Why do believers still sin even though we reckon the old Adam dead?
Believers still sin because the old Adam remains powerful. Even though we reckon him dead according to Romans, he pops up, gets his licks in, and causes sin. God, knowing believers will sin, provided an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, who pleads that the believer is under the blood.
Les explains that John writes to believers, not to the unsaved world, saying, “These things I write unto you that you sin not.” God never encourages the believer to sin, but being omniscient and the Creator, He knows that we are going to sin. Some may be quicker than others, but we will sin. That old Adam is so powerful that even though we reckon him as dead according to Romans, he pops up, gets his licks in, and we sin. Yet if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One. Les asks us to imagine what happens in heaven when a believer sins: immediately our Advocate comes to the Father and says, “But Father, he’s under the blood. He’s a believer. She’s under the blood,” and He picks it up on our behalf.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.