In the apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 5 and verse 21 (KJV), we read that: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”.  Jesus took our sins upon himself and paid the price for them  that we could be made his righteousness; we are no longer sinners. We were spiritually dead in our sins, we were sinners (Rom 6:23) but Christ won righteousness for us through his sacrifice. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior we come in to righteousness or right standing with God, by grace (Eph 2:8; Rom 3:22; Rom 5:1) and our sins are forgiven (Col 2:13).

But what if as Christians we do sin? We know that we all sin but if we confess our sins God will be quick to forgive us (1 John 1:7-2:2). This does not make us unregenerate sinners again, we are new creations in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17); the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

In his first epistle and chapter 3, the apostle John seems to indicate that we should never sin but study of the Greek structure here shows us that what he really means is that we should not habitually sin as a life style (v 6-9). In chapter 1, John makes it clear that as Christians we will slip and sin but if we ask forgiveness God will forgive us.

As born-again believers we need to allow his word to renew us and allow his Spirit to change us to walk in his ways so that sin becomes more and more foreign to us (Rom 12:2; Ezekiel 36:26-27). Praise God for his love, grace and forgiveness.

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