Real Sin in Real Believers

Are you a practical Christian perfectionist? That is, do you deny Christian perfectionism in your doctrinal statement, but live as though you believed it. Do you struggle with assurance of salvation? Could it be that you struggle because you have an unbiblical and unrealistic expectation about the Christian life? Do you think that a true Christian hardly ever sins?

In this sermon, I give four major lines of evidence that Christians still sin daily. We should oppose antinomianism with all our might, but we need to be careful that we don't run to the opposite extreme of Christian perfectionism.

I. Ignorance concerning the power of indwelling sin in the life of true believers.

II. Evidence
Exhibit A -- Romans 7:14-25. Paul did the things he hated to do

Exhibit B -- There are many examples of true Christians sinning in the NT, as well as many rebukes for real sins of real believers in the NT
Exhibit C -- Jesus taught us to pray daily, "Forgive us our debts ..." He did so because we do in fact sin, not as a prescribed empty formulaic ritual prayer.

Exhibit D -- Jesus taught us to pray daily, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Again, this was not to be an empty ritual. We face a formidable enemy who tempts us daily. Is he a slouch? Was he born yesterday? Does he never score points? Are we really undefeated against him?