“Practicing Sinning Less”


BIBLE READING:  1 John 2

                Could you imagine Lebron James not practicing his free throws because he knew he couldn’t make all of them?  What about Tom Brady never practicing passing the ball because he knew that some of his passes would be missed?   Those ideas sound facetious, but at times that is the mindset of many Christians and their stance on sin.  If my goal is to be sinless like Christ, and I know that because of my sinful nature that is a goal I can never achieve, then why should I seek to change?  I think Lebron James might answer like this, “I practice my free throws knowing I can’t make them all, but I still want to make the next one. I practice so that I miss less.”  Tom Brady might say “I practice my passes, so that I can get better and make the next one.  I will always make bad throws, but the more I practice, the less bad throws I make”.  John says “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ” (I John 2.1).  It may be impossible for me to stop sinning completely because I live in the flesh.  However, my focus needs to only be the temptation I am facing right now.  I don’t have to worry about all the possible sins I might commit, I just need to work on not sinning right now; then even if I do fail, I still have an opportunity to get forgiveness through Jesus Christ enabling me to start over again.  I may not be able to be sinless, but I can certainly sin less.


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