FIRST OF ALL, let us make clear that one mark of the true Christian is that his sins disturb him. A Christian is not a person who is sinless. John the Apostle makes this clear in (1 John 1:8) – a letter addressed to believers who were enquiring how they would know they were true Christians (1 John 5:13).

Sin disturbs the true child of God, basically for two reasons. First, he now has a renewed heart and his conscience is "spiritually sensitized" so that sin disturbs him now, which did not trouble him before he was born again.

Secondly, the born again Christian loves God and therefore is saddened when he offends Him and does things his Saviour disapproves of and hates.

We might well ask at this point, why does God allow believers to sin? One answer is to keep us humble. Sadly and ironically, a common reaction to salvation is that one becomes proud. This is abhorrent to God. Another reason God leaves a sinning nature within His people is to keep us dependent on Jesus Christ. Strange as it may seem, even redeemed humans are prone to being self-sufficient, but the Apostle Paul reminds us continually that "our sufficiency is of God". A third reason why God has ordained that we battle with sin in our lives, after our conversion, is that these sins now teach and instruct us how to conduct our new lives in Christ. At their conversion, Christians begin a new learning curve and it involves a whole new paradigm shift. The power and "threat" of sin is used by God to guide and monitor their lifestyle.

Christians ought to realise that it is a spiritually healthy thing to be conscious of sin and to fear sin. Indeed, according to John's First Epistle, it is a mark that they are born of God. It seems even true Christians need constantly to be reminded that original sin clings to their beings like a second skin. It may be helpful for them to consider themselves 100% sinners yet still 100% forgiven.

One vital lesson all believers ought to apply to themselves is to remember that our sin should act as a prompt to FAITH - not works! Our natural reaction on sinning is to return to the covenant of works, but, once again, John assures us: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9).