How Faith Helps Us Overcome Sin

2. PARABASIS - This is the word which means that sin is stepping across the line which is drawn between right and wrong. Faith keeps us mindful of the line of morality, truth and righteousness. Faith enables us to have the power to overcome temptations and take the way of escape provided to us through prayer. The love of God empowers us with the strength to not cross over the line into the sins of omission, faulty disposition or presumptuous sins. Faith gives us the desire to stay on the right side of righteousness for His kingdom and glory’s sake.

3. PARAPTOMA - This is the kind of sin which means slipping across the line. This is not as deliberate of sin as the former two, but just as serious. When someone allows an angry word or thought to embrace us then we have fallen into paraptoma. The best Christian can slip into sin for a short moment unless we are on our guard in with the Spirit of God’s diligence and vigilance. Faith gives us an alertness to minor slips of the tongue, attitude or unbelief.

Faith grants us the capacity, courage and confidence to do everything God asks us to do with the help of Christ who gives us the strength and power. Faith grants us the certainty of purpose so that we do not slip into bad past patterns. The Lord knows the paths we take and when we are tried we will come forth as gold as we put on the full armor of God having our feet prepared with the preparation of the gospel of peace. (Eph. 6:10-18)

4. ANOMIA - This sin means lawlessness. The man who commits anomia knows the right thing to do but does wrong through stubborn disobedience. By following human instinct, desires and past conditioning, a person does what is right in their own eyes. This person defies what his parents, teachers and authorities have taught about truth. Even by wishing to break the law, one can be considered guilty or by looking at a woman to lust for her, they have committed anomia in their heart.

Faith reverses this natural tendency and one’s desire for lawlessness. Faith gives us the desire to obey, submit and follow the paths of life. Faith provides us with an appetite for what is righteous in thoughts, words, and deeds as well as attitudes towards others.

5. OPHEILEMA - This is the word of the Lord’s prayer meaning debt or transgression. It means to pay that which is due, a failure in duty. No one would ever claim that he has fulfilled all of his duties to God. Faith allows us to claim the perfect righteousness found in Christ as our own, but it recognizes our need for confession and conscious forsaking of known sins. Faith allows us to be made righteous in the eys of our heavenly Father. Faith provides us with the substitutionary payment through Christ’s atoning blood that cleanses us from all sin.

Let your belief in Christ help you overcome all types of sin. When we sin we need to utilize I John 1:9 that says, "IF we confess (agree with God that we have violated His word, His will and His way) our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." No relationship will ever be perfect without the application of faith’s remedies to sin. Ask God to help you view sin correctly and then you will be able to overcome our natural tendencies toward self-destructive thoughts, attitudes and actions.