Does it matter if a Christian sins?

DOES IT MATTER IF A CHRISTIAN SINS?

Copyright Rosemary Bardsley 2007

1. YES. Because God is still holy, and he still says ‘Be holy because I am holy.’ [Leviticus 11:44,45; 19:2; 20:7,26; 1 Peter 1:15.16]

2. YES. Because we are children of our heavenly Father, who says to us ‘Be perfect as I am perfect.’ [Matthew 5:43-48]

3. YES. Because sin is still sin. [ Romans 6:12-14; Colossians 3:5-8]]

4. YES. Because the cross of Jesus Christ makes it abundantly clear

• how horrible sin is.
• how demanding God’s justice is.
• how devastating and complete God’s punishment is. [Ephesians 5:5-7; Revelation 21:7-9; 22:14-15]

5. YES. Because a person who thinks that it doesn’t matter if they sin, has not begun to understand:

• the utter holiness of God. [Isaiah 6:1-5; Habakkuk 1:13]
• the utter sinfulness of sin. [Proverbs 28:9]
• the true identity of Jesus Christ. [Revelation 1:12-18]
• the nature of sin’s penalty. [Romans 5:16-19; 6:23 ]
• the horror of the cross. [Mark 15:34 ]
• the magnificence of God’s love. [1 John 4:8-11]
• their own spiritual destitution. [Romans 5:6,8,10; Ephesians 2:1-5]
• the purpose for which God saved them. [Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 2:9b]
• the nature of their salvation. [Ephesians 2:21,22; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 John 3:1-3]

FOR THE CHRISTIAN, SIN IS FORGIVEN - BUT IT IS NEVER OKAY!