But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

We’ve all been there. We did what we knew was wrong and instantly felt shame. More so, we felt the pain of letting God down. I know I have felt that many times.

No matter how much we have grown in our faith, there are times when we sin. We are people living in the flesh which craves that contrary to God (Galatians 5:17), and live in a fallen world that is full of temptation. Sin is falling short of God standard, so what do we do when we sin? How do we come back to God after letting ourselves slip?

1. Go back to God

The best and most important thing to do when you sin is to go back to God. The devil will want to make you think that God is done with you, tired of you, sick of your faults, and against you. This is not true. God loves you. If the enemy’s lies were true, then how could God have sent Jesus to die for us whilst we were sinners (Romans 5:8)? God sent His Son, His sinless, perfect, precious Son to die for a sinful people whilst they were in sin. That is love.

God does not like when we sin, but He does love us. If the story of the Prodigal Son teaches us anything, it is that God is so eager and excited to be with His Children (Luke 15:11-24). Yes, He is not happy when we sin, but He is happy when we come back to Him (Luke 15:4-5). He does not push you aside or ask you to clean yourself up. He just asks you to bring you. You when you are tired. You when you are weary. You when you are struggling. Just you. He wants you! He loves you and He gave His Son so He could be with you. When you sin, go back to God. It may not be easy, but it is worth it. He is waiting to hear from you so turn back to the Lord (Zechariah 1:3).

2. Acknowledge your sin

In the Bible, there was a King called David. David was a person who loved God and served Him faithfully however, one day David sinned and the only way I can put it is that he “sinned bad” (2 Samuel 11).  His actions led to the death of a woman’s husband following an act of adultery. It was only after a Priest had made clear to David the gravity of what he had done that David came to his senses. After this, he went to God (step number 1) and acknowledged his sin (2 Smauel 12:1-13).

Friend, we cannot hide our sins. Even though they are shocking to us sometimes, they are never shocking to God. He knows what we are going to do and still loves us but that does not mean we do not have to acknowledge where we fall short.

If you fall short (as we all do – Romans 3:23), acknowledge that.

The way to do this is through confessing your sins to God. Confession is an act of humility. It is acknowledging that you have done wrong and need God.

Like David, tell God that you have sinned (Psalm 51:3-4). Don’t try to hide it or justify it; remember, God already knows. You may question why we should tell God we have done wrong when He already knows, and this is completely fair. The Bible teaches us to confess our sins (1 John 1:9). Personally, I think confession to the Lord is like taking a weight off your shoulders.

It can be difficult to actually tell God that you committed a sin but putting that in the open takes the weight off of you and allows God to become involved. The Bible says that the person that covers their sin will not prosper (Proverbs 28:13). When we hide our sins and refuse to surrender them in confession before the Lord, we burden ourselves with the weight of what we have done. Then, the enemy can offer deceit. But when we take it to God, knowing that He loves us and nothing we ever do would stop Him loving us (Romans 8:38-39), we remove the shadows. His light comes into our lives, and whilst you may not feel a physical light, there is the dispelling of all the shadows (Romans 10:10).

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

There may also be times when that confession goes to God and a trusted friend, confidant, Pastor, or other Church leader. This can be a way to ask others to pray with you, to help you follow God and turn away from the “sin that easily besets you” (Hebrews 12:1).

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16

Confession to a person does not replace confession to the Lord. Jesus is our Mediator therefore we do not need someone apart from Jesus to mediate on our behalf (1 John 2:1). However, confession to another is a powerful expression of the love of God amongst His people to help one another.

3. Turn to Jesus

One of the best things you can do when you sin is turn to Christ.

Rather than stay in the shadows of sin and think that there is no way out, turn to Jesus, the light of the world (John 8:12). We are people carrying light in a world full of darkness therefore we have to protect that light (Matthew 5:14). The Bible makes clear that this does not mean shutting ourselves in a box away from the “big, scary world” (Matthew 5:15). We must shine brightly but we must also guard our hearts so that our light is preserved (Proverbs 4:23).  

If you know that certain shows may tempt you to steal, avoid them. If you notice a pattern of certain books tempting you to commit acts of sexual immorality, put them down. If you notice that when you listen to certain music you are tempted to use coarse language, leave it aside. You have to put guardrails around your heart because we are sheep among wolves (Matthew 10:16).

The good news is that this is not something you have to do on your own. Rather than making a rule book of what you can and cannot do, walk in the Spirit. You can ask God to help you. God wants your light to shine brightly, and He provides His Holy Spirit to guide you.

Pray to God for strength to not sin – “lead us not into temptation” is in the Bible for a reason! He knows that we will be tempted and He is good to shield us from temptation. Turn to God. When you feel tempted, tell Him and ask Him for a way out as well as the strength to take that way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). Pray to Him. Worship Him. Shift your mindset to focus on the Lord.

And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 16:13

There will be times when we sin. The pain we feel when we sin implies that we have a love for God. Do not give in to fear. God is not tired of you. He loves you and wants the best for you. If we sin, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ, who mediates on our behalf through His blood. You are not too far gone, and you are not unable to return to God. Go to Him, acknowledge your sin, and turn to Jesus.

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. ² He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. 1 John 2:1-2

With love,

Faith