Can we ever stop sinning or be perfect?

WalkInLight said:

Is this within the gift of God?

When addressing this question some will say, I am cleansed from the past sin, and am now righteous in Christ.
But what about unknown sin, things that are unresolved but hidden from the individual.
And what about circumstancial sin, ie life is easy so its easy to say I do not sin, but under pressure, taking what
is not yours, hurting others etc. suddenly becomes very real.

So is righteousness achieved because things are protected, but failed once difficulties arise.
Some use the term perfect to mean in every and any situation the right responses are taken.

Being honest and an emotional being with limited human systems we can project but never know.
Some call sin breaking any rules set in the environment of an individual. So walking on the grass which says on
a sign do not walk on the grass is sin.

Paul says no sabbath is binding on a believer unless they choose to celebrate it, at which point their faith has made
it sin not to honour it. So you get into the area of creating our own rules and then honouring them and using that
as a defining idea for what sin is. OCD comes close to describing this behaviour.

Paul uses the argument that walking in love towards all is the essence of the law, and by so walking we fulfill the law.
Paul was careful not to say he was perfect, but rather left it to God to declare.

My heart would declare we do not desire to be sinless but rather to love and understand others in the light Jesus gives.
By loving we walk sinlessly though for some even to say such a thing is possible is a lie. Their conscience and their emotions
declare this cannot be true, which in their case is true as their conscience is reminding them of unresolved issues they
have and then projecting this on to everyone else.

How can I judge my own walk? Is there such a thing where I could be objective? I think not, but I can choose to seek
to love and encourage all who I meet, and remove that which causes problems, which is fulfilling our calling in Jesus.

The counter approach is to walk in sin, to push only ones own benefit and to do harm to others, is clearly not walking
in love or Jesus.

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Wynona said:

I want to answer this question with only Scripture.


1 Peter 4:1-3

Therefore, since Christ suffered [a]for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.


1 John 3:6

6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.


1 Corinthians 15:34

34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.


Can we be perfect?


Matthew 5:48

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.


Genesis 6:9

9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, [a]perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.


Hebrews 6:1

6 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to [a]perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,


John 17:23

23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.


Colossians 1:28

28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.


Colossians 3:14

14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.


James 1:4

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be [a]perfect and complete, lacking nothing.


1 John 2:5

5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God [a]is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.


Revelation 3:2

2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works

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I really believe that if Christ were posed this question by some oddball (for the time) anti-Pharisee, He would have given the counter-question:

Exactly how much sin is acceptable to God, if not -none-, and how much could I commit and still be your Saviour?

Wynona said:

I don't know anyone who claims this. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Only Jesus lived an entirely sinless life.

I do believe that we can and ought to learn to not sin as we walk with the Lord.

In 1 John it also says My little children, these things I write to you, so that you MAY NOT SIN.

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amadeus said:

Indeed, how much like him can we be?

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." I John 3:2

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Wynona said:

I want to answer this question with only Scripture.

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