Sin is behaviour devoid of principles (laws). So once the word of God is set within you, you do not act without it. You let it influence your behaviour, therefore you are no longer behaving without good principles (sinning). The message of the cross of Jesus Christ hardly needs words to convey its meaning. It is sometimes simply presented to us as a depiction of a cross. It nevertheless speaks into us a message that God has seen our deepest need for some good principles to live by. He has reached out and met that need at huge cost to Himself, the body and blood of Jesus His beloved son. The principle is inserted that needs of others should be met by actions from us to meet those needs and that God cares enough about us that He helps and will teach us. When we believe it, we find there is a Holy Spirit sent from God in Lord Jesus’ name to teach us by powerfully working within us. When words of teachings do then come to us, they find fertile ground in our hearts. We receive the teachings of Jesus having had our hearts prepared for them like this. We try to understand the teachings and work with others to do so. These teachings make us all the more principled, with heaven-sent principles we find in teachings from Jesus Christ and from the Holy Spirit who persists Jesus’ ministry among those of us who believe. We learn to live by the Holy Spirit’s ministry conveying Lord Jesus Christ’s teachings and beliefs and actions and all things God has given him for our building up together into a temple for God. We learn to put off lies and speak truthfully to each other, recognising we are all together in this. We do not let ourselves in anger lose our principles. We exercise faithfulness in our relationships, in marriage especially. We work hard instead of stealing. We look out for one another lovingly. God’s righteousness and love grows among us. We start to fulfil the will of God and become a people of God, with the risen Lord Jesus as our head. We persist. Principles based on the teachings of God through Jesus Christ His Son become embedded permanently within us. We cease to reject principles such as these and we let our lives be affected by them constantly, day to day. Sin ceases from among us in this way.
