This has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the subject under discussion.
Even before the Law was given to Moses, there was sin from the time of Adam to Noah, and God held sinners accountable. Hence the Flood. But after Christ, there is even more accountability.
But this has nothing to do with whether a Christian can be sinlessly perfect. The Bible makes it quite plain that every believer must examine himself or herself, and never make the claim that they do not sin.
1 JOHN 1: SELF-EXAMINATION IS ESSENTIAL
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
This is addressed to believers.
Actually, it does have to do with it. Let me explain if I can.
In Romans 7, we are told that the strength of sin is the law. Not the Mosaic law. The law of sin and death. The two, sin and death, are completely connected. This is we are told that "the soul that sinneth, it shall die."
Paul then tells us that the this law has power over us as long as we live. He goes on to use the example of the married woman bound to her husband by the law. Ah, but what happens if the husband dies? She is free to marry another, right?
Why is this important? Because Paul tells us the chapter before that we died when Christ died, and thus, the law of sin and death lost its authority over us. Therefore, sin's power over us has been broken.
if your understanding of 1 John 1:8 were correct, then no man can walk holy before the Lord. We really have not been delivered from the power of darkness. Here is how I understand it.
John is saying that Jesus's death is the propitiation for our sins. Now if any man says he does not need this sacrifice for he does not sin, he is a liar.and the truth is not in him.
How do we know this is the truth? Two verses later, John tells us that he is writing these things to us that we sin not. So, if we take him seriously and stop sinning, we are now liars and the truth is not in us?
Further proof. Just read on in 1 John. He tells us that he that abides in Him sinneth not.He goes further and tells us that any walks says he knows God should walk even as He walks.
Peter tells us that if we abide in Him, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. So, are we to believe it is impossible to actually abide in Him, because we cannpt stop sinning?
Are we not told that God will not allow us to be tempted above our ability to resist? Is He lying? He tells us He knows how to deliver the godly our of temptation, amen? Who does the delivering? Us? Ha! LOL. He does, praise God.
Has He not assured us that our shields of faith will quench ALL the fiery arrows of the enemy? Of course He has. And we are now supposed to believe, because of 1 John 1:8, that if we avail ourselves of our shields of faith, and see all the fiery arrows of temptation quenched without yielding to them, we are now liars and the teuth isnot in us? It simply does not make sense.
God has not told us to try to be holy the beat we can but in actuality, it is impossible. He told us clearly to "Be ye holy, for I am holy."
If the promise of the New Covenant is to be believed, found in Ezekiel 36, God will cause us.... His exact words, not mine..... cause us to obey Him.
If it is self effort that is to bring forth holiness, you are absolutely right. We cannot cease from sin. But that is not what God tells us. He tells us that He is the one who keeps us from falling. He is the one who causes us to obey. He is the one who plants our feet on the highway of holiness, even if we are fools. (Yippee! I qualify! )
Some here keep using the term
perfection as if it is somehow equivalent to not sinning. This is not the case at all. Not sinning is simply the absence of disobedience. Sanctification is the process of being changed into His likeness and is an ongoing process till the day we day.
We we take our stand that sin no longer has dominion or authority over us, we are in no way declaring we have arrived, we are perfect, we have finished our race. We are declaring we are finally ready to actually begin our perfecting, and God is the one who has to do the work. Our job? Our part in walking in victory? Believe we are new creatures and abide in Him, ceasing from our own flailing efforts.
This truth of who we are and hat our birthright really is..... to walk in victory over the world, the flesh and the devil.... is what caused the early saints to spread the gospel like wildfire, powered by love for God, love for the lost and love for one another. But after God's early rain dried up with the death of Paul, the church entered into the long dry summer of 1900 years of religious going-through-the-motions Christianity.
But praise God, He did not plant us in power and glory as His people, only to come back for us, divided, selfish, defeated and bound by sins both big and small. We are the people who are to receive the final outpouring, the latter rain, and the latter will be greater than the former. Glory to God!
Brother, I totally understand the angst this subject brings forth in even earnest believers. It took God Himself to open my eyes, for I was a legalist of legalists. I was also severely bound by lust and porn. What I share with you here is what God shared with me and what He asked me to share with any hungry and desperate enough to listen to my ramblings, lol.
I cannot make any who reads what I share accept it as truth. I can only faithfully share it and by God's grace, I will. God has assured me that before the end, the eyes of all who love the Lord WILL be opened and the joy of seeing satan flee from us when we stand against his accusations and temptations and resist them, steadfast in the faith, will cause us to want to share this gospel with any who will listen.
This will bring about the final harvest, for as foretold in Ezekiel 36.
"The heathen shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall be sanctified IN YOU, before their very eyes." We are those talked about. US. You and I are to play a part. What a blessed calling.
Yes, the world is about to experience shakings the likes of which we have never seen. But in that craziness, God's church will arise from the ashes of religious duty and discover how free FREE INDEED really is!
blessings, dear brother
Gideon
