If Jesus Dealt With Sin, Why Does Sin Still Affect People?

One of the most misunderstood subjects in Christianity is the difference between what Jesus accomplished at the cross and how sin still affects people today.

Jesus came to solve humanity's separation from God.

The root problem was not merely bad behavior.

The root problem was spiritual death.

Humanity was separated from the life of God through Adam's disobedience.

Jesus came to restore what Adam lost.

He provided forgiveness.

He provided reconciliation.

He provided a new birth.

He provided a new nature.

However, many believers assume that because Jesus died for sin, sin no longer affects them.

That is not what the Scriptures teach.

Jesus dealt with the penalty of sin.

Jesus dealt with the separation caused by sin.

Jesus made a way for mankind to be reconnected to God.

Yet sin still affects the mind, emotions, choices, relationships, and physical body.

The spirit is recreated instantly.

The mind must be renewed.

The body must be disciplined.

The body awaits its final redemption.

One of the primary ways sin affects people is by clouding their understanding.

Sin distorts thinking.

Sin blinds judgment.

Sin produces fear, guilt, shame, and condemnation.

Sin causes people to make choices that work against God's best for their lives.

This is why spiritual growth remains necessary after salvation.

What Does the Holy Spirit Convict the World Of?

Many people believe the Holy Spirit's primary mission is to remind people of every wrong thing they have ever done.

Notice what Jesus actually said.

John 16:8-9 (NKJV)

"And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me;"

Notice that Jesus identified the central issue.

The Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning unbelief in Jesus Christ.

Why?

Because Jesus is the only way back to the Father.

The greatest issue facing humanity is not merely what they have done.

The greatest issue is what they believe about Jesus Christ.

Every sin ultimately points back to separation from God.

Every solution ultimately points back to Jesus Christ.

Jesus said:

John 14:6 (NKJV)

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"

The Holy Spirit continually points people toward Christ because Christ is the answer to humanity's greatest problem.

The Mind Must Be Renewed

Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Notice Paul is writing to believers.

If the mind automatically changed at salvation, there would be no need for renewal.

The spirit is born again instantly.

The mind is renewed progressively through God's Word.

This is why believers can be genuinely saved and still struggle with old ways of thinking.

Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."

What dominates the mind eventually influences behavior.

Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

A renewed mind produces stability and peace.

The Body Must Be Presented to God

Romans 12:1 (NKJV)

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

Paul teaches believers to present their bodies to God.

The body still contains desires and appetites that must be brought under the authority of God's Word.

The Flesh Must Be Disciplined

1 Corinthians 9:27 (NKJV)

"But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

Paul understood that spiritual growth requires discipline.

The believer's spirit is righteous before God.

The body must still be governed.

The Flesh and Spirit Are Opposed

Galatians 5:17 (NKJV)

"For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."

Galatians 5:16 (NKJV)

"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

Strongholds Begin in the Mind

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NKJV)

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.