Why Do I Still Sin If I Am Saved?
Why do we still sin after salvation?
Saint, you don’t have a sinful nature. The old sinner you used to be has been crucified with Christ. One with the Lord you have his heart, his desires, his spiritual DNA, his mind, and his holy nature.
“So why do I still sin?”
This is a great question. So are these:
“If I’m 100% holy in Christ, how come I don’t act 100% holy?”
“If I’m righteous, how come I don’t feel righteous?”
“Why do I sin when I don’t want to sin?”
“Is it possible to lead a sinless life?”
“Will I lose my salvation if I keep sinning?”
We all sin from time to time. The most saintliest person you know sins. Even your pastor sins.
By sin, I mean “miss the mark” or “fall short of what God has in store for us.” This is what sinning is and we all do it from time to time.
Sinning is destructive and not something you want to do. “Why do I still sin if I am saved?” We sin or miss the mark for one of four reasons.
1. We sin because we’re ignorant
The first reason we sin is because we have been lied to.
The mantra of this fallen world is “if it feels good do it.” Feed the flesh. But the indisputable lesson of history is that the way of the flesh (self-effort and self-trust) leads to destruction. Satan switched the price tags. He’s got us convinced that sinning has no consequences.
The remedy is to hear the good news: God loves us and he offers us a new and better life – his life (John 5:21, 10:10).
2. We sin because we are slow to believe the good news
Some people are so invested in this world they refuse to accept the good news. Jesus comes preaching, “Repent and believe the good news of the kingdom,” and they decline. They are so weighed down with wealth or worry, that they spurn his outstretched hand.
Religious people are sometimes the most lost people of all. They don’t want grace because they’re too busy accumulating good deeds and brownie points. Like the Pharisees who rejected Jesus, they have missed the way. They prefer rules to relationship.
The remedy is to repent and turn to God in faith. Confess or acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of grace (1 John 1:9). Receive his forgiveness and be cleansed from all unrighteousness.
3. We sin because we don’t know we can stop sinning
Finally, we come to those who know they are saved and who know they are one with the Lord. Why do Christians sin? Why do we live in addiction or remain captive to destructive habits? Why do we lose our temper and say things we regret? Why do we fall from grace and leave our first love?
Some believers sin because they are ignorant of their new identity in Christ or because they are still living under old lies. They don’t know they can be free or how to be free. They’ve walked the old ways for so long, it does not occur to them that there is a better way.
“It’s just who I am.”
Except it’s not. You weren’t born an alcoholic and you weren’t born addicted to pornography. When you were an infant, you did not have an anger problem or trust issues. These are things you picked up after walking in a fallen world.
If you do something a hundred times it will become second nature to you, but if it’s not in Christ’s nature then it’s not part of your new nature. It’s a bad habit or addiction that the world will feed but which you need to release.
The remedy to ignorance is to renew your mind and offer your body as a living and holy sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1–2). Stop speaking lies over yourself. You are not what you have done; you are a beloved child of God. You are not merely a forgiven sinner, but a new creation with the indwelling Holy Spirit. So put off the old and put on the new and be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Eph. 4:22–23).
Be Son conscious, not sin conscious.
4. We sin because we’re trying hard not to sin
Then there are those who know all this. They know who they are in Christ yet they still do things that are unhealthy and destructive. They don’t want to sin so they try to stop but fail. They try harder and fail again. Eventually, they quit trying and reject all this grace talk as unrealistic mumbo-jumbo.
“Grace hasn’t helped me.”
And it probably never will, not for as long as you are focusing on your sin and your shortcomings. Your best efforts will never succeed because the flesh cannot cure the flesh.
Here’s the good news that will set you free:
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
Your goal is not to stop sinning but to know Christ. Know him in the midst of your struggles. When you’re reaching for those pills or are about to click that link, remind yourself that Jesus is on your side. He who died for you now lives for you so that you might have a life free from sin.
Stop trying to fix your old self (he died with Christ) and feed on the good promises of God. Instead of beating yourself up over your imperfections, fix your eyes on Christ and his perfections.
