After healing an impotent man, Jesus Christ told him, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (Jhn 5:14). And to a woman accused of adultery, “And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (Jhn 8:11). For 30 years in which I thought I was a Christian, I read Christ’s words to really mean “don’t sin as much anymore” or “don’t commit big sins anymore.” I admit now that I was simply explaining away Christ’s words to justify myself as a Christian. True Christians, however, don’t explain away Christ’s words but submit to them. Christ told them to “sin no more” and really meant for them to sin no more for the rest of their lives. True Christianity and salvation is that we sin no more.
Jesus told some religious leaders, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (Jhn 8:34), “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do” (Jhn 8:44). And His apostle John repeated the same, “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not” (1Jo 3:6), “He that committeth sin is of the devil” (1Jo 3:8), “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil” (1Jo 3:9-10). Notice that he states exactly how God’s children are distinguished from the devil’s—they “sinneth not,” “doth not commit sin,” and “cannot sin.” If we’re still sinning after becoming a “Christian,” then we’re not truly a Christian. We’re not one of God’s children but the devil’s.
The apostle Paul defined his writing to the Romans as the gospel message Jesus Christ Himself preached, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation” (1:16), “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ” (16:25). Romans is a detailed explanation of Christ’s gospel message of salvation. As Christ taught, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (Jhn 8:34), so did Paul, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (6:16). We’re servants of whom we obey, not necessarily of whom we confess. Christ asked, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luk 6:46). Calling Him Lord means nothing if we’re not obeying Him as Lord.
Twice he said, “ye were the servants of sin … Being then made free from sin” (6:17,18), “For when ye were the servants of sin … But now being made free from sin” (6:20,22). True Christians were the servants of sin but are now free from sin. It’s not just that they’re forgiven of their sins but that they no longer serve sin but serve righteousness, “ye became the servants of righteousness … now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness” (6:18,19).
This is also what the apostle Peter taught, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1Pe 2:24). Christ’s death on the cross made us “dead to sins” in that sin is now in our past—we’re forgiven of our past sins and we now live righteously without sinning. He later wrote, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (1Pe 4:1-2). And Paul said the same, “How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom 6:2). Being “dead to sin” means we no longer live in sin.
Turning away from sin to live righteously has always been God’s message, “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.” (Eze 18:21-22), “Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die” (Eze 33:14-15).
The “gospel” being preached today, however, is that we have a depraved sin nature that compels us to sin; that we’re forgiven sinners and simply can’t stop sinning. Concerning those that preach another gospel, “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit [breath], which ye have not received, or another gospel” (2Co 11:4), “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (2Co 11:14-15). Christ’s gospel is that we “sin no more.”
Understanding Scripture 