Why do we need salvation, Pt 1: Sin is universal
1 John 1:8-9 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness
Galatians 5:1 1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
1 Peter 2:24 24“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
Romans 8:1-2 1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
.We deceive ourselves
The starting point for any discussion on sin has to be honesty. John, the beloved disciple, makes it very clear in his verses. There is no softer way to put this—sin is universal. It is not simply a weakness that plagues a certain group of people, nor is it a struggle only for those who have fallen into scandalous moral failures. John doesn’t say some of us sin, or most of us sin; he says that anyone who claims otherwise is living in self-deception.
Why is this such a critical statement? Because it forces us to acknowledge that sin is not “out there” but “in here.” In other words, it’s not just a problem for the immoral, the criminal, or the irreligious. It’s a problem for everyone. Paul underscores this reality in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That word “all” is sweeping, leaving no exceptions.
To admit the universality of sin is not meant to crush us under guilt, but rather to bring us to reality. Imagine a person who is desperately sick but refuses to acknowledge their illness. They cannot seek healing until they admit their need. The same is true of sin. To deny sin is to deny the very truth that sets us free, which is why John continues, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). God does not leave us in our sin—He offers cleansing. But confession is the door to that cleansing.
There’s also a subtle warning here. Self-deception about sin can creep into religious life very easily. We might not say outright that we are without sin, but we might begin to live as though we are somehow better, cleaner, or more righteous than others. This was the error of the Pharisees, who saw sin as something external and manageable rather than internal and universal. But Jesus’ words cut to the heart: “Out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19).
In short, sin is not merely about bad behavior. It is a disease of the heart. That means we are all implicated, all in need of grace, and all called to confess rather than cover up. The good news is that God is not in the business of exposing sin to humiliate us, but of revealing it so that He can heal it.1
Do not be burdened by a yoke of slavery
The universality of sin also explains why freedom in Christ is so crucial. Before Christ, we are not free people making neutral choices. We are slaves to sin. Jesus Himself said, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). That is a sobering thought. Sin does not simply influence us—it masters us.
Paul’s word “yoke” is vivid. A yoke is a wooden harness placed on animals to control their movement. When applied to people, it symbolizes oppression and restriction. Sin’s yoke keeps us from walking freely in God’s will. Worse still, trying to overcome sin by sheer willpower often places us under another yoke—that of legalism. Instead of living in the Spirit, we attempt to manage sin by adding more rules, and the result is still slavery.2
But Paul reminds us: Christ has broken the yoke. Through His death and resurrection, He has set us free from sin’s dominion. Romans 6:14 puts it beautifully: “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” The encouragement is that we truly are free in Christ—sin’s power is broken. The challenge is that we must live in that freedom. To return to sin willingly is like a prisoner, newly released, who goes back to live in his old cell.3 In the movie The Shawshank Redemption there is a scene where a newly released prisoner is frightened by the foreignness of the outside world. We are familiar with sin and don’t know how to live without it. But Christ shows the way.
But live for righteousness
Peter explains the purpose of Christ’s work on the cross: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Notice two things. First, substitution: Christ “bore our sins.” Isaiah foresaw this: “The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). The universality of sin meant that the cross had to be universal in scope—Christ died for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Second, the purpose: “that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” Salvation is not only about forgiveness; it is about transformation.4
This shift—from sin to righteousness—marks the true freedom of the Christian life. No longer bound to live in rebellion, we are now free to live in holiness. Paul echoes this in Romans 6:22: “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” Of course, this does not mean instant perfection. Sanctification is a process. We still stumble, but the trajectory of our lives is now different. We are no longer defined by sin but by the righteousness of Christ that is both imputed to us (credited) and imparted through the Spirit (worked out in our lives).
Grace does not excuse sin; it empowers holiness. Paul insists: “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” (Romans 6:1–2).
Because there is now no condemnation
If sin is universal, then condemnation should also be universal. But Paul says that for those in Christ, condemnation has been removed. Think of a courtroom: the verdict should be guilty, yet Christ stands in our place, accepts the judgment, and pays the penalty. As a result, there is no condemnation left for us—not “less condemnation,” not “delayed condemnation,” but *no condemnation.*5
Paul also speaks of freedom: the “law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free.” Sin and death no longer define us; the Spirit and life do. The Spirit empowers us to live in the freedom Christ purchased.
This truth should produce both humility and joy. Humility, because we had no power to save ourselves. Joy, because in Christ we have been given what we could never earn. As John Stott once put it, the Christian gospel is not “good advice” but “good news.”6
What about me?
When we realize sin is universal the natural fleshly response is to experience a sense of hopelessness—that there is nothing to be done so why bother. That is Satan lying to us. To say “sin is universal” is not simply to make a grim statement about human nature. It is to set the stage for the glory of the gospel.
John reminds us that denying sin is self-deception.
Paul warns us not to return to sin’s yoke.
Peter calls us to live for righteousness.
Paul assures us there is no condemnation in Christ.
Sin may be universal, but so is the offer of grace. So it is not OK to allow the universality of sin to sink us into a hole of despair or hopelessness. There is so much beauty and grace just across the threshold of God’s love.
Footnotes
1. R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1992), 82–85
2. Ibid.
3. John Piper, Desiring God (Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2011), 58–60.
4. Ibid.
5. Timothy Keller, Romans 8–16 For You (Purcellville, VA: The Good Book Company, 2014), 11–13.
6. John Stott, Basic Christianity (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008), 19.