Forgiveness

The cross is all about forgiveness.  When Jesus was dying on the cross he looked at the people who nailed him there and said "Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do."
Luke 23:34: Then said Jesus, Father forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.  
Jesus is the greatest forgiver there ever was.  If it wasn't for his forgiveness of our sins, we would never be able to go to heaven because God cannot let sin into heaven.  Since Jesus has forgiven us, we should forgive one another.
Ephesians 4:32: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 

Some might say, but you don't know what they did to me.  I was mistreated and I don't deserve that. Was there ever anyone who was as mistreated as Jesus was, and yet he forgave.  He didn't deserve to be beaten and have his beard pulled out and have a crown of thorns placed on his head, and he didn't deserve to be nailed to the cross.  Being unforgiving is not being like Jesus.

The bible also teaches that if we do not forgive one another, then God will not forgive us.  In Matthew chapter 6 is the Lord's prayer, and it talks about forgiving.
Matthew 6:12: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 
Matthew 6:14: For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
So these verses make it very clear that if we do not forgive others God will not forgive us.  I certainly want God to forgive my sins, so I must forgive others, and if you want to be forgiven of your sins, you must forgive others too.  The bible is crystal clear on this: you don't forgive others, God will not forgive you.  There is plenty of sin in all of us to need God's forgiveness.

Another reason to forgive others is so God will hear our prayers.
Mark 11:24: Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25: And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26: But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
So if we go to pray and have unforgiveness in our heart towards anyone, God will not hear our prayer.  He will only listen to the prayers of someone who totally forgives other people.  I don't know about you, but I want God to hear my prayers and answer them. Unforgiveness is like a road block that blocks our prayers from God.

Someone may say, but I've already forgiven him hundreds of time and he keeps doing the same thing, I cannot forgive anymore.  But the bible says we should always forgive, no matter how many times it is.
Matthew 18:21: Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22: Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

The following parable in the book of Matthew tells the story of a man who had been forgiven a great debt, but when a fellow servant owed a small debt to him (a small offence), he would not forgive him and God said that he was a wicked servant for not forgiving him and so he would not bless him because of it.

Matthew 18:23: Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24: And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25: But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26: The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27: Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28: But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29: And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30: And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31: So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32: Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee:
34: And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35: So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

What the bible is teaching us in this passage is that since God has forgiven us so much and has forgiven us such a huge debt, it would be wrong and very wicked not to forgive our brother or sister for any kind of wrong they may have done us, which is very very small in comparison to what God has forgiven us of.

So in conclusion, it is very important that we forgive others so God will forgive us and also so he will hear our prayers.  It is also very wicked to not forgive others since God has forgiven us so much. Most importantly, is that we forgive people because forgiving is to be like Jesus and Christians should always strive to be like Jesus, our saviour and our great example.

Putting God Before Family

A lot of people think to be a good Christian means to put your family first, but is that really what the bible teaches.  The bible actually says that if you put mother or father before Jesus or if you put son or daughter before Jesus, then you are not really following Jesus or living for him.  Matthew 10:37: He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38: And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Luke 14:26: If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

Of course, God does not want us to hate our mother and father and sisters to wish evil upon them or to want to do harm to them.  Of course we should love our parents and obey them and respect them, but this verse means that our love for Jesus above all else will be so great that our love for them will seem like hate compared to the love we have for Jesus.

It also means to love him more than your own life (denying your own wants and wishes and surrendering your whole being to Jesus and what he wants to do with your life for his glory).

James and John are examples of people who left their father and their fishing business to follow Jesus.
Matthew 4:21: And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22: And they immediately left the ship and their father,and followed him.

A great example in the old testament of someone who put God first over his family is that of Abraham offering his only son Isaac, and laying him on the altar of sacrifice to obey God.
Genesis 22:12: And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me
Genesis 22:15: And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time.
16: And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiple thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.

