I will repent of my sins, learn from mistakes, and walk with integrity
Repent of Sin: When people first share the good news of Jesus with us, they often start by letting us know two very important things, first is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The second is the Romans Road, which is a way of using verses from the book of Romans to explain that we are sinners that deserve to die, but Jesus died to save us so that we can repent and turn from our sin to follow Him; we will then have eternal life and the Holy Spirit will help us stop sinning. These two things are very important to remember as Christians. For a more in depth explanation of the Romans Road, check out Got Questions’ article titled: What is the Romans Road to salvation?.
Without a resolve to repent and stop sinning, there is no way to be a true disciple of Jesus and/or a follower of God. When one follows God, they accept His perfect instructions and laws as the way to live their lives, something Jesus showed and explained to everyone how to do. Both sinning and lawlessness are wrong as is seen in 1 John 3:4, “everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness”. Jesus’s death was meant to change our ways and our hearts towards God, so that we would learn that His ways are best. The apostle Paul says it well in his letter to the Romans; “…count yourselves 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 evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness” Romans 6:11-13. Paul also warned the Romans that,“The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God,” Romans 8:7-8.
Learn from Mistakes: Even with a resolve to repent and to turn from sin, we often make mistakes in our understanding and aren’t sure what things are sinful:
First, we may think that once we accept Jesus and repent, we can no longer sin against God, 1 John 1:8-9, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Another mistake is to think that it is okay to hide our sin from others that could help us, Proverbs 28:13, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” James 5:15-16, “…If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
We can also be so content in our way of following God that we judge or condemn others before reevaluating our own life and repenting of our sins. Matthew 12:41, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Another big mistake is thinking that as Christians, God’s laws and commandments found in the old testament are no longer important. A good verse to memorize is 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Let’s also remember the words of Jesus found in the book of Matthew; Matthew 5:17-19, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 23:1-3, “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ‘The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you.’”
And last, just because there isn’t a direct commandment in the Bible, doesn’t mean that it is the right thing to do or not do, James 4:17, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”
Walk with Integrity: As Christians we were created to represent the love and call of God. As it is written in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us…” And as ambassadors of God, we are called to walk according to God’s plan. See Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Walking with integrity also means that we need to be honest about ourselves, we need to be authentic and have strong moral character, not just look like we do. If we make a mistake, or do something wrong, admit it and ask for forgiveness. Make a distinction between your sin/mistakes and the way of God. There isn’t anything that has hurt the church of Jesus Christ more than people who say they are Christians and don’t actually live like Christians. The worse thing that someone can do is to harm the name of God; to do evil in God’s name or call good things God does evil. This can be seen in the third of the ten commandments, Exodus 20:7, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” A similar point can be seen in Jesus’ response to the Pharisees that were saying that Jesus was doing good works by the power of the prince of demons, Mark 3:28–29, “Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
If you truly love God, seek Him, treasure His commandments, and ask Him to help you walk in integrity.
Proverbs 10:9, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.”
Proverbs 4:25-27, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”
Proverbs 2:1-7, “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,”
We encourage you to check out the resources below to learn more:
