Those who say that they live in him must live the same way he lived.
1 John 2:6
Face it: everyone sins. No exceptions. But Jesus came to set you free from sin, and that’s exactly what he’s done. The Bible says that no one goes on sinning if they know Jesus. “What?” you scream. “How is that possible? Does that mean I don’t know Jesus if I still sin?” No, it doesn’t mean that, but it means once you turn your heart and will over to Jesus, something changes inside you.
Look at it like this: you are on a freeway, the freeway of faith, and you see an exit. It looks like it has all kinds of exciting attractions and services, so you get off. You weren’t planning on exiting; you just lost control and before you knew it you were stopped at the light waiting to pull onto the city streets. But suddenly you realize this isn’t a good place and you shouldn’t be here—that God told you not to exit here but you did it anyway—so you immediately get back onto the freeway. Phew! Sin noted and quickly confessed!
But let’s suppose one day you take an exit again, and this time you not only get off but also meander around the neighborhoods till finally you end up moving in. You don’t get back on the freeway; you just stay where you don’t belong. In this scenario you are continuing to sin, rather than sinning and then getting right back on the road to redemption.
Everyone sins. We all mess up—daily, in fact. That’s why we need confession and repentance, or turning to God. But there is a difference between falling into temptation but confessing it when you realize it, and deciding that this sin is acceptable and you’re going to keep living in it. So look for the signs and don’t get off into dangerous territory, but stay on the route God wants you on.