Sin is a major theme throughout the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures make it clear that all people have sinned and fall short of God’s perfect standard (Romans 3:23). As a result of sin, humanity’s relationship with God has been broken. Thankfully, God did not leave humanity in this state of separation. Through Jesus Christ, God made a way for people to be freed from the penalty and power of sin.
So what does it mean to be free from sin? At its most basic level, it means a person has been forgiven of their sins and declared “not guilty” before God. This happens when someone puts their faith in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished through His sacrificial death on the cross. Christ paid the penalty for sin by dying in our place. When we trust in Him alone for salvation, the Bible says we are justified – meaning we are declared righteous before God (Romans 5:1).
Through Christ, believers are also freed from sin’s mastery over their lives. Before trusting Christ, the Bible says we were enslaved to sin and unable to please God (Romans 6:20). But when we repent and believe the Gospel, sin’s power over us is broken. We are no longer helpless against the pull of sin. Believers have been set free from sin’s domination and now have the power through the Holy Spirit to resist temptation and walk in obedience to God (Romans 6:6-7,18,22).
This does not mean believers will never sin again. But it does mean sin will no longer be their master. Followers of Christ have been delivered from sin’s absolute authority and now have the ability to overcome it. Believers now have a fundamentally different relationship to sin than unbelievers (1 John 3:6-9).
So in summary, being free from sin means:
- We are forgiven and our guilt before God is removed through Christ’s sacrifice
- We are declared righteous before God, based on Christ’s righteousness rather than our own
- Sin’s mastery and domination over us has been broken
- We now have power through the Spirit to resist sin’s pull and walk in obedience to God
We Have Been Freed From Sin’s Penalty
Because of sin, every person deserves the penalty of spiritual death and separation from God (Romans 6:23). This penalty represents the judgment we deserve for breaking God’s law. But Jesus paid this penalty in full when He died on the cross on our behalf. He took the punishment that we were owed. Just as His perfect life could be credited to us, so could His death. He died as our substitute, absorbing God’s wrath so we would not have to.
The Bible says of believers that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). The penalty that once hung over our heads has been lifted. The guilt that once weighed heavy on our hearts has been cleansed. This happens the moment someone puts their trust in Christ (John 5:24). It results in a completely new legal standing before God – we are counted as righteous rather than sinful and guilty.
This is an incredible truth that should bring Christians great joy and relief. The penalties and consequences we deserved because of our sin have been fully satisfied by Christ. We no longer have to live in fear of condemnation and punishment before a holy God. The price has been paid in full by Jesus! We are free from sin’s penalty.
We Have Been Freed From Sin’s Power
Not only has Jesus freed believers from sin’s penalty, but He has also freed them from sin’s power. Before coming to Christ, sin reigned over people’s lives. The Bible describes unbelievers as enslaved to various sins and unable to submit to God (Titus 3:3). Sin had mastery and dominion over them.
But through faith in Christ, sin’s authority is broken. Believers have been delivered from their former slavery to sin and have become slaves to righteousness instead (Romans 6:18). They now have the power to say no to sin and yes to obeying God. Of course, this does not mean believers will never sin again in this life. But it does mean sin will no longer dominate them like a harsh slave master. Followers of Christ now have the ability through the indwelling Holy Spirit to resist temptation and pursue holiness (Galatians 5:16).
Passages like Romans 6:5-7 and Colossians 3:5 teach that believers have died to the ruling power of sin. Their old self was crucified with Christ so that their body of sin might be done away with. Sin’s mastery has been decisively broken. It no longer defines who believers are. Christians now have the ability to walk in obedience to God by the power of the Spirit at work within them.
This is incredibly hopeful news! Every Christian has experienced firsthand the pull and ugliness of sin. Becoming free from its total control over our lives is an amazing demonstration of God’s grace. He not only forgives our sins but also sets us free and empowers us to live in holiness.
