“No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.” – 1 John 3:6
Do you have a pet sin that you like to keep around? Many people do. It’s that sin that you excuse away as “not a big deal” or claim that it “doesn’t hurt anyone”. It could be gossiping about other people. It could be a tendency to lie to avoid problems. It could be a temper that you don’t control, a website you shouldn’t look at, or a tendency to drink or use something you shouldn’t. Too much of something. Too little of something. Hopefully you get the idea… something you know you shouldn’t mess around with but you also don’t try very hard to get rid of it.
Here’s the problem with keeping a pet sin in your life… A person can either abide in Christ or keep on sinning. You can’t do both. Can’t! Everyone who abides in Christ will occasionally sin. There’s grace for that. Whenever it happens, repentance and confession brings God’s forgiveness every time (see 1 John 1:9). But if you’ve got a sin that you commit quite often and aren’t fighting against it, aren’t trying to kill it, and don’t even feel terribly bad about committing it, then you aren’t abiding in Christ. Not like you should. Not in the way that brings true joy and fruitfulness.
If you’ve got a pet sin, it’s time to change! Decide to hate that sin! Seek to nail that sin the cross! Pray for God to help kill that sin’s desire in your heart! Now is the time when people like to make resolutions for the year ahead. Resolve to more closely #FollowJesus by rejecting any sin in your life and abiding in your Lord Jesus!