Our Sin | Hope for the Generations

In order to understand why we need a Savior, we need to first understand our problem.

Sin Is Trusting or Acting on Our Own Opinions and Feelings Instead of Trusting and Acting on God’s Truth

This definition has implications both broadly and narrowly. In broad terms, we are all sinners because we are born with a sin nature. That’s why Jesus had to come to save us. He came to set us free. He came to make us new.

Romans 6:6-7 We 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.

We also need to understand sin more narrowly. Specifically, our sinful choices. The reality in this fallen world is that we will still have to battle sin in our daily lives.

Jesus Came to Set Us Free from the Power of Sin, but that Doesn’t Mean We’re Perfect

We will be faced with choices, every day, that can lead us toward God or away from God. We need to always be on our guard watching out for the things that tempt us to sin. Jesus gives us the power to say “No” to sin but we have to choose to tap into that power the moment we need it. And, when we mess up, we need to have the right response.

There Are Many Ways We Can Respond to Sin

We can be defensive and look to shift blame to some other source. We can even question if sin is really sin if we don’t want to submit to God’s word and want to live by our own set of rules. But, these responses don’t honor God. The right response to sin is what the Bible calls repentance.

Repentance Is More Than Just Saying, “I’m Sorry”

It’s also about turning away from our sin and toward God. A truly repentant heart acknowledges the wrong, accepts responsibility and desires to make things right.

2 Corinthians 9-10 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

We need to have the right response to sin. Not only in our relationship with God but in our relationships with others. Think about the people in your sphere of influence. What impact might it have on those people for them to see you respond with a heart of repentance when you mess up? Instead of making excuses or denying your wrongdoings, you take responsibility and acknowledge how your actions affect others. It would be powerful. Model a repentant heart so that you can pass on the right response to sin to future generations.