Tips on avoiding sin

No true Christian wants to sin and displease God. The Scriptures truly state that "…you will know them by their fruit," that is, what kind of life they live.

How do we avoid sin?



Photo credit: I am marlon / Loveseat Deals / CC BY-NC-ND

We will be tempted.

Some tips:

1. 
   
   Read and study the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15)
   
   
   
   
   
   1. Reading the Bible should be no difficulty. Just read it. Need some help search for a reading plan. The YouVersion Bible app (or here) has many short, long, topical, chronological reading plans. Another is the Blue Letter Bible reading plans.
      
   
   
   2. Studying the Bible. The best is to use the cross references and a topical Bible as Nave's or Torrey's. Online there is Blue Letter Bible, Bible Hub, Precept Austin, and others.
      
   
   
   
   


2. 
   
   Pray (Matthew 26:41)
   
   
   
   
   
   1. Praying is simply talking with God. Jesus prayed (Mark 1:35 and many other places).
      
   
   
   2. 
      
      Some things to pray for are
      
      
      
      
      
      1. Things to be thankful for
         
      
      
      2. Others needs for spiritual health, emotional health, and physical health, etc.
         
      
      
      3. Leaders of your country, religious leaders, and all (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
         
      
      
      
      
   
   
   
   


3. 
   
   Encourage others (Galatians 6:2)
   
   
   
   
   
   1. "Don't give up." "We can make it with God's help."
      
   
   
   2. It is part of bearing one another's burdens.
      
   
   
   
   


4. 
   
   Allow others to encourage you. Have another person you can talk to. You don't need to tell all, just ask for prayer and for the person to listen and for you to listen in return. (Galatians 5:13-14)
   
   
   
   
   
   1. Not only are we to be an encouragement to others, but we are to let others encourage us.
      
   
   
   2. It is OK to ask for help.
      
   
   
   
   


5. 
   
   Confess failures and sin (James 5:16)
   
   
   
   
   
   1. All of us from Peter to us today have sinned and need to confess our sins and ask God for forgiveness.
      
   
   
   2. If we sin and only God knows, confess it to Him alone.
      
   
   
   3. If we sin against one, then confess to God after you have gone to the other person, confessed your sin, and ask for their forgiveness. When we forgive others, we then allow God to handle it. That others person still needs to confess and ask God for forgiveness.
      
   
   
   
   


6. 
   
   Know your weaknesses, so then you can flee temptation, avoiding it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
   
   
   
   
   
   1. Have the addiction gene? Then stay away from any addiction as gambling, alcohol, drugs, etc.
      
   
   
   2. Always and everyone needs to stay away from porn.
      
   
   
   
   


7. 
   
   Resist, so leave the area, start doing something else, etc. (James 4:7)
   
   
   
   
   
   1. If tempted, then leave the area and get busy with something—work, exercise, helping others, washing dishes, anything to occupy your time.
      
   
   
   2. Walk away and memorize Scripture, pray, go out and help someone.
      
   
   
   
   


8. When you sin, do not blame others but take the responsibility. Compare Adam who failed by blaming his wife and God (Genesis 3:12). Compare Aaron who made the golden calf (Exodus 32:24).
   


9. 
   
   Be persistent and consistent. (Colossians 1:23 and James 1:12)
   
   
   
   
   
   1. People are not just tempted once. It will happen again and again.
      
   
   
   2. If we give in, it will be easier to give in the second time.
      
   
   
   
   


10. 
    
    When you sin, do not be discouraged or give up. Consider Peter who denied Jesus. He was forgiven and still used of God (John 18:25-27 and John 21:17).
    
    
    
    
    
    1. All of us sin.
       
    
    
    2. All of us are forgiven.
       
    
    
    3. All of us need God's help.
       
    
    
    4. Peter sinned a grievous sin and still was used by God (see the verse above).
       
    
    
    
    


11. 
    
    Remember that Jesus himself was tempted, and how He resisted. (Hebrews 2:18, Hebrews 4:15)
    
    
    
    
    
    1. He knew the Scriptures.
       
    
    
    2. He applied the Scriptures.
       
    
    
    3. He lived the Scriptures.
       
    
    
    
    


12. 
    
    Do the Scriptures, that is, obey God's rules. (James 1:22)
    
    
    
    
    
    1. If we busy ourselves obey God's laws, we will know what they are and be practiced in obeying them.
       
    
    
    2. There are over 1,000 rules in the New Testament.
       
    
    
    
    


13. Stop sinning (Ephesians 4:28)
    


14. Avoid evil people who may encourage you to sin (Proverbs 1:10, 2 Corinthians 6:14)
    


15. 
    
    There are rewards for not sinning.
    
    
    
    
    
    1. First, you don't sin.
       
    
    
    2. Secondly, a crown from God. This is something we receive on our judgment day. (James 1:12)
       
    
    
    
    


16. Be aware that the devil wants you to sin and will try anything to get you to sin. (1 Peter 5:8)

Sin is a constant danger. God knows we are frail. God will help us. Don't give up, that's what the Tempter, the devil, wants.