Over the last few days, I’ve been meditating on an interesting problem. One thing I often deal with as a pastor is those who have no assurance of their salvation. These are the people who constantly fear they are damned, and never learn to simply trust in Jesus’s words and promises. They assume each sin shows their lostness and constantly feel they need to get re-saved. This can be a major problem and shows a lack of discipleship. But there is another problem that can be just as bad, but that often flies under the radar of the average believer.
It is possible for some of us to become so assured of our own salvation that our sins no longer register in our conscience. We know and trust so well that Jesus is going to preserve us and keep us that they lose sight of the command to obey him. We forget that being saved means being a servant of the king, and that the king said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15 ESV).
While the first problem demonstrates a need for more discipleship, the second demonstrates a need for greater sanctification. We should be confident before the Lord. We should not be so weak in our faith that every sin wrecks our confidence. But neither should we be cavalier about sin as if it no longer matters.
You are called to be like Christ. This means living a sin-free life. Of course, this is not possible on this side of heaven or the resurrection, but it is still the life for which we strive. Are there sins in your life that have become commonplace? Is it time to give these over to the Lord and repent? There will come a time when we no longer have to repent of sins because we have been made blameless, but we are far from that day–the day of Christ’s coming (1 Thess 5:23).
I will be the first to admit that I have such sins. Let’s go to the throne of grace together and lay these sins before our Lord.