When you say we are not under the law here, but earlier you said we were not to sin "wilfully" (and more shockingly, not to forgive other people's willfully sins) and that Jesus's death only covers past sins there is a contradiction. Stop sinning? That basically demands we follow the law.
Hi Clint,
Matthew 6:14-15
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
Matthew 18:
15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell
it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."
Matthew 18:
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the
debt.
The type of sin a "debt" is, is a "trespass." They are not willful sins, but unintentional. The servant found himself not able to repay the debt when promised. Because we know that this type of sin is not unto death, as is a willful sin, this is to be forgiven according to Matthew 6:14-15.
You are still in kindergarten and believe "sin is sin." You are not taught the advanced theology that there are different types of sin - sins unto death (willful), and sins not unto death (unintentional debts and trespasses). Even Catholics know that. But everything you have said is straight out of the Reformation - the dead church. The truth is just foolishness to you even though Scripture is blatantly clear. And you dare mock the truth. 1 John 3:5 "Jesus was manifest to TAKE AWAY OUR SIN, and in Him there is no sin." You probably believe we will always sin, even though the born again nature is divine due to the seed of the Father. 1 John 3:9 "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God."
God, Himself, does not forgive willful sin without repentance. Are we commanded to do something He won't do? If a murderer asks forgiveness, God will forgive Him, and so must we.
If you keep one point of the law, you are in debt to the whole law.
Galatians 5:2-4
2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who
attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
James 2:8-13
8 If you really fulfill
the royal law according to the Scripture,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one
point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the
law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
We are not under the Mosaic laws, so if we believe we must be circumcised, that is a false teaching and we have fallen from grace. We are under the Law of Liberty. Jesus has freed us from the law, by giving us the ability to love our neighbors as ourselves through the baptism of the Holy Spirit who does not lead us into any evil. If you love someone, what old commandment are you able to break? Murder? No. Theft? No Adultery? No. Those are not the laws that if we keep we must keep the whole law as in Galatians 5. These are "moral" laws, or the "royal law." Circumcision is not a moral law, but a foreshadowing law that is fulfilled in Christ. If you still think you need to be circumcised or keep the Sabbath day (Saturday) to be saved, then you are bypassing Jesus and have fallen from His grace, and then must keep the whole old law.
Here are the commandments of the New Covenant:
1 John 3:23
23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
If you hate your brother, that is the same as murder and you are breaking the whole law.
Now under the new covenant things have changed and yes, we are now under the Law of Christ. That is not in question. It comes down to what Jesus said in Mat 22:37 and 38. However, this notion that we must stop sinning or that the holy spirit gives us power to stop sinning is foolish.
The carnal person does sin. They can't stop. They have never been born again. I can't help it that false teachers got to you before you could understand the Scriptures, but read the truth.
John 8:34-36
34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever,
but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (What false teachers teach, is that we are only free of the law, but Jesus means He frees us from committing willful sin.)
1 John 3:5-6
5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
1 John 3:9
9 Whoever has been born of God
does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. (the seed is given at the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and we cannot sin.)
Romans 8:1-9
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,
who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God
did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4
that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those
who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded
is death, but to be spiritually minded
is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind
is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.