After spending weeks on sin, breaking it down, why God hates it, and what sin keeps you from, I think it’s important to know how to live a clean life. You may hear that sin is terrible all the time, but how does one live a life free from sin?
Christ Inside Minded
The first thing when it comes to living sin free is being Christ inside-minded. Now, what does that mean exactly? It means that you are constantly aware that the spirit of Jesus lives in you and the power you hold because of that. Jesus lived an empowered life and never allowed sin to overtake Him even though He was “in all points tempted as we are” (Hebrews 4:15). Some may view this as impossible but Philippians 4:13 says that we “can do all things through Christ who strengthens us”. So we are not relying on our own strength when it comes to overcoming sin but rather on the strength of Christ. A perfect and well-known instance when Jesus overpowered sin is in Matthew 4 when Satan tempted Jesus. Each time the enemy tried to get Jesus to sin, Jesus always responded with “it is written”. That is the key to being strengthened through Christ, knowing what is “written”, which is knowing the Bible. If you don’t know what the Word says, then you are at a disadvantage when it comes to overcoming sin. The Word is Jesus (John 1:1), so by knowing the Word you are bringing the strength of Christ into your situation. I believe this is what Philippians 4:13 means, through Christ, through knowing the Word that is Christ and how that empowers me, I can do all things. The Bible shows us everything we are entitled to as believers but if you don’t read it, Satan will use your lack of knowledge against you.
So, through knowing the Bible, you naturally become more aware of the power you have through Christ and because of that you are least likely to sin. 1 Peter 1:15-16 says “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’”. As you become more aware of your Christ identity, you take His instructions more seriously. Jesus called us to be holy, now to a Christian who isn’t Christ inside-minded, that may be difficult. Due to their lack of knowledge they take these instructions to be holy as a goal rather than a commandment. They see it as something to strive towards but not actually live out. However, to someone who is aware, they realize that when God gives us an instruction, He also provides the power and will to do it. So, God wouldn’t call for us to be holy as Jesus is holy, and not leave us equipped to be so. It is not a goal to strive towards but it is a reality we can live through acknowledging the presence of God’s spirit within us. We are equipped to be holy as Jesus through His spirit which is why you find verses like Philippians 4:13. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We can overcome sin through Christ who strengthens us, we can overcome temptation through Christ who strengthens us, we can live holy through Christ who strengthens us.
Living holy is not a dream or a goal but it can be a reality. 1 Peter 2:24 says that “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness”. Jesus died for us so that living righteous can be a reality and not some goal that only big time spiritual people can achieve. God made it so that you and me can achieve holiness, that was part of the reason Jesus died, so that we can live a pure life for God. So, the next time someone says or you hear, “we’re all sinners”, “we sin all the time”, say no! I DON’T SIN ALL THE TIME, I AM NOT A SINNER! I have the spirit of Jesus living in me which empowers me to be holy as Jesus! He died so that I can live a righteous life and that’s what I’m gonna do! I’m sure that saying will keep you from sin and it is probably a good thing to repeat when you are feeling tempted.
Making a Choice
More than just being Christ inside-minded, living a clean life is your choice. You have to want to live sin free and be holy as Christ is holy. It’s not something that God can do for you, only you can make that choice to turn around. Ephesians 4:23-24 says to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness”. So you have to make the choice to renew your mind, to think differently, and you renew the spirit of your mind with the Word. Romans 12:2 says something similar as it states that we are to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds and prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. Both verses state that in order to live how God intended us to, we must change our minds. You’re never going to live a holy life if you don’t change your thought process towards sin. Second Corinthians 10:5 says we must “cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”. This means that any thought that is against the Word of God, it is our job to make our thoughts align with the Word. This can mean more than just thoughts that lead to sin, but it can be thoughts of anxiety, depression, and sickness. We must look to what the Word of God says and change those thoughts to match up with it. This is how you transform and renew your mind, you take a thought and bring to the obedience of the Word. If you’re tempted to sin, say no the Bible says I am holy as Christ is holy, if you’re anxious, say no the Bible says I have perfect peace that surpasses all understanding. You get it now? You let your thoughts meditate on the Word of God. This is how you live a clean life, you can’t do it without the Word, but it’s also your choice to go to the Word in the first place. That’s how you learn about your power in Christ and that’s how you renew your mind. God gave us free will, so He will never force you to live a clean life through Jesus, but that’s what He wants for you. So, if you feel that you want to live a clean life and don’t know how, ask Jesus to guide you. Allow Him into your heart, , “Dear Heavenly Father, I repent of my sins and turn my back to them. By faith, I give Jesus my whole life, heart, mind, and soul. I believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for my sins and I accept Him into my heart now. I believe Jesus is Lord. Amen!
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