If we go to a doctor to get cured of illness, the first thing we need is an admission that we are ill and we need healing. Just knowing a doctor and putting him in our 'contact list' doesn't do anything to cure our illness. Yet that is what many seem to expect when they go to Jesus and ask Him to be their Saviour. There is no recognition of their sins and sinfulness, no feeling bad realising that they deserve the punishment of hell for their sins, no wanting to get free from sin or admitting that they are unable to free themselves from the power of sin. Yet these people assume that their sins have been forgiven, and continue to live in the same old way, banking on the forgiveness that they think is theirs.
Many of those who have become aware of their sinfulness have been taught that all their sins – including future sins – have already been forgiven and so they train themselves to avoid all sense of conviction of sin as coming from unbelief or accusation from the Devil, and don't confess their sins to God or people.
Many have been taught that their old life from the flesh has been totally replaced by the life in the Spirit and so their battle has become one of a mental assertion of who they are in Christ and denying the existence of actual battle between the pull of the new man and the dragging of the old man. Their doctrine has become an imaginary shell in which they hide and ignore the reality of lusts and desires.
A simple explanation of reality is this. It is when we repent from our sins and turn to Jesus as our Saviour and Lord that we are born again. When we are born again, God gives us a new heart and begins to write His laws into our heart and mind (Eze.36:25-27). Now we begin to hate sin and no longer want to sin. As a result we crucify our flesh (and keep it there till it dies slowly) (Gal.5:24) and yield to the new man (Ep.4:22-24). To make this happen we need to submit to the Holy Spirit and deny the desires of the flesh (Ro.8:13). This is a lifelong process where the new life in Christ gains more of the territory of our life in practical terms and our old life in the flesh loses power more and more.
Instead of trying to live in an imaginary world of doctrines, we ought to be engaged in this battle against sin, receiving forgiveness freely as we repent from sin, denying our sinful desires with the power of the Spirit whenever we are tempted, and becoming more and more godly like Jesus as time goes on. A genuine faith that brings us into a relationship with Jesus begins with repentance from sin and continues with an attitude of repentance as we see sin in various forms in our daily life (Lk.24:47).
Let's move from a world of emotional excitement of listening to fancy doctrines, forceful preaching and moving choruses to come to reality. Read the whole Bible instead of just the teachings of your favourite preacher and see that God's goal is to set us free us from every aspect of sin in a practical sense.