Is Sinlessness Possible for Christians? The Surprising Biblical Answer
- timothyjmccollum
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
By Timothy McCollum
Is it possible to live without sin? Jesus did it — and in Matthew 5:48 He calls us to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect.
But is He saying sinlessness is required for salvation?
In this post, we’ll walk through Scripture to see why sinlessness is not the requirement for salvation — and why freedom in Christ means freedom from condemnation, not freedom to live however we want.
Background: Why Obedience Still Matters
To understand the New Covenant, we have to understand the Old.
In Exodus 19, right before the giving of the Ten Commandments, God tells Moses:
“If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession…”
(Exodus 19:5)
When God spoke, Israel trembled and begged Moses to speak instead:
“Do not have God speak to us or we will die!”
(Exodus 20:19)
Moses responded:
“Do not be afraid; for God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you will not sin.”
(Exodus 20:20)
Fear of the Lord was meant to protect them — yet Israel failed repeatedly.
Still, God remained patient for centuries. His love and His call to obedience always worked together.
But every sin was still a crime:
a crime against God
a crime against others
a crime against oneself
When people unjustly killed, lied, stole, or acted in wickedness, the ripple effects destroyed generations.
And ultimately, the very nation God set apart crucified Him unjustly.
Even then, God gave them forty more years to repent before Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D.
From the beginning, it was clear: no one could keep the Law perfectly (Romans 3:23).
Except One.
The Sermon on the Mount: Two Ways to Heaven
In Matthew 5–7, Jesus lays out the true requirements to enter Heaven.
Seen through the lens of the epistles, He presents two paths:
1. Keep the Law perfectly
If you want to get into Heaven by your works, you must keep the entire Law without failing at a single point (James 2:10).
Jesus says you’d even need to take drastic measures to avoid sin (Matthew 5:29–30).
And this path has only been completed by God Himself.
The Sermon on the Mount isn’t showing us a doable path — it’s showing us an impossible one.
2. Confess Jesus as Lord
The second path is simple and completely dependent on God:
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
This faith produces evidence:
love for others
repentance
a growing desire to obey
visible fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)
But when we fail, Jesus is our advocate (1 John 2:1).
We are under a New Covenant with better promises.
(Hebrews 8:6)
And when Jesus says “be perfect,” the Greek word “teleios” means complete, mature, whole — not sinless perfection.
Jesus isn’t talking about perfect obedience, but rather selfless, unabashed love for God and others.
What Does “Free Indeed” Really Mean?
Ask yourself:
Do I see God changing me over time?
Have I grown in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1–12)?
Do I bear more fruit now than when I first believed?
If so, Jesus truly lives in you — and you are secure.
John 8:36 says:
“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Free from what?
Free from Hell?
Yes. (Matthew 25:41, 46)
Free from ever sinning again?
No. (Romans 7; Galatians 6:13; 1 John 1:8–10)
Free from the punishment of sin?
Absolutely. (John 3:16–21)
The Old Covenant was a shadow (Hebrews 9).
The New Covenant is the substance, built on the promise that God will “remember our sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12; Jeremiah 31:34).
So… Can I Sin All I Want Now?
Paul answers this in Romans 6:
No. Absolutely not.
Sin is still sin.
And unbelievers are still under the Law.
Romans 7 teaches us this:
A Christian hates sin — especially their own.
We still struggle, but we no longer live under condemnation.
Romans 8 begins with one of the greatest promises in Scripture:
“There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.”
A believer may fall — but we fall forward, into grace.
We confess, repent, and grow.
Not to earn salvation, but because we already have it.
The Good News: Someone Paid for Your Crimes
Every crime demands justice.
God would not be good if He let any sin go unpunished.
But here is the beautiful truth:
You don’t have to pay for your crimes.
Jesus already did.
That relief — that full exhale — is the freedom Jesus spoke of.
The Old Covenant sacrifices never removed sin-consciousness (Hebrews 10:2).
But Jesus’ sacrifice removes guilt, shame, and condemnation.
That is what it means to be “free indeed.”
My Testimony
I am far from perfect.
Compared to Jesus’ perfection, even the best of us fall infinitely short.
But I can look back at my life and see this:
· Jesus is changing me.
· My sins are further apart.
· My heart is softer.
· My obedience is growing.
· My desires are shifting.
Not because I’m strong, but because He lives in me.
Your salvation rests on His perfection, not yours.
Thank You!
If you enjoyed this post, I believe you will love my book, It’s Time to Be Done: An Allegory of the Flesh.
In it, I share personal lessons and metaphors God used to help me overcome the flesh.
You can find it below:
👉 Book Link: https://a.co/d/bVHeCap
👉 See more of my works: www.amazon.com/author/timothymccollum
Thank you for reading!
Love you all!
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