We Are Free, but Not Perfect
It is important to understand that freedom from sin’s power does not equal perfection. Christians will continue to struggle with sinful tendencies, temptations, and occasions of stumbling in this life. Our freedom from sin’s dominion does not mean we will never sin again. As long as we are in our fallen flesh, sin will harass us and seek to entangle us (Hebrews 12:1).
But in Christ we are no longer sin’s captive and slave. It will not ultimately reign over or condemn believers (Romans 8:1). Christians have been freed from sin’s absolute authority and now have the ability to resist and overcome it when tempted. We now have the power to pursue holiness and righteousness in a way we never could before coming to Christ.
Sanctification is a process. Our freedom from sin’s power is exercised and strengthened as we grow in Christlikeness over time. This process is gradual and imperfect in this life. But the Bible promises that God is faithful to complete the work He began in us (Philippians 1:6). Our war with sin will one day give way to a peace that will never end, as we are made perfect in glory.
How to Live in Freedom From Sin
Since believers have been freed from sin’s penalty and power through Christ, how should we live in light of this glorious truth? Here are a few keys:
- Remember your new identity in Christ – you have died to sin and now walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1-4). You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Sin is no longer your master.
- Reckon (consider) yourselves dead to sin – do not let it reign in your mortal body (Romans 6:11-12). Put sin to death daily by the power of the Spirit (Romans 8:12-13).
- Rely on the Holy Spirit – He lives in you and gives you power to overcome sin. Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
- Run from temptation – do not put yourself in situations where you know you will be tempted to sin (2 Timothy 2:22). Avoid compromising media that could inflame sinful passions.
- Renew your mind with God’s truth – fill your mind daily with God’s Word so you do not buy into the lies of sin (Romans 12:2; Psalm 119:11).
- Pursue holiness and obedience by God’s grace -Sin will not have dominion over us because we are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). Grace empowers us to say no to sin.
- Confess your sins when you fail – Christians still stumble into sin. But we can receive forgiveness when we confess our sins and turn from them (1 John 1:9).
- Rejoice in Christ’s work, not your own holiness – Our freedom is based on His grace, not our works. Boast in the cross; give God the glory for any progress in holiness.
Living in freedom from sin means we do not have to be enslaved to old habits and behaviors that once controlled us. While we wait for the day when sin’s presence will be abolished, we can experience substantial victory over it in this life. Sin’s power has been decisively broken. Now we fight from a place of victory rather than defeat. Freedom in Christ can be experienced and lived out as we rely on His Spirit at work within us.
The Promise of Future Perfection
The Bible not only promises freedom from sin’s penalty and power in this life, but also complete freedom from the presence of sin in the life to come. When Christ returns, He will transform our lowly bodies into perfect, glorified, sinless bodies like His own (Philippians 3:21). Believers will be made like Christ, incapable of sinning ever again (1 John 3:2).
John writes, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). This is the blessed hope of every Christian. One day we will be free not just from sin’s penalty and power, but from its very presence.
The day is coming when the war with sin will be over. We will never have to battle temptation or wrestle with the flesh again. Sin will have no place in the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:27). What an incredible promise! In the meantime, we can experience the beginning taste of this future freedom as we walk by the Spirit in obedience to Christ.
Trust in Christ, Not Yourself
In closing, it must be emphasized that freedom from sin is not based on our own willpower or performance. If it depended on us, we would fail every time. But Scripture makes it clear that freedom from sin is completely grounded in what Christ accomplished for us. We died to sin and rose to new life in Him (Romans 6:1-14). We have freedom only because we are united to Him by faith.
Sanctification is not about sinless perfection by striving in our own strength. It is about relying on Christ and His Spirit to make us increasingly holy. We obey and pursue holiness not in order to be saved, but because we already are saved by God’s grace alone.
So take heart, believer. You are not a helpless slave to sin anymore. Through Christ, you have been set free. His grace is greater than all your failures and deficiencies. Walk in the freedom He purchased for you by relying on His Spirit’s power. One day the war with sin will be over. Until then, keep fighting armed with the truth of the Gospel.