Why do we sin after salvation?
“This is the conflicted experience of all believers of all times and in all places.” —Abraham Kuruvilla.
Every Christian is like Spider-Man. Not because we shoot webs, but because we live with a fundamental identity crisis. We've been supernaturally transformed—united with Christ in baptism—yet we still struggle with the same old problems.
Why it matters: The gap between our new identity in Christ and our ongoing battle with sin creates confusion and discouragement. Understanding how sanctification actually works is crucial for faithful Christian living.
Here's the sanctification tension:
We've been genuinely cured. Union with Christ in baptism is a real, completed work of God. We're no longer under sin's ultimate authority or the law's condemnation. Christ took on that condemnation—death—so we're freed from both sin and the law's condemning power.
But we still experience the effects. Even though we're united with Christ, sin still "has its hooks" in us. We continue to fall victim to the evil authority of sin, producing actual sins. Peter Parker gained superpowers through an event that occurred to him, not through his own efforts. Similarly, believers are united with Christ through divine initiative, not their own exertions.
The Romans 7 reality Paul addresses this head-on, giving two reasons why believers cannot remain in sin:
We're baptised into Christ (Romans 6:3-14) - united with him through baptism
We're bound to Christ (Romans 7:1-6) - joined to him like marriage
The law's role has changed. We're “not under law” doesn't mean we ignore God's commands. It means we're no longer under the law's condemnation. The law's condemning power has been "declawed and defanged" because Christ absorbed that condemnation.
Bottom line: You're not crazy for feeling like you're fighting yourself since becoming a Christian.
That tension between your new identity and ongoing struggle is the normal Christian experience.
You've been genuinely cured, but the healing process continues.