When you are about to do something unrighteous and unholy, remind yourself that in Christ you are righteous and holy. When temptation comes knocking, reckon yourself dead to it and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
It’s a battle for sure, but it’s a battle you can win. By the grace of God you can be free. If you fall today, by the grace of God you will rise again.
Why do I still sin if I am saved?
We sin because we have taken our eyes off Jesus.
Our bodies are weak and this world is full of snares. From time to time we all stumble. The good news is that when we sin, Jesus doesn’t condemn us. He defends us (1 John 2:1). He shields us from the Accuser and reminds us that we are the dearly-loved children of God.
Whether you sin today or not, nothing can change who you truly are in Christ. And this is the revelation that empowers us to say no to ungodliness and shine in a broken world.
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More articles on sin:
- What is the definition of sin?
- What are the real seven deadly sins?
- Does sin hinder my prayers?
- Does God love me when I sin?
- How does God deal with me when I sin?
- Is God grieved by my sin?
- Is grace a license to sin?
- Have I committed the unforgivable sin?
- What is the sin leading to death?
- Are all sins forgiven – past, present and future?
Escape to Reality 
Glory be to the Son of the Most High God. The love of God the Father, the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the intimacy of God the Holy Spirit be with you. I always rest and feel peace while I read the Grace commentary. Blessing and Blessings to you, Pastor Paul E.
Excellent Saint Paul.
Blessings back to you!!!
Warren, South Carolina USA
This is a great article on a topic many believers struggle with. I think the greatest challenge from the above content is learning what it means to walk by the Spirit and how to do that. For many of us, it’s like trying to catch a greased pig. It’s possible but often slippery and messy. It’s definitely difficult to articulate, but the more familiar it becomes, the easier it gets.
I love you Paul and I believe in your message of Christ alone but having discovered that I have Cptsd I believe you would like to know how your message effects people who have mental disorders. If the Jesus you teach ever makes you curious please reach out to me and I would love to talk about it with you. Your post was great but it lacks the grace for traumatized people like me. For years, I thought I was ignorant, and every Pastor was confirming it until I discovered my mental condition made it impossible me to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. Discovering my PTSD and understanding my childhood has broken open my heart and mental capacity. I love you ❤️
Hi Eddie, I know from personal experience the debilitating and distorting effects of mental disorders and how even the good news of grace can be twisted through mental filters into something that it’s not. I also know from first-hand experience how some Christians have no grid for dealing with these issues and in their sincere desire to be helpful they can do more harm than good. I trust you know my heart, that it’s not my intention to harm anyone, not even religious people. But nor is it possible for me to help everyone in a short post about sin. I have written about mental illness in the church before and may do so again.
Thank you for sharing that, it will help validate certain people’s struggles with Holy Spirit- including me who not only came from a “ trauma” background but is autistic also had m.s. where cognition is an issue who battles with depression and anxiety too so things can get very muddled so I can definitely say the Lord is holding onto me rather than the other way around as if it was all up to me I would’ve “ given up ages ago as a lot of the times things just don’t seem to sink in or stick.It’s a not straightforward challenge.
PTSD definitely can make things like this a challenge. My neighbor and close friend of mine, as well as my wife both have struggled with PTSD and have found freedom. It is different for everyone. For them it was a combination of counseling and prayer. It is an ongoing battle, but there is hope. 🙂
One of the greatest summaries of why I’ve seen in a long time. Been hoping you’d put something out like this that summarizes things. Thank you!
The only thing I would have liked to see added is on chemical and biological addictions. Many people are hooked on drugs or hormonal releases that beckon them to satisfy these addictions. People run to them in part because fo of the reasons you gave but often there’s an actual chemical addiction going on that comes from the outside (like an illegal or prescription drug) or a release of hormones that comes from an experience that the brain tells the body to produce and release in times of stress for example. Likewise some people have severe biological deficiences that lead them towards actions that others simply don’t have.
These are not shared to be excuses, for the mind and soul are the first places to address and in Christ there is healing for all, but some are living in shame for their urges or reactions when in fact they are fighting not just a battle in the mind and spirit but also in the biology.
