Sin no more.
John 5:14.
When we come to the Lord Jesus with our burden of sin and put our faith in Him, we can be pronounced free of our guilt through a sincere confession before Him. Our conscience is relieved as a result, because God assures us of His full, eternal forgiveness. Our entire, sad past has been blotted out on the ground of the death of Jesus Christ. God will not raise the matter again.
After we have obtained peace with God, the Saviour expresses one particular wish that must affect our heart: “Sin no more!” Having undergone unspeakable suffering on the cross for us, He can justifiably expect that of us. What an affront it would be for Him, if we were to continue leading an unchanged sinful life! Things have to change!
At our conversion God granted us a new life that enables us to do good. Previously that was not possible. We could not avoid sinning. But that compulsion to sin has been broken. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, we are in a position to resist the temptation to sin and to do the will of God.
Pauls tell us how we can put this into practice in everyday life: “Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:13). Our mouths, our hands and feet should no longer serve sin, but be placed at God’s disposal.