In Rom 6:1, Paul wrote, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” In Rom 6:2, he answered, “God forbid”. John wrote in 1 Jn 2:1 “that ye sin not”. Though we will not be sinless till we are in our glorified bodies, what are to do with sin after salvation? What are we to do?
First, you must be saved. Christ died for you, Rom 5:6-10, and bore your sins in his own body on the tree, 1 Pet 2:24. Since they were on him, they don’t have to be on you. Instead, he gives you his righteousness, Rom 5:18-19. However, if you don’t receive the free gift, Rom 5:15-17, then you will die with your sin on you and without his righteousness. In the last judgment, you will be cast into the lake of fire, Rev 21:8.
After Jesus saves you, you will still have to deal with sin. What are you to do with sin after salvation?
Confess it – 1 Jn 1:9. When you confess sin, you admit that you have sinned and you call sin what it is. Sin is the transgression of the law, 1 Jn 3:4. The thought of foolishness is sin, Prov 24:9. All unrighteousness is sin, 1 Jn 5:17. If ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, Jas 2:9. To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin, Jas 4:17. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin, Rom 14:23. Two of the most comprehensive lists of sins are found in Rom 1:29-31 and Gal 5:19-21. And still there are more.
In confession, you acknowledge that you have committed sin. You judge yourself, 1 Cor 11:28-32, according to God’s standard. And when you confess that you have sinned, the Lord forgives you. You are guaranteed forgiveness because of your advocate, Jesus Christ, 1 Jn 2:1-2. And not only does he forgive you, but he cleanses you from all unrighteousness and his blood cleanses you from all sin, 1 Jn 1:7. This is the first step to cleansing yourself in 2 Cor 7:1.
Bob Jones, Sr said, “There is no stain on any page of tomorrow. Turn a new page, and start on a clean sheet, and write a clean record by the grace of God from now on. Be everything you can be from now on by the grace of God”.
Resist it – Heb 12:4. You have to stand up to sin and resist it. People, who sin and say, “This is the way God made me”, are just copping out. They don’t want to fight it. They want to do it. Even though they know their sin can kill them, Rom 5:12, 1:32, they want the pleasure of their sin. And so they don’t resist. You must resist.
When you face sin and resist it, you are not resisting alone, 1 Cor 10:13. God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able. Sin shall not have dominion over you, Rom 6:14. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, Rom 6:12. You can resist it by yielding to the righteousness of God in you. Christ lives in you, Gal 2:20. He didn’t sin while he was here and, through his righteousness, he gives you the ability to resist sin.
Forsake it – Prov 28:13. The people who argue about 1 Jn 1:9, argue about people staying on the merry go round of guilt, confession, and sin. But that’s because they don’t talk about the ultimate necessity, which is to forsake sin. Stop it. Quit doing it.
2 Cor 7:9-10 was written to the church concerning their response to the young man committing fornication in 1 Cor 5. But it applies to us, as well. We are to have godly sorrow to repentance. Paul preached “Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ”, Acts 20:21.
With faith toward Jesus, you are made free, Jn 8:32-36. With sin, Prov 5:22, “His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins”. To break these cords, you need to forsake the sin and know the truth. The truth of the words of God shall make you free. And the Son shall make you free. Look at 1 Cor 6:9-11. Paul said about the people in the congregation “and such were some of you”. They weren’t the same people they had been before salvation. Jesus Christ had broken the cords of their sins and they had forsaken them.
Conclusion: take these three simple truths and apply them in your life. They will help you deal with sin after salvation.