where our walk with Jesus must begin.

Luke 22:56-62A servant girl noticed him [Peter] in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!” But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!” . . . And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

Galatians 2:11-13When Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

Peter learned directly from Jesus for three years, yet Peter still abandoned Jesus in his Lord’s darkest hour. Peter was led directly by the Holy Spirit to invite the Gentiles into the church (Acts 10), yet when elitists within the church started looking down their noses on Gentile Christians, Peter caved to their peer pressure. After we sin, Satan often tries to discourage us to make us give up. He may even claim God has given up on us. These are lies. God never gave up on Peter and still used him as “the rock” on which he built his church. God promises to continue his work in each of us as well.

Matthew 7:18-20“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. . . . Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

John 14:15“If you love me, obey my commandments.”

John 15:8“When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

1 John 2:6Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

1 John 4:20If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?

If we love God, it should change the way we live—but this change should be joyful, not burdensome. This is a matter of the heart, not a matter of external perfection. It’s not about following the rules to impress God or others. It’s about growing to reflect the God we love, the God who saved us and made us his children.

Matthew 13:23“The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

John 15:5“Yes, I [Jesus] am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

Colossians 1:9-10So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

A newly grafted branch will not bear many grapes right away, but this is not a bad thing. The branch is still healthy and growing. The branch is strengthening its connection to the vine, becoming ready for the fruit that will come. In the same way, we are still growing, and our fruit may not have fully matured, but our growth is still evident and pleasing to our heavenly Father.