Christians are supposed to live holy lives. When we obey the gospel, it is as if we have put the old man of sin to death and we are made into a new creature by God’s power—a creature that pursues holiness and righteousness. And yet, anyone who has been a Christian for very long knows that we still are not perfect. There are still times we make mistakes. There are still times that we commit sin. How can this be?
Becoming a Christian does not mean we are perfect. But it does mean a change of allegiance to Christ and a constant effort to avoid sin. Romans 6:12 says, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.”[1] The Christian does not let sin reign—that is, we don’t persist and abide in sin. Instead, Christ reigns. Thus, when we do sin, we repent and return to obeying King Jesus who reigns over our life.
[1] CSB