The Myth of Sinless Perfection.

[Bible Highlighter]

The Sin Problem: We need to note immediately that even a genuine process of change in our hearts will never produce "sinless perfection".

This is a false unbiblical teaching that has become so widespread in the church today that it is accepted as a norm.
We are living in the last days whereby many have a form of godliness but they deny the power thereof (See: 2 Timothy 3:1-9).
What power are they denying? God’s power to help them to overcome sin in their life.
Let the unbiased good Berean slowly read 1 Peter 4:1-2, Galatians 5:24, 2 Corinthians 7:1.

1 Peter 4:1-2
1 ”Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.”

Galatians 5:24
“And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

2 Corinthians 7:1
”…let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

So the article’s claim that Sinless Perfection is a myth is busted.
Just these three verses alone (read plainly in the English Bible that existed for hundreds of years) proves that I am correct here (Even though there are a lot more verses).

While our Lord faced all of life's temptations without error (Heb.4:15), the rest of us necessarily fall short of that mark (Rom.3:23).

The article basically implies here that Romans 3:23 is proof that the Christian in their present day walk with the Lord falls short of the glory of God. However, Romans 3:23 is in reference to our previous past life of sin before we became a Christian and not while we are a Christian walking with Christ already. Proof? Well, lets read Romans 3:11.

Romans 3:11
“There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”

So if Romans 3:23 applies to your present day walk as a Christian in that you fall short of the glory of God (Which is similar to what Romans 3:10 says), then you will have to be consistent with the context and admit that you have no understanding and you don’t seek after God, as well. But of course this article is reading a verse out of it’s context and it’s obvious. This is why men who write such articles will be without excuse before God come Judgment day unless they repent. The Lord will simply quote to them the context and show them they are in error.

This is because our very physical makeup is corrupt, or "indwelt" by sin (Rom.7:20;

Again, the article uses the infamous “Romans 7:14-24 excuse to sin passage” when in reality this is in reference to Paul speaking as a Pharisee before he knew Jesus Christ and became a Christian. The proof is in the beginning of the chapter. Romans 7:1 says that Paul is speaking to those who know the Law (i.e. the Torah or the 613 Laws of Moses). So this sets up the framework of discussion of the whole chapter (Which is the Old Law). Paul says in Romans 6:14 that we are not under the Law (i.e. the Torah). Romans 7:6 says we are to serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. Paul says in Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” So Paul is saying that the keeping of the New Covenant Law makes him free from the Old Law (Which he struggled to keep in Romans 7:14-24). Paul could not keep the righteous aspect (the Moral Law) because he was under the whole of the Old Law. Romans 8:4 talks about how the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. The righteousness of the Law that we fulfill is found in Romans 13:8-10. It is loving your neighbor that fulfills the moral law like: Do not murder, to do not steal, etcetera (Which was the aspect of the Old Law Saul was trying to keep as a Pharisee but he was not able because he was under the Law of Sin and Death, i.e. the Torah).

Paul even says you are either a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness in Romans 6.
Jesus says he that sins is a slave to sin in Romans 8:34, and then in Romans 8:35 he says that the slave (slave to sin) will not abide in the house forever. Meaning, the Christian who justifies sin will not abide in the house of Christ forever. They will be cast out at the Judgment.

Matthew 13:41-42 says that the Son of Man (JESUS) will send forth His angels and they will gather out of HIS KINGDOM all who do iniquity and they will be cast into the furnace of fire (i.e. The Lake of Fire).

If we say we must sin again because we cannot help it, we are slaves to sin and not slaves to righteousness.

To God, all sin is an offense against His Person, for all sin is in essence disobedience to His will.

This is not true. There is a sin that does not lead to death (1 John 5:16-17).
The sin of worrying is not attached with warnings of hellfire and condemnation of one’s soul in Luke 12:22-34. In fact, it is considered in Luke 12:28 as having “little faith” and Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock” in regards to this kind of sin (Luke 12:32).

Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise for eating of the forbidden fruit, an act which does not seem particularly immoral in and of itself, but which was a clear and willful rejection of God's authority (Gen.2:16-17).

But God already gave Adam and Eve the warning of punishment of what would happen if they disobeyed.
This warning was death.

So it was a big deal of a sin because God attached this sin with the punishment of death.
The thing is that this very story refutes the false attack on God’s Word that we cannot obey God.
The serpent (the devil) wanted to get Eve to believe that she would not die if she disobeyed God’s command.
This same lie is being pushed by this article in saying that you can sin and still be saved on some level (Denying God’s Word in numerous places on how God desires us to be perfect, holy, blameless, etcetera).

 

[Bible Highlighter]

This is because our very physical makeup is corrupt, or "indwelt" by sin (Rom.7:20; Gen.6:5, 8:21).

@Johann

Again, to quickly address Romans 7:14-20 again. Clearly the context does not defend Paul showing how he is a slave to sin because he says in Romans 6 that you are either a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness. The rest of Romans 7 and or Romans 8 does not also claim that Paul was a slave to sin, either. On the contrary Paul says he is set free from the Law of sin and death in Romans 8:2.

As for Genesis 6:5:

Obviously Noah was not among the group of wicked men who were destroyed because Noah was not like them because Noah was a preacher of righteousness. 2 Peter 2 says that the flood was an EXAMPLE to all who live ungodly thereafter. It was not an example of how all men are sinful and they cannot help themselves (As if they are not to be held accountable at a Judgment).

As for Genesis 8:21:

Yes, “man's heart is evil from his youth;” There is no doubt man has a sinful nature. There is no doubt that unbelievers are by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). But that does not necessitate that man cannot break the chains and be set free from being a slave to sin by Jesus Christ.

Romans 13:14 says,
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

The Myth of Sinless Perfection: Even though we have been given the charge "be holy as I am holy" (and this is a standard to which we must cleave: 1Pet.1:15-16), and even though we are expected to improve as we grow up spiritually (and this is a goal to which we must aspire: Heb.5:11-14), absolute sinlessness is nonetheless unattainable in this corrupt body and in this corrupt world.

The article admits the existence of 1 Peter 1:16 in that it says, “Be ye holy for I am holy,” and then it turns around and spits on this very verse by disbelieving what it is says. You cannot be holy as God is holy and yet also maintain how you must sin again and fight against putting away sin in this life.

"Sinless perfection" is a false doctrine,

A believer should ask themselves: What is the opposite of Sinless Perfection? It would be Sinful Imperfectionism. But in reality, “Sinful Imperfectionism” would be a false doctrine by default because that would mean God calls us to sin and imperfection. But where is that taught in the Bible? It doesn’t. So the doctrine of Sinful Imperfection is the REAL dangerous false doctrine here because it seeks to justify sin under Gods grace (Jude 1:4). While I believe a Christian can be saved without having reached a state of perfection, I believe that if a Christian rejects perfection in the BIble and how they must sin again, they are rejecting God’s way of righteousness. God does not call us to remain in our sins on any level. God calls us unto holiness.

and a dangerous one at that, because of the enormous psychological pressure it generates. The reality and inevitability of sin most often lead adherents of such views to deny that certain categories of sin are really sin at all, or to deny that they commit certain sins (even though they may).

It appears that the article accidentally left out the word “not” in this sentence. It should have said, “such views to deny that certain categories of sin are really not sin at all…”.

Anyways, to address this point:

Well, my guess here is that the author does not believe there is not a sin unto death mentioned in 1 John 5:16-17 (Seeing there is not a sin that leads instantly to death). In fact, not all is the same because we see Jesus say that there is this thing called the GREATER Sin (John 19:11). Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for a particular sin that was especially wrong (Acts 5:1-11).

