1. “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:1-2).
If we commit sins after our salvation, we have the Lord Jesus as our Advocate and as the propitiation for our sins. Consequently, we should not be discouraged or lose heart. We can be recovered by the Lord because He Himself is the basis of our propitiation with God.
2. “The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin” (1 John 1:7).
John spoke this word to believers, not unbelievers. The word cleanses in Greek denotes a continuous cleansing. The blood of the Lord Jesus continually cleanses us from every sin. If we sin after our salvation, we should seek the cleansing of the Lord’s blood.
3. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
The Lord Jesus is our Advocate before God and also the propitiation for our sins. He is propitiating for us in every situation so that we can be in fellowship with God, and His blood constantly cleanses us. As a consequence of all these matters, we can be cleansed of our sins before God at any time. If we sin, we should confess our sins to God, depending on the Lord Jesus as our Advocate and receiving the constant cleansing of His blood. When we confess our sins, according to His word and based on the Lord’s blood, God forgives us of our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. This is a matter of His faithfulness and righteousness.
1. “We must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done through the body according to what he has practiced, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).
As believers, we will be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged for our living and work. We will receive what we have done through the body according to what we have practiced, whether good or bad. The good will be rewarded and the bad will be punished. Therefore, if we sin after our salvation, we should confess quickly, depart from the sin, and receive God’s forgiveness. If we do not, we will be punished when the Lord comes to execute judgment. This punishment is not related to eternal perdition but to the loss of the Lord’s reward. All believers are saved, but some will suffer loss (1 Cor. 3:12-15).
2. “Shall be liable”; “Whose end is to be burned”; “A certain fearful expectation of judgment and fervor of fire” (Matt. 5:22; Heb. 6:8; 10:27).
There are passages in the Bible, such as Matthew 5:22; Hebrews 6:8; and 10:27, which speak of punishment for believers who sin. This punishment will be meted out when the Lord returns. Therefore, according to the teaching of the Bible, if we sin and do not deal with it through confession and by departing from the sin, we will be punished when the Lord returns. Of course, if we sin and deal with it through confession, God will forgive us and not punish us in the future.
Since we have examined the question of whether it is possible for believers to sin after salvation, we need to consider whether it is possible for believers to avoid sinning after salvation.
1. “Sin will not lord it over you, for you are not under the law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14).
Even though the Bible speaks of believers sinning after their salvation, it also speaks of believers avoiding sin. It is possible for a believer to sin and also to avoid sin. Avoiding sin is different from being incapable of sinning. A person who can refrain from speaking is different from a mute person who is incapable of speaking. Although the Bible does not speak of believers being incapable of sinning, it does speak of them avoiding sin. After we are saved, we still can sin, but we can also avoid sin.
We can avoid sin because we are not under law but under grace. Under the law means that we are using our own strength to refuse sin, but our strength is insufficient to free us from the bondage of sin. Under God’s grace, which is the life of God in Christ and is just God Himself, we can be freed from the bondage of sin in order to avoid sin. Under the grace of God and with God in Christ as our life and power, sin cannot lord it over us; consequently, we can avoid sin.