Furthermore, the bible teaches us that our true mother, sisters, and brothers are people who are doing the will of our Heavenly Father, and true born again believers in Christ who are being his disciples. We can be so close to other Christians that are living by the bible and love the Lord Jesus like we do and are serving him like we are, that we have a very close kinship with them.
Matthew 12:46: While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47: Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 
48: But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49: And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50: For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

And remember not everyone that goes to church is Jesus' disciple.  Many people who go to church are living very worldly lives and not living for the Lord, and the bible says that people who love the world do not love the Lord.  I John 2:15: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  To be a disciple you must put Jesus first, above everything, even members of your own family.  And we are also to be separate from this world and live a holy and godly life.
Romans 12:1: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Not being conformed to this world means you don't do what all the unsaved people of the world are doing, not dressing like them, not acting like them, not watching TV shows or movies that they are watching, not being wrapped up in money and material wealth and possessions and things that won't last very long.  For the bible says to lay up treasures in heaven and not on earth. Matthew 6:19: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
21: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The whole point of living the Christian life is to live for things that are eternal, not things on earth. It is to try to be like Jesus, and we know that Jesus' whole mission was to save sinners. The unsaved people in the world have no concept of eternity, they think that this life here on earth is all there is, so they live for pleasures and fun, but Christians know that after this life on earth we will be living eternally somewhere.  For us it is in heaven, but for unsaved people it is in hell to be eternally tormented, and that is why we try to get people saved.

So, in conclusion, if you live out and out for Jesus and put him first in your life, even your own family may ridicule you and think you are weird and strange, but you must put Jesus first no matter what, and God will bless you for it and give you great rewards in heaven one day.

One prime example of putting the Lord first above your family is choosing to go to church rather than choosing to go to a family party or gathering.  Church is the place where you can learn the bible, hear a good message from the Lord that will help you grow in your walk with the Lord, but a family party will just be having fun with your relatives. There is a place for family parties, but it shouldn't be placed above church.  You have all the other days of the week to do things with your family.  Also, the best way to have family time is the whole family going to church and sitting in the same pew together and singing the same hymns together and hearing the same sermon together.  It is called having priorities, knowing which one comes first, God or family.  Again, we love our families and they are a gift from God to bless us and make us happy, but when you put it in the wrong place it is  sin because the bible makes it clear that God is supposed to be first. And if we do put God first, he will make us love our loved ones even better.  Being filled with the Holy Spirit makes you love people more.  It is just like having a diamond ring, it looks beautiful on your finger, which is where it is supposed to go, but if you put it in your shoe it is not so good and will make your foot hurt.  God must be first because it is God who gave us our families in the first place.  If it wasn't for him we wouldn't even have our families. Of course when you are a kid you don't get to decide where you go, but you can definitely put God first in your heart, and love him most of all.

In conclusion, what Jesus requires of us to be his disciple is that we forsake all and follow him, just like James and John and Peter and Andrew did when they left their boats and father and followed Jesus. Luke 14:33: So Likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

It sure is worth it to live out and out for Jesus.  You will be so blessed in this life and in the life to come when you go to heaven.

Poetry About Jesus And Salvation

Praying

The word pray actually means to ask.  We can talk to God and thank him for everything he's done for us and praise him for his goodness and greatness, and of course, God wants us to thank him and praise him, but that is not praying; praying is asking for things from God.  The bible has much to say about praying and asking for things we want and need.
Matthew 7:7: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find: knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
8: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

So you see then that the way to receive things from God is to ask.  God wants to give good things to his children.  Just as our earthly parents want to give us good things, God, our heavenly, Father, even in a greater way wants to give us good things for he loves us and cares about us.
Matthew 7:11: If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
I Peter 5:7: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
God will provide all we need while going through this life on earth; he only wants us to ask so that he knows that we are looking to him to supply all our needs and not depending upon ourselves.
Philippians 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

When we pray, though, we must pray with faith and believing that God can answer our prayer.
Matthew 21:22: And all things, whaosoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
James 1:6: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (meaning doubting), For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Mark 11:23: For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

I Timothy 2:8: I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

Also the bible teaches that we should ask in Jesus' name and stay in His word,  reading His word continually.
John 14:13: And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14: If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
John 15:7: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Many times the reason we don't receive things from God is because we don't ask.  That is why in the bible we are encouraged to ask.  Receiving answers to prayer brings great joy to our hearts.
John 16:24: Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Though sometimes we pray with other people, the bible teaches us that we should also pray when we are all alone and only God knows about it.  Matthew 6:6: But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