In any event, no true believer who desires to obey God and be perfect will make excuses for sin and neither will they look at sins that do not lead to death as something they will brush aside and simply refuse to obey in this life. Remember, their goal is perfection in obeying God (of which this author denies and so any attempt to really be perfect will never happen for this author (or those like him) because he must believe he will give into sin again and thus he fulfill his own belief of being a slave to sin instead of being a slave to righteousness - See again Romans 6, and John 8:34-35).

 

[2 Chr. 34:19]

bit of dirt as we walk about in the devil's world.

Don't blame the devil, we are all responsible for our own dirt

 

[2 Chr. 34:19]

capable of sin.

IF we choose to sin.

 

[-Phil]

But God already gave Adam and Eve the warning of punishment of what would happen if they disobeyed.
This warning was death.

So it was a big deal of a sin because God attached this sin with the punishment of death.
The thing is that this very story refutes the false attack on God’s Word that we cannot obey God.
The serpent (the devil) wanted to get Eve to believe that she would not die if she disobeyed God’s command.
This same lie is being pushed by this article in saying that you can sin and still be saved on some level (Denying God’s Word in numerous places on how God desires us to be perfect, holy, blameless, etcetera).

You’re adding ”with the punishment of death” which is a misunderstanding, misinterpretation & misrepresentation.

“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Doesn’t say anything about punishment. Notice also when they did eat from it - they did not die.

 

[2 Chr. 34:19]

You’re adding ”with the punishment of death” which is a misunderstanding, misinterpretation & misrepresentation.

“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Doesn’t say anything about punishment. Notice also when they did eat from it - they did not die.

They did, so did we ( Romans 5)

 

[Bible Highlighter]

You’re adding ”with the punishment of death” which is a misunderstanding, misinterpretation & misrepresentation.

“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Doesn’t say anything about punishment. Notice also when they did eat from it - they did not die.

Genesis 2:17
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Romans 5:12
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

Romans 5:14
”Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

The idea is that they spiritually died that day, and physical death was now their only fate from that day on (And they were prevented from eating of the tree of life). But they died that day just as God said. Surely death is not a reward but it is a punishment for sin. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

 

[Enoch111]

It seems to me we ought to be able to repent of our sin. It seems to me we need God's help in doing that.

That is absolutely correct. We are to turn away from sin and evil and every idol, and God's Holy Spirit will enable us to do so. Moreover, Christians must not focus on sins and sinning but rather on righteousness and holiness. While sinless perfection is the goal, we are to keep examining ourselves.

At the same time, those who have been justified by grace through faith are deemed righteous by God. That is called imputed righteousness. This is not a license to sin, but an incentive to be righteous.

 

[-Phil]

They did, so did we ( Romans 5)

But it doesn’t say “with the punishment of death”. You’re adding that and changing the sentiment and message.
Also, there is no direct experience of ‘they’ or ‘we’, hence ‘they did it’ is a justification from ignorance of reality, truth, or simply one’s own actual direct experience.

The idea is that they spiritually died that day, and physical death was now their only fate from that day on (And they were prevented from eating of the tree of life). But they died that day just as God said. Surely death is not a reward but it is a punishment for sin. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

In adding “punishment for sin” you also change what’s said, and therein misconstrue the point, insight, and message of the passage.
You also subtly, mistakenly, imply God “punished” them, therein missing the entire point of Genesis.

 

[bbyrd009]

"the fall of man" cannot be Quoted

 

[Bob Estey]

That is absolutely correct. We are to turn away from sin and evil and every idol, and God's Holy Spirit will enable us to do so. Moreover, Christians must not focus on sins and sinning but rather on righteousness and holiness. While sinless perfection is the goal, we are to keep examining ourselves.

At the same time, those who have been justified by grace through faith are deemed righteous by God. That is called imputed righteousness. This is not a license to sin, but an incentive to be righteous.

It would seem to me that the Lord forgives the repentant person. Once forgiven, you are righteous till you sin again.

 

[Johann]