You ignored my question.
“
Do you sin?”
The difficulty is not that I am not serious.
I am being very serious.
The problem we are having is that you are not being honest.
It is the fallacy of the false dilemma (aka excluded middle) to imply that one must EITHER be “fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers, swindlers” or “sinless”.
If you claim that Christians CANNOT SIN, then only those living lives of SINLESS PERFECTION are Christian. That is an unbiblical teaching that I SERIOUSLY object to and stand willing to fight against to protect any weaker brothers that might be reading along.
Perhaps the TITLE is unfortunately written, but here are some questions to ponder:
- If a Christian tells a “LIE” is that the “unpardonable sin”, that separates them from the love of God and negates the blood of Christ as their salvation?
- If a Christian “STEALS” something (even a pen from the office) is that the “unpardonable sin”, that separates them from the love of God and negates the blood of Christ as their salvation?
- If a Christian “FORNICATES” (sex outside of marriage) is that the “unpardonable sin”, that separates them from the love of God and negates the blood of Christ as their salvation?
Is that REALLY what you believe? No christian can EVER “Lie, Steal or Fornicate” without immediately loosing their salvation. Where is the verse that teaches that? The verses that teach that Christians do not live reprobate lifestyles do not say that we can never fall into those sins. What of all of the other sins not mentioned in the Title, are they fully allowed or are we required to live in sinless perfection or face damnation?
I am taking this VERY seriously.
I suspect, more seriously than even YOU are.
The LAW (and legalism) brings only DEATH.
The GOSPEL of God’s Grace is the only source of LIFE.
I am teaching about GRACE defeating the LAW.
There is no more important or serious topic in Christiandom.
You not being serious to me was not dividing between those are ARE drunkards, vs those who WERE drunkards, and so forcing me to make the obvious point that any child would understand.
However, in your sinless vs sinful Christianity, I have no doubt you are serious.
And so,
"
It is the fallacy of the false dilemma (aka excluded middle) to imply that one must EITHER be “fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers, swindlers” or “sinless”."
Agreed, that scenario is a fallacy. I don't accept it. The case of sinless vs sinful Christianity is false.
The correct argument is between sinless and 'trasngressionless', or no sin vs no transgression Christianity.
It is plain the only sinless Christian was Jesus. It is also plain from the Scripture that all 'sin' is not
transgression of the law and doctrine and rule of Christ. These are the
multitude of sins that charity and love of God covers by grace, as we are growing in grace. (1 Peter 4:8)
'Sin' is anything that does not please God, that is not of faith, that is not wholeheartedly unto the Lord. Therefore, to be sinless, we must be perfect in everything we think and do, that there be no sin of spirit and of flesh.(1 Titus 4:12)
But transgression
of written law is much different: To transgress, we must knowingly and willfully disobey what we know to be law of Christ. That is not just 'sin of imperfection', but is
iniquity. It is after the manner of Adam's transgression, who was not deceived and transgressed anyway.
And so, while
were were yet sinners
and transgressors (Rom 5)(Eph 2), Christ saved us, and while we are not without sin (1 John 1), we are not to be found transgressors and thus unrepentant and unforgiven sinners
unto death. (1 John 5)
"For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor." (Gal 2)
No sin Christianity is false, because none are without sin, while no transgression Christianity is the expectation and command of God, Who's royal law we fulfill well by faith in the His Spirit. (James 2)
If we are found transgressors in the day of the Lord and His appearing, then we are found naked, without the covering of grace and the washed robes of righteousness by the blood of the Lamb.
"
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." (Rev 16)
Therefore, all who ARE drunkards, etc... shall not inherit the kingdom of God, whether they
were believers or
are professors only.
We all can come to the point, after having tasted the heavenly gift (Heb 6), where it becomes
impossible to renew repentance unto forgiveness, because we have willfully put Christ to an open shame by returning to an openly shameful and riotous living of abounding iniquity, whereby the love of God grows cold (Matthew 24:12), and we no longer have any regard for doing good:
"They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." (Titus 1)
Therefore, sinless Christianity is falsely claiming to have
arrived (Phil 3:12)), while no transgression Christianity is the command of God (Matthew 5:23) to do His will in deed and in truth, and be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. (1 John 3)(James 1)
If we keep the faith of Jesus in sincerity and honesty of heart, confessing our sins to God and one another, growing in His grace and abounding in His love, we
shall never fall (2 Peter 1:10) from His grace and shall be found righteous, even as He is righteous at His appearing. (1 John 2)
But if we keep not His faith, but with a wicked heart return to our wallowing in the mire with transgression abounding against His Word and law, building again what once was destroyed by faith, even the old man of sin and trespasses, then faith is dead and we fall from grace, and have no part in His resurrection (Rev 20), even as our names are blotted out of the book of Life of the Lamb:
"
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life." (Rev 3:5)
We cannot fall from that which we have ascended to sit in heavenly places by grace (Eph 1:3, 2:6), and we cannot be blotted out from that which we were never written in, and to reject as possible and true the Scriptures of falling from grace and being blotted out, then we break Scripture as a lie.
In sinlessness we shall never be found, until the appearing of our Lord in the likeness of His resurrection, but in transgression and abounding iniquity we shall be found naked and ashamed at His coming.
If we are not found clothed in white raiment, but naked in transgression and iniquity, (or even clothed improperly other than white for the marriage (Matthew 22)), then we shall be speechless and blotted out of His book forever.