So what if you pray for something you want and you believed God would answer your prayer and you had faith, but you didn't receive the thing you asked for exactly, does that mean God didn't answer your prayer - absolutely not.  God said he would answer and he will.  Sometimes he makes us
wait so he can give us something even far better than we could even dream.  God is great and knows how to answer our prayers in the way that he sees fit and for our best interest and also so that his name can be magnified and glorified.
Ephesians 3:20: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
God also wants us to learn to be patient and wait for him.
Lamentations 3:25: The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

So the things to remember are to ask the Lord, trust the Lord, and wait for the Lord to answer.
Psalm 37:4: Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5: Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Finally, if we pray for things that are selfish, sinful, or trying to make ourselves look good and get the glory, God will not answer that kind of prayer.
James 4:3: Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
In the old testament, Abraham is an example of someone who had great faith, but the bible says he gave all the glory to God.
Romans 4:20: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21: And being fully persuade that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

What Does It Mean To Walk In The Spirit

God commands us to walk in the spirit, so it is important to know how to walk in the spirit.
Galatians 5:16: This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  
Galatians 5:25: If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  
The bible also calls walking in the Spirit as being filled with the Spirit.  Ephesians 5:18: And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the spirit.

So first off we know that to walk in the Spirit must mean that we have the Spirit living inside of us. Unsaved people do not have the Spirit, only saved people have the Spirit.

The bible says that when we trust Jesus in our heart to be our savior that he imparts to us his Holy Spirit.  John 3:8: The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.  The bible says we are born of the spirit when we get saved.  The spirit is just like the wind, we can't see it because it is invisible, but we see what it is doing when we see the tree branches blowing around, etc., and we also feel it blowing on us like a cool breeze or also see the force of it such as in a hurricane. The wind is gentle and it is also powerful at times. In the same manner, when we are filled with the Spirit, we see what it is doing by seeing the fruit of the Spirit in our life.  Galatians 5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23: Meekness, temperance: When we have those things listed above, it is the Holy Spirit working in us.

Furthermore, the Spirit is a person, for the bible speaks of the Holy Spirit as "he," and he teaches us and guides us.  John 16:13: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.  He, the Spirit, is part of the Godhead, which is God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Also in John 4:24 it says "God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. You can only serve God effectively when you are filled with the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit also comforts us and teaches us the bible.  John 14:26: But the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

So, all saved people have the Holy Spirit inside of them which they received the moment they got saved, but not all Christians are filled with the Spirit. Not being filled with the Spirit is called walking in the flesh.  We have two parts of ourselves living inside of us, the Spirit and the flesh.  The flesh is the part of us that lives just like any unsaved person lives, but the Spirit is the part that wants to live for God and do everything for his glory.  So to be filled with the Spirit you have to pray and dwell in God's word to know what God wants you to do.  Colossians 3:16: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17: And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Poetry About Jesus And Salvation

How To Be Great

Everyone likes to feel important.and great, but the question is what does God say about being great. There are several passages in the bible that tell us how to be great.  One way to be great is to do God's commandments and teach them.  Matthew 5:19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Another way to be great is found in Matthew chapter 18, where the bible says that we must be as humble as a little child.  A little child has a tender heart and believes his father and trusts in his father for everything.  A little child is not proud and boastful, but just sweet and innocent.
Matthew 18:1: At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2: And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3: And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4: Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Being converted is the same thing as getting saved.  When a person is unsaved, they are not humble; they are proud and boastful about how good they are or how great they are.  But when a person gets saved, he humbles himself and admits that he is a sinner and is undeserving of going to heaven and needs Jesus to save him.  That is what it means to humble yourself as a little child.

Another lesson in being great is to be a servant.  The world thinks being great is someone who is the boss over many people and rules others and is above others, but the way to be great in God's eyes is to be a servant to others.  Even Jesus when he was here on earth served others.  

Matthew 20:27: And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Jesus is our example in serving others, as he served others also.  John 13:3: Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4: He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5: After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.  

So, therefore, these bible passages clearly teach us that to be great is to be a servant, just like Jesus was a servant.  Also, in Philippians chapter 2 is the clear teaching that Jesus was humble and obedient, even to his death on the cross, and we should be like him.
Philippians 2:5: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name;

Another thing to consider about being great, is to use our life here on earth to receive great rewards in heaven when our life here on earth is over.  Instead of living for just the here and now, we should think about eternity as we go through life seeking to serve the Lord.

