A Guide to Overcoming Conscious Sin and Walking in the Cleansing Power of Christ || Zac Poonen

A Guide to Overcoming Conscious Sin and Walking in the Cleansing Power of Christ

Introduction: The Urgent Call to Peace and Victory 🎯

The world today is marked by unrest, and as we approach the end of time, the need for peace is paramount. We require peace in three areas: towards God, inwardly, and towards people. This book addresses the foundation of all peace: peace with God.

Many believe that a life of constant victory over conscious sin is unattainable, but I want to tell you in Jesus' name, it is possible. While we may gain more light on unconscious sin over time, failure and falling into conscious sin can become so rare that it is almost eliminated. However, this victory requires taking a crucial first step.

Chapter 1: The Foundation of Peace: Absolute Honesty and Self-Blame 💡

The core requirement for peace with God is maintaining a clear conscience. If your conscience is not clear, you cannot have peace with God.

The Radical Requirement for a Clear Conscience

A clear conscience is achieved by being absolutely honest about your sin and committing to never blaming anybody else. The reason many fail to achieve victory is their inability to honestly acknowledge their own failure and sin, choosing instead to put part of the blame on someone else.

Rejecting the "Provocation" Excuse:
You must never make the excuse, "he provoked me". Others' provocations are allowed by God specifically to test whether you possess the life in Christ that you boast about. Remember that Jesus Christ was provoked many times but never sinned. Blaming others ("he provoked me") is likened to the excuse of four-year-old children.
Owning 100% of the Failure:
If you keep blaming others, you will never get victory. Even if 90% of the blame belongs to someone else, you must forget that and focus only on your percentage. Confess what is wrong in you, saying, "Lord I still need to overcome here and I want to confess my sin".
Confessing Your Own Sin, Not Others':
To blame others is to confess someone else's sin. The Bible never instructs us to confess other people's sins. Victory only comes when we acknowledge, "Lord, there is something in me too".

This radical commitment to self-blame is the vital first step toward constant victory.

Chapter 2: Dealing Radically with Sin 😠

To obtain victory, you must see sin the way God sees it. You must deal radically with sin by calling it the dirtiest, filthiest, wickedest name you can ever call it. If you think a sin is small, you will never get victory over it.

Calling Sin by its True Name

Action Committed	Confession Required	Biblical Basis
Anger	Confess: "Lord I murdered my wife today; I stabbed her" or "I took a dagger and dug it into our heart with those words".	Jesus taught that anger is equivalent to murder.
Lust (e.g., viewing internet pornography)	Confess: "Lord I had adultery with that woman," or "Here I go sleeping around with some woman".	Jesus taught that lusting with your eyes is the same as committing adultery.
Telling a Small Lie	Understand: There is no such thing as a small sin before God.	Every sin is big because it is a disobedience to Almighty God.

Understanding the Gravity of Sin

When you minimize sin (e.g., saying "Ah, I just slipped up" instead of "I committed adultery"), you remain defeated.

A Violation of God:
Every sin is a violation of God's law, doing something contrary to Him. It is akin to slapping God in the face and saying, "God I'm not going to obey your commands".
The Cause of Christ's Death:
Sin is the worst thing in the world. God did not send Jesus to die on the cross merely to heal the sick or make the poor rich; Jesus died only because of sin.
Nailing Jesus to the Cross:
You must see your sin—that anger or that lusting after a woman—as nailing Jesus to the cross. Seeing sin this way cultivates the hatred for sin that is necessary for victory.

If you continue to think of sins like anger or lusting with your eyes as small things, the sources state you will not get victory even if you live to be 90 years old.

Chapter 3: Cleansing and Confidence Through the Blood 🩸

Once you have confessed your sin honestly and called it by the worst possible name, the focus shifts to God’s gracious provision.

Seeking Cleansing

Ask for Cleansing: Ask Jesus to cleanse you in His blood.
Believe the Power: Believe that the power of Christ's blood is greater than the sin you committed. You must believe that Christ died on the cross specifically for your sin. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

Standing Boldly Before God

This process—humbling yourself to the utmost before God when confessing—allows you to be established in peace with God.

You must believe that you are cleansed and that your past sins are forgiven.
You stand before God clothed with the righteousness of Christ.
You can have such thorough cleansing that you can look straight into the face of a holy, holy, holy God.
We must always be able to look at our heavenly Father with an open face every day, not with our face hanging down in guilt.

Chapter 4: Battling the Devil's Tactic of Doubt 🛡️

After you have truly confessed your sin without blaming others and sought cleansing, the devil employs his next tactic: trying to get you to doubt whether God has truly forgiven you.

Be Bold Before the Devil:
Just as you humbled yourself before God, you must now be bold before the devil and have confidence before God.
Use the Word of Testimony:
When the devil reminds you of your sin (e.g., "Ah, but you got angry yesterday"), you must rebuke him by your testimony.
The Confident Response:
You must respond, "That's fine. I called it murder and I confessed my murder to God, and He forgave me. The blood of Jesus cleansed me from that murder I committed yesterday". Tell the devil: "The blood of Jesus has cleansed me, I'm clean, and God doesn't remember my sin anymore".

This confidence allows you to walk in the peace of knowing you are cleansed thoroughly, just like the murderer on the cross who could walk with Jesus in paradise.

Conclusion: A Life Established in Peace 🕊️

This radical approach—refusing to put the blame on others, calling sin by its most terrible name, and believing absolutely in the cleansing power of Christ—is essential. If you deal radically with sin this year, you can live a life of peace.

If you do not first establish this vertical peace with God, other areas of peace (inwardly and towards people) will not work in your life. Take seriously the fact that there is more power in the blood of Jesus Christ than all the mess you made of your life. You can stand before God with boldness, knowing you are declared righteous.

A Guide to Overcoming Conscious Sin and Walking in the Cleansing Power of Christ || Zac Poonen