If I become a Christian, must I give up my ________?

One thing that keeps people from becoming a Christian is their fear that in order to be one they must give up smoking, drinking, partying, gambling, or some other activity they enjoy but know is wrong.

On the one hand they desire some of the benefits of becoming Christians (perhaps the feeling of peace with God and freedom from guilt), but on the other hand they want to continue enjoying the pleasures of things the Bible says are wrong. Can they have "the best of both worlds" or must they choose between them? Can a person be a Christian and remain unrepentant for something they know is wrong?

No.

The Bible is clear that a choice must be made.

"Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? No! How shall we, who are dead to sin, live any longer in it? Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ [a metaphor, meaning, "as many of us as are Christians"] were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. . . For he who is dead is freed from sin." (Romans 6:1b-4, 7)

"Whoever is born of God does not continue in sin; for His seed remains in him, and he cannot continue in sin, because he is born of God." (1 John 3:8)

However, there are several things I should add:

1. A person who has a habitual sin does not have to conquer their addiction before asking Jesus for forgiveness and salvation from hell. Jesus says to come as we are, no matter how tangled up in sin we may be. All He asks is that we be willing to let Him get rid of our sinful habits.
2. Christians do still sin--but they do not continue in sin. In other words, a Christian may still do wrong things, but when God shows him his sin, he repents--he does not persist in brazen disobedience.

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Last updated August 25, 2005