Why do we sin?

[Dazzle]

This isn't entirely a "request" per se, and I don't mean to promote anything, but Josh Wilson has a song called "Before the Morning", and the comments on YouTube say that the song is based on Romans 8:18. His song inspired me and I looked up the verse and I've come to love this verse, and the whole chapter. Verse 8 says "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Verse 1 - "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." Verse 11 - "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." I could go on.
But I've been wondering... if the Spirit dwells in us and we're not in the flesh, why do even experienced Christians make such terrible decisions sometimes? Verse 26 and 27 say "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." So that would mean the Spirit should be working in us as Christians to make us better. Yet many of us backslide, we pray, we confess, then mess up again. Over and over and over again. We've been debating that very matter at class at church, but never finished, come to think of it... Paul says in Romans 7:14-25, in the chapter just before Romans 8: "We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 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. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Paul was most definitely a Christian when he wrote this. And many Christians can relate to this. I know I do.
If God should be working through us as Christians, and we truly meant it when we said we were willing to give up our sinful lives for Him, what makes us do the opposite? Why do Christians surrender all and then... don't? I know there are many mental disorders that can cause people to see, think and do things they don't want to. But according to the Bible, anyone can be a Christian, so long as they believe. Which means even backsliders and even the worst sinners on the planet have a chance to get to heaven. I have a ton of questions. Does being a Christian still let us have "free will"? Is it still free will if you have a mental disorder? Why did Paul say there was sin living in him and his body subject to death when he should've been born again and renewed? And why do Christians, even the ones without disorders, still do things outside of the Spirit? I've been a Christian for years and still don't know. I've backslid and recommitted my life to Christ and still don't know. I want to evangelise like Paul did, but even Paul didn't seem to know. Woe is me. I'll just put Romans 8:37-39: "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." We are conquerors of sin and still we are held captive by it. How and why?! But at least God will always love us, and Romans 8 is beautiful, let me say.
I'll just let the Spirit make intercession for my groanings for now. I don't know what else to do about it.

 

[Articles]

Dazzle, your contemplation on why Christians still sin is a deeply meaningful and often wrestled with topic. We commend you for your love of Scripture and for drawing inspiration from it. Let's delve into this together, seeking God's word for guidance.

Firstly, it is important to understand that while we are new creations in Christ, we still live in a fallen world and have our sinful nature to contend with. As Paul said in Romans 7:14-25, which you quoted, there is a constant battle between the spirit and the flesh. Even as Christians, we are not exempt from this struggle.

The Bible tells us, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you wish" (Galatians 5:17, WEB). This is why even experienced Christians can make terrible decisions sometimes. It's not that the Spirit isn't working in us, but that our flesh is weak and prone to sin.

Now, regarding free will, becoming a Christian does not negate our free will. God wants us to freely choose to follow Him, to freely choose to obey His commandments. As for mental disorders, they can indeed affect a person's decisions and actions, but God looks at the heart. He knows our struggles and our sincerity in trying to follow Him.

Paul's struggle with sin, as described in Romans 7, serves as a reminder that even the most devoted Christians can struggle with sin. It's not that they are not born again or renewed, but that they are still living in a fallen body in a fallen world.

Let us pray together:

"Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your unfailing love and for the salvation we have in Jesus Christ. We acknowledge our struggles with sin, Lord, and ask for Your strength to overcome them. Help us to walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Help us to be conquerors through Him who loved us, just as Your word promises. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen."

Keep holding onto God's promises, Dazzle. Remember, "For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14, WEB). Even in our struggles, God's love and grace are unfailing. Keep trusting, keep praying, and keep fighting the good fight of faith.

Lastly, we want to emphasize the importance of praying in the name of Jesus Christ. It is only through Him that we have access to God. As it is written, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5, WEB). Always remember to pray in His name, for there is power in the name of Jesus.

 

[hostadmin]

Hey there,

We've been thinking about your question and we wanted to share some more thoughts with you. It's great to see you digging deep into the Scriptures and really wrestling with these big questions!

We've been pondering why, even though we have the Spirit dwelling in us, we still struggle with sin. It's like there's this constant battle going on inside us, right? We want to do what's right, but sometimes we just can't seem to shake off these sinful tendencies.

We've been reminded of a verse in Galatians that says, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV) It's like these are the characteristics that should naturally flow out of us as believers, but sometimes it feels like we're more like the list that comes before it - "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these." (Galatians 5:19-21, ESV)

So why is that? Why do we still struggle with these things even though we have the Spirit living in us? We think it might be because we're still living in these fallen bodies, in a fallen world. Even though we're new creations in Christ, we're still a work in progress. It's like we're being transformed, but it's not a instant process. It's a journey.

And you know what? That's okay. Because even in our struggles, God is faithful. He loves us unconditionally, and He's working in us, transforming us, making us more like Him. As it says in Philippians 1:6, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (ESV)

So let's keep pressing on, friend. Let's keep seeking God, keep studying His word, keep praying, and keep trusting that He's at work in us, even in the midst of our struggles. And remember, we're in this together. Let's keep encouraging each other, keep lifting each other up in prayer, and keep pointing each other to Jesus.

In Him,

[Your Name]

 

[Dazzle]

So it's our sinful nature that causes us to sin even when we don't want to? I know God doesn't expect us to be perfect, like Him, but does that mean that no matter what we do or how much we try to pray them away they'll just come back? If someone were to have a mental disorder and tried their best to fight their sinful tendencies that their disorder makes them do or if they prayed everyday for their disorder to go away is it just not possible? Is there a limit to how much God will protect us from our sinful desires while we're on earth? Will we all only truly be painless and sinless after we go to heaven? And how am I supposed to spread the word of God and do His will when these sinful tendencies try to take me over?

 

[bobr69]

Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. Thank You Jesus!!!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Let Us Pray: God Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus' name to please bless me with everything I stand in need of, and everything You want me to have. Bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, soul, mind, strength, and never fall out of love with You. Bless me to prosper, have excellent health, and have an ever growing closer stronger more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always honor, respect, and obey You. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps, actions, and words.

God heal me, body, soul, and spirit. Cleansed me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, pray Your best for me, and all those I love and care about. God please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith. Prayer written by Encourager Linda Flagg, M.A., Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach.

 

[usha rani]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[A C / A O]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

Thank you for giving us the privilege to pray on your behalf. We are glad that that you asked us to stand in agreement with you in prayer. If your request was answered, please post a praise report and let us all know. If your request does not seem to have been answered, please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer. We all hope that our prayers are answered in the way that we want. Sometimes we believe that God is not answering our prayers because we do not see what we expect. In these cases, we should persist in prayer and determine how God is answering our prayer. May God bless you as you continue to seek him through his son, Jesus Christ.