Questions and Answers

Q: I truly love my Lord and Savior, so why do I blatantly hurt Him by deliberate sin? I just do not understand why I continue to commit certain sins.
—P.M., California

A: All of us must examine ourselves to make sure we have truly repented of our disobedient past way of life. If we have not, then we must make that turnaround, committing our lives to obeying God. Of course, even when we have repented, that does not mean we no longer contend with sin.

Our human nature involves the cumulative effect of habitual sins that we may have committed in the past as well as the profound influence of the environment around us. Additionally, that malevolent spirit Satan the devil projects his influence over every aspect of what the Bible calls “this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4). This adds up to a strong pull to repeat the sins and mistakes we thought we had left behind.

If we have sincerely repented, been baptized and received God’s Spirit through the laying on of hands, then God releases us from the death penalty and starts us on the road to eternal life. However, the Creator doesn’t automatically remove our human nature. So temptations to sin crop up from time to time, especially those that have dogged us in the past. Even the apostle Paul wrote of his ongoing struggles to resist sin (Romans 7:14-25).

Through regular prayer, Bible study and the power of the Holy Spirit, God will give us the needed defenses to increasingly resist those temptations. That’s why becoming converted is so important. Even so, Christians still at times yield to the temptation to sin. Because God is compassionate and fully aware of our human frailties, He readily extends His merciful forgiveness when we repent (see 1John 1:7-9).

Read the full article at www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn47/questionsanswers47.htm

Related Information on UCG Sites:

Table of Contents that includes "Questions and Answers - Jul/Aug 2003"

United Church of God:

Search Our Site
Key Subjects Index
General Topics Index
Biblical References Index
Good News Magazine Index
Booklets and All Literature Index
Home Page of this site