Nothing will prove so helpful to us as Christians in overcoming “Sin” as the full appreciation of Christ’s shed blood and death of the cross… for both, our sins committed, and for dealing with the Sin-nature. The Bible teaches:

1. The cross liberates the believer from the burden of his SINS committed; past sins, present sins, and future sins – all have already been paid for by Jesus at the cross… by the one offering of Himself for us. Sins are the wrong things we have done and may still do, or are still prone to do, in thought, word and deed. The joy of sins forgiven is a most wonderful and exhilarating release from guiltiness.

“And almost all things (offences) are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22 (KJV)

 “And you, that were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled, in the body of His flesh, through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight” (Col. 1:21-22).

“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses (sins):” (Col. 2:13)

2. The cross then also liberates the believer from the SIN-NATURE… that sinful virus that was past from dam to all men. It’s not only men’s sins committed that keep men out of heaven, but their Sin-nature located in the flesh body members of all men. So sin is not merely what they have done, but what they are and what they will do; not merely their deeds, but their nature. The “law” could never accomplish this but… Christ’s death took care of this too.

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through (due to) the flesh, God sending his own Son (Jesus) in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin (judged the nature) in the flesh (of Jesus, as if He were us):” (Romans 8:3)

“…by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin… But… much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many… That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:12,15,21).

“For [God] hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, [Him] who knew no sin; (so) that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).

3. The cross liberates the believer and his proneness to acts of SINNING.

“What shall we say, then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? … Our old man [Sin-nature] has been crucified with Him… (so) that henceforth we should not serve sin (as a nature) … let not sin (nature) therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof; neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin (the Sin-nature): but yield yourselves to God, as those who are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Rom. 6:1, 2, 6, 12, 13).