Greetings Paul, I love your teaching and have given your books to friends and family members. I seldom disagree with you, but several thoughts came to mind as I read this post. First, if sin and missing the mark means imperfect behavior, we have to raise the bar quite a bit. Anything that is not done in the perfect love of God falls short. By that definition we all miss the mark every day, not once in a while. Behavior is the outside of the cup and Jesus tells the inside of the cup is what really matters. This is where God’s life is and His life is the mark. This is further established by the first definition of sin which is “to be without a share in”. To be without a share in perfect behavior? No, to be without a share in His life. This is described in 1 John 3:6, whoever abides in Him does not sin, whoever sins has not known Him. If you’re abiding in Him, you are partaking of His life, which is the definition of not sinning. If you don’t know Him, you are not partaking of His life and you are in sin. Does the mean bad behavior is ok? Of course not, bad behavior is not good for you. People who do not know God understand that bad behavior is good for them. We agree that sin should not be the focus, the focus should be to partake of His life. This not only saves us from sin and death, but He will prune anything that needs attention.
Thanks for your comment Jim. Like you, I don’t really care for behavior-based definitions of sin as they lead to a focus on the flesh. In my article, “What is a Biblical definition of sin?” I define missing the mark not as specific behaviors, but as trusting in yourself and living without regard for the things of God. Walking after the flesh, in other words, instead of walking in the spirit (Gal. 5:16).
Yes, I love that! Thanks for your response.
Good convo on ‘what is sin’ or ‘missing the mark’. I think there is likely some distinction necessary when Jesus and the apostles talk about sin. Much of the time they seem to be talking about actions and thus doing something about it and other times they’re referring to mindsets or not abiding internally. If we focus solely on the abiding aspect then presumably if that’s well the actions will be too. But since none of us are abiding perfectly 24×7, then it’s safe to say we are all sinning, and quite often. But of course the New Testament seems to imply ‘sinning’ for a believer is something that is rare or occasional not ongoing and regular. The reality is that most people are not abiding in Christ 24×7 and we cannot be constantly thinking about sin and repenting all day long for then the focus isn’t on Jesus.
This is where the beauty of true biblical “hyper Grace” comes into play, along with the Ragamuffin Gospel type mindset. That yes we are all falling short regularly and honestly quite often as we get distracted from abiding in Him, but that state of imperfect mindsets and behaviors is OK to be in so long as we are trusting in His Grace. Not a license to sin, but a license to REST in Him being humble about our state.
My kids constantly make mistakes. Constantly. I could correct them every couple minutes if I watched carefully and wanted to. But that would crush them. The grace they have with me as their father (and their mother) is that when appropriate I will correct them, but always with open arms, and the rest of the time I’m aware they’re not perfect and my arms are still open even without obvious correction.
When I focus on my falling short, I fall deeper. When I realize how deep I’m in I don’t give up realizing He’s right there with me, loving and accepting me. When I’m ready for correction and open, He does, with open arms.
Yes- in answer to your headline question Paul I could simply answer I sin because I am constantly reminded , made aware , made conscious of it. When I was young I was constantly made aware that I was left handed and that somehow it was wrong,that I was shy,awkward and clumsy and just by the fact that I was constantly reminded of these things this made these things worse and more prominent and a “problem,issue, poor illegible writing due to feeling scared and wrong and worried that I was left handed and failing to write with my right hand,more broken, spilt and spoilt things because I was more nervous , insecure and so dropped and fell over things more,daring not to speak,join in,contribute because I was told I was shy and made to feel it was a bad thing so came across as more shy and awkward than I actually was.The emphasis/reminder to us needs to be what is right with Jesus and why and what is right with us in Gods eyes in/ because of Jesus which can only keep coming from Holy Spirit and His revelation to us about this. As the apostle Paul said I seek only to know Jesus and Him crucified- therein lies our answer- emphasis and can only be revealed to us by/ from Holy Spirit as our human wisdom,knowledge,understanding does not/can’t reveal it to us as it’s flawed- prone to error and turns the whole thing into works and us emphasis.
Obrigado
No one born of God sins.
To David:
Are you saying that all believers have sinless perfection when you say that “no one born of God sins?” Or are you saying that no one born of God makes a habitual practice of sinning?