It is okay to want to do great things for the Lord because he has done great things for us, in how he saved us and gave his life for us.  But he did it with a humble spirit and he was meek and lowly.
John 14:12: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.  Though Jesus was humble, he did great works for God because he healed people and saved people from going to hell.  So if we are like Jesus, we will also want to serve others and especially want people to get saved, since that was his purpose in coming to earth. The most important thing a Christian can do and the greatest work is to tell someone how to get saved.

If you use your life to try to get people saved, the bible says that you will shine forever in heaven. Daniel 12:3: And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.  It makes you think, do you want to be a star now in this quick passing away world, or do you want to be a star shining in heaven forever and ever. A wise person lives for things that matter for eternity.

Why It Is Important To Read And Memorize The Bible

In Matthew chapter 4 the bible teaches that the word of God is just as important as our daily food that we eat to nourish our bodies.  As we need physical food to maintain the health of our body, we also need spiritual food to maintain the health of our soul and spirit.  Matthew 4:4: But he answered and said, It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  

The bible says that Jesus is the word.  John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The bible says we are to abide in Christ, so to abide in Christ means to stay in his Word.  John 15:7: If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  Abiding in Christ means to stay with him and have his Word in your heart at all times, continuously, and trying to live by the Word.  It will also lay up treasures in heaven that will last forever and get your prayers answered.  It is also how we love Jesus.
John 14:23: Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode,with him.

God's word gives great joy to our hearts.  Psalm 119:103  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  Psalm 119:105: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

The bible teaches that we are to meditate on his word day and night.  Meditate means to be thinking about the word, keeping it in our heart.  Even when we are not reading the bible, we can still be thinking about it.  That is why it is important to memorize the bible.

Also, dwelling in God's word gives us good success in life in all our activities that we do for God's glory.

Joshua 1:5: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein, for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Psalm 119:1: Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. 2: Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

Psalm 1:1: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  2: But his delight is in the law of the  LORD; and in his his law doth he meditate day and night.  3: And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Dwelling in God's word will also cleanse us from sin.  John 15:3: Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Psalm 119:9:Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.

The word of God gives us wisdom.  Psalm 119:30: The entrance of thy words giveth light, it giveth understanding unto the simple.  His word searches our hearts and teaches us what to think and how to live.  Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow; and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  The bible is powerful because it was written by God, our great creator.  When you read the bible you can hear God speaking to you through it and molding you and making you into the person he wants you to be.

The Holy Spirit, which the bible also calls the Comforter, teaches us what the bible means.
John 14:26: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.

So if you spend a lot of time in God's word and dwell in it, God will make you remember it as you are going through life.

Why Do Christians Sin

When a person becomes a Christian by trusting Jesus as their saviour, they are given a brand new heart and God puts his Holy Spirit in their heart.  This is called the new man.  When a person is filled with the Holy Spirit (letting the Holy Spirit lead him and guide him), he wants to do right and please God in everything he says and does and he wants to glorify God.  The problem is, that even though we have this new man, we still have the old man too, and that is why we sin.

II Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Ephesians 4:24: And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Colossians 3:9: Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10: And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.

 The old man is also called walking in the flesh.  The new man walks in the Holy Spirit.  Galatians 5:16: This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

In Romans chapter 7 there is a section which explains why we sin even when we are wanting to do good.  There is a struggle to do right because we have the old man and the new man and they fight against each other.

Romans 7:18: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19: For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20: Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

In the book of I John there are many passages about sin.  Some of the verses that say we cannot sin are talking about when we are walking in the spirit.  For instance, I John 3:6: Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.  When we are walking in the spirit we do not sin, but the problem is we are not always walking in the spirit even though we are always saved.  We still have the old man in us, and the bible says if we say we are not a sinner then we are a liar.  

I John 1:8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  (Deceived means believing a lie).  

I John 1:10: If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

So what should we do when we sin?  The answer is in I John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I John 1:7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

I John 2:12: I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

Proverbs 28:13: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Luke 7:47: Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

7:48: And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

The difference between a saved person and an unsaved person is that an unsaved person is just totally dead in sin because they don’t even have the Holy Spirit, they have never been forgiven of anything.  Ephesians 2:1: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: