Why do CHRISTIANS sin?

How is it that Christians continue to sin?  Aren't we suppose to be different from those in the world who can't help themselves?  Is it even possible to stop sinning?  God understands doesn't he?  After all I am only human, a sinner saved by grace, right?These questions are all applicable to the body of Christ.  I have, as I am sure you have, wrestled with the reality of sin.  This post will address these issues and shed light on the road to our maturity.

What do you understand by the terms 'Saved', and 'Born of God'?  Most Christians would not see ANY difference between the two, and in fact they would have no problem with using these terms interchangeably.  They would be wrong, because these two concepts are completely different.

Are you saved?
Christians use this opening line when 'witnessing' their faith to an unbeliever.  It too represents a way of gauging the individuals current spiritual state.  But does it really?  The word 'saved' is listed over 50 times in the King James Version of the New Testament.  The problem is that to our understanding the word 'saved' is an event.  This simple misconception of the term has led us to believe that a person can be 'saved' in an instant.  But is this true?  Consider Jesus' use of this term:

Matthew 10:22
You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

Matthew 24:13
But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

These two instances where Jesus uses the word 'saved' denote a PROCESS and not an event.  This is confirmed by the Apostles' use of the word. Consider:

Luke 13:23
And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are BEING saved?”

Acts 2:47b
...and the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

1 Corinthians 1:18
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

2 Corinthians 2:15
For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;

It is clear that the word used here represents a process.  But a process of what?  The word translated 'saved' in these instances means to 'make whole, to heal and to make well'.  This helps our understanding, because it causes us to to see that 'being saved' is the process whereby God makes us whole by healing us and making us well.  So to the question 'Are you saved' the more accurate answer from a Christian is 'No, but I am BEING saved'.

So what does it mean to be Born of God?
This is where we have an instantaneous event.  Consider:

John 1:12-13
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who WERE born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

1 Peter 1:23
...for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

1 John 3:9
No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 5:1
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.

1 John 5:4
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world —our faith.

It is clear from the use of the words 'were born', 'have been born' and 'is born' that to be 'Born of God' happens immediately.  The correlation that exist between 'born of God' and 'being saved' is that ONE INITIATES THE PROCESS OF THE OTHER.  When one is born of God you automatically begin the process of being saved.

Consider Babies.
God used the analogy of birth because it aids us in our understanding of this process.  Being born of God is not unlike being born a natural baby.  What separates a baby from an adult?  You may answer, time of course.  Not really, what separates a baby from adulthood is IGNORANCE.  Adults can talk but babies cannot because of ignorance.  Adults can understand but babies cannot because of ignorance.  Adults can walk but babies cannot because of ignorance.  Does a baby have a tongue, yes they do but they are ignorant of speech.  Do they have feet, yes they do but their leg muscles are ignorant of how to get them to move properly.  Growth in the life of a baby is in effect the SHEDDING OF IGNORANCE.  Consider:

2 Corinthians 2:11
...so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

1 Timothy 1:13
...even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;

1 Peter 1:14
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,

As a baby struggles with ignorance to mature we too as Christians born of God must overcome ignorance (which is the process of being saved ). Like the baby you too have all the capacity to overcome ignorance by the very fact that you were born.  But where is this ignorance?  Consider:

James 1:14
14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

This 'each one' is not just talking about sinners but EACH ONE.  This is the condition of every man.  Being born of God DOES NOT remove the lusts from your heart, but rather it is the 'being saved' process that does this.  Therefore EACH human, Christian or not, has resident in them lusts.  These lusts are different form individual to individual and their combinations are as varied as humans are.  One may have lusts toward peadophilia, and murder.  Another may have lust to fornication and hateful speech.  Regardless of the orientation what is common is that all have these lusts.  What makes the person born of God unique is this; they have the capacity through the initiation of the 'being saved' process to overcome these lusts.  So why do Christians sin?

James 1:14-15
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Here is the process of the development of sin.  From this we learn that Christians sin because of their connection with their OWN lusts.  The work of God in our lives during the BEING SAVED process is to sever the ties between 'us and the lusts'.  This is where Satan is so important.  Since God does not tempt anyone to sin he sends Satan to do this.   As we renew our minds through the word of God this powerful link between 'us and the lusts' becomes weaker and weaker. 

Most Christians see sin as an ever present reality and they do not believe that they are even able to overcome it.  But what does God tell us:

Romans 6:11-12
Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

Paul says consider yourself dead to sin.  This is important because the 'being saved' process is suppose to bring about the first death to the Christian.  For us the first death we experience is death to sin, and it simply means that we NO LONGER RESPOND TO THE IMPULSES OF SIN.  

Many Christians mark the beginning of their experience with some prayer they repeated way back when.  This is flawed.  How de we KNOW that we have been born of God and have begun the being saved process?

1 John 2:3-6
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1 John 3:9
No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

These two passages declare to us how we can KNOW that we have entered the process of sanctification:
Do you keep the WORDS of Jesus?
Do you walk in WAYS of Jesus?
Do you continue in or practice sin?

These three questions are the acid test of our faith.  Overcoming sin is no pie in the sky state but a REQUIREMENT from God, because it is at this point that we become  HOLY UNTO THE LORD.  In fact the being saved process has an end result and that is holiness, and holiness is essential because:

Hebrews 12:14
...without holiness no one will see the Lord.

This is why we are told to PERFECT holiness:

2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The end result of the entire process of being born of God to being saved to holiness is this:

Ephesians 4:13b
... to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Therefore I encourage you:

Colossians 1:10
...so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

ARE YOU MEASURING UP?