If Christians believe all their sins will be forgiven why do they bother trying to avoid sin?

Answer 1

Roman Catholic AnswerYou half answered your own question: we believe that are sins will be forgiven (that is in the future, and conditional!). They are already forgiven in the sense that Our Blessed Lord died for our sins, and reconciled us to the Father. However, we have to claim that forgiveness and make it our own. Our Blessed Lord was very clear when He said that we have to obey the commandments, do the counsels, and most of all perform the Corporal Acts of Mercy (Feed the Hungry, Cloth the Naked...). In other words, Our Blessed Lord did not ask us to "claim Him as our personal Lord and Savior", no, He asked us to forgive our brother, to love our Father in Heaven, and to show that in our lives. Jesus was very, very specific, if you do not forgive your brother, your Father in heaven will not forgive you. Therefore we must avoid sin if we are ever to expect forgiveness to be extended to us. another answerChristians try to avoid sin as much as is possible out of their love and respect for God. If we truly love HIM, then why hurt Him by our sins? When we sin we say that Christ's sacrifice on the Cross is not good enough or that we reject His offer to redeem us and save us. However, because we are still human we cannot avoid it completely because it is human nature to sin; yet, we are given forgiveness so we can have a clean slate. That is the purpose that Jesus shed His blood, so He can wash away our sins (beginning from Noah's family, through Adam), but because we are human we cannot avoid it completely.Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

No one can avoid sin, that is why Jesus said those last words on the cross, for only He knew the full story of why we sin and he knew it was not down to us. Just take the first few Bible accounts: Adam & Eve, Cain & Able, the world in the days of Noah, Abraham - their all about evil, over turning God's love. Now the next question is why or how can He do this, when we all know that God is the main figure, All-powerful? It is because of the wager they made with each other for our souls. And that is why good and evil exists and that is why Christ has forgiven all sin (past, present, and future). Even Jesus was temped by sin. So what does that tell you.?

Ephesians 2:10 .

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath beforehand ordained, that we should walk in them.

Romans 6:1, 2, 6, 14-15.

Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin....for sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then, shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid.

This is the great liberating thing about becoming a Christian ... you are set free from having to sin. That is not to say that we don't sin, but we are not bound to it. We have the Holy Spirit that enables us. The difference between a true Christian and someone who merely calls themselves one is that when the former does inevitably sin, he sees it for what it is, sincerely abhors the sin committed, and is able to rely on God's power to overcome. I have several friends who today have wonderful ministries in God's service who came from the most extremely violent lifestyles which included murders. Did they continue on in this life when they became Christians and received forgiveness? No way! They are totally repulsed by the sins that they committed and are able to reach out with enduring hope to those that remain in those unhappy situations. They know without a shadow of a doubt that they are forgiven, but avoid those sins like the plague - with astonishing and Spirit - assisted success.

AnswerThe context of Titus 3 gives us just another example of how very clear is doctrine of salvation by grace and the works that follow. The sectional context is from verses 3 through 8. In verse 3 the author talks about

what the believers once were before being saved. Verse 5 gives the salvation method. Verse 8 as is generally the case as outlined earlier in this question gives the result of salvation.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. Titus 3 v 8

Another relevant verse is 2Corinthians 5 v 15

And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.

Here the rationale for avoiding sin is that the believer has been 'bought with a price' (the blood of Jesus) and therefore lives freely and gladly for him who did so much for them.

We are called to be a holy people, a royal priesthood.

Sin is NOT just "forgiven" because we are born-again. We are instructed to SIN NOT, and IF WE SIN we have an advocate with the Father.

We are required to repent (turn away from sin). Without repentance you cannot be forgiven. That's like asking God to automatically excuse our wrong behavior just because we received Christ. This is not a doctrine that is taught in every church. Some churches say that once you say the sinner's prayer you are forgiven for "future" sins. But in truth the "sinner's prayer" is for past sins. We must still continue to keep our hearts clean before God, repenting of sins we are committing now and in the future.

We must work out our salvation daily with fear and trembling before our God. For if we continue to sin willfully we mock Christ and the Gospel of Christ.

We are suppose to "put on Christ" and become a new creature with a new nature that does NOT desire to sin. If we stumble and fall then we have a promise that if we repent and turn away from all unrighteousness we will be cleansed.

Salvation is a lifestyle not an event. You cannot just do something one time and then go out and live like you want to live. This is not a Biblical concept.

What the Bible says

Read what God says through Paul in Romans chapter 6. Christians are specifically commanded not to sin but to be servants of righteousness / Jesus Christ:-

Rom 6:1-23 KJV What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? [v. 2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? [v. 3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [v. 4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [v. 5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: [v. 6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. [v. 7] For he that is dead is freed from sin. [v. 8] Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: [v. 9] Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. [v. 10] For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. [v. 11] Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. [v. 12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. [v. 13] Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. [v. 14] For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. [v. 15] What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. [v. 16] 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? [v. 17] But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. [v. 18] Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. [v. 19] I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. [v. 20] For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. [v. 21] What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. [v. 22] But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. [v. 23] For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Answer:

Even though we are forgiven for our sins, we still sin against God. Once we ask Jesus to be our Savior then we are a new creation II Corinthians 5:17. In Romans 8:1-2 it tells us we no longer need to be condemned because Jesus has taken our guilt away. Although we still sin it is not the habitual sin that we once had as unbelievers unless we have chosen this path once again. As we grow in Christ we will be more like Him and displease God less by sinning.

Everyone's sin is forgiven, when they stop. They emphasize Christians as a selling point. Sin will not be punished because it is the punishment. It is living without love. thinkunity.com

Answer:

If a child believes that he will be forgiven for reaching into a fire, will he do it anyway? Sin is everything that harms us or others.