Occasionally, we will post a response to a question we receive here at The Constant Battle. This question came to us from a men’s Bible study, where one man who was new to the faith, asked: “What are the sins of a righteous man?” Posted below was our response.

I believe the Bible has two answers to the question, “What are the sins of a righteous man?” First, a righteous person doesn’t sin.

“However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.” (Ezekiel 18:24)

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23)

“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)

“Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.” (1 John 3:9)

Jesus is the only sinless person to ever live and, therefore, He was the only truly righteous man to have ever lived. When you die to sin by accepting Jesus’ sacrifice for your sins and decide to follow Him, then you are declaring that you are done obeying your sinful desires and giving in to your sinful nature. So you should not make a practice of sinning or deliberately choose to sin. Obviously, we will not be perfect and sinless, but as the saying goes, you will not be sinless but you should sin less. When you turn your life over to God, He constantly works to make you holy.

“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.” (Hebrews 10:10)

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6)

“So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-15)

“Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

“But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3)

“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.” (2 Peter 1:5)

The goal is holiness, which we cannot reach on our own, and although some will complain and make excuses that holiness is too lofty of a goal and that we’ll never reach it, the Scriptures are clear that God is working in us to help us reach this goal. We shouldn’t be trying for holiness on our own—we should be working alongside God, knowing that He is working in us. As Philippians 1:6 says, God will continue His work until it is finally finished when Jesus returns. That’s when holiness and perfection come into our lives, but until then we make every effort to walk alongside the Lord on the narrow path, to strengthen the Holy Spirit instead of our sinful nature. 

“Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20)

So the second thing the Bible says about the sins of a righteous man is that there are no righteous men! The writer of Ecclesiastes points out that there is no one on earth who does right and never sins. The New Living Translation of this verse reads, “Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.” No one would dispute this, so the answer is twofold: First, a righteous person does not sin, and Jesus was the only person who lived who did not sin, which is why He was the perfect sacrifice for everyone else, for all of us sinners. Second, with the exception of Jesus, there are no righteous people; there is not a single person on earth who does what is good all the time and never sins.

Deciding to follow Jesus is the biggest decision anyone will ever make. You must be sure that you want Him more than you want your sinful desires. If you have decided to follow Jesus, to live in obedience to His teachings, then you need to put forth every effort to do so. Following Jesus, living in obedience to His commands, making the right choice—these are not always easy things to do. The wide path that leads to destruction allows for a lot and it’s easy to walk that road. But if you truly want to make a commitment to walking with Christ, then you are choosing the narrow road where you have to deny your sinful desires, take up your cross, and follow Jesus, the only perfect and righteous one.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

—Redeemed