Sinless perfection?
I’ve been struggling with 1 John. It’s a tough book. John exhorts us to love, and in fact to use love as a test of salvation. If a person is truly saved, he will show love. If a person does not show love but professes to be a Christian, he may not have accepted Christ in the first place.
Another test of salvation is whether a person practices righteousness or evil. A person saved cannot keep on sinning; indeed if she does, was she ever saved?
These points in 1 John taken out of context could argue for sinless perfection. Once saved, we should not sin. Ever. Didn’t even Jesus tell the woman with the issue of blood “Go, and sin no more?” Is that even possible? It must be, if Jesus commanded it.
However, it is by grace we are saved, and I don’t know anyone professing to be a follower of Jesus that has lived a life of sinless perfection. I don’t believe that John is teaching sinless perfection, but he is boldly teaching us that our salvation must produce the character of God.
1 John chapter 1 convinces me that he is not teaching sinless perfection by twice establishing the fact that we, as believers, sin. First, he says “if anyone claims to be without sin, he deceives himself and the truth is not in him.” Again, he says “if anyone says he does not sin, he makes God a liar.” In short, if you say you are sinless, you are a liar, and that makes you a sinner. John also says “I teach these things so you will not sin, but if you do, we have the Righteous One, Jesus, to speak for us.”
The important thing is, when we accept Christ, we shed our nature of sin, even if we sometimes still fall. But if a so-called believer keeps practicing sin, or continues habitually in sin, it calls into question whether that person was ever saved.
What a conundrum.
What about spiritual strongholds? In my own life I continually deal with lust. Sometimes I give myself over to it, and sometimes for periods long enough to be considered “practicing sin.” Does it mean I have never been saved? I don’t think so. It’s easy to forget that we’re in a spiritual war, against the enemy AND against our own flesh. The word says we will always battle against the flesh. It says the heart is deceitful above all things. John encourages us that even when our own hearts condemn us, God knows us, and He is greater than our hearts.
What about the back-slider? I think Paul addresses it in 1 Corinthians 3. There are those who, when all is said and done, will themselves be saved, but will suffer loss because their works were turned to ashes in the fire of judgment. I have been in a back-sliding state before, and I have no doubt those works will not pass the test.
But I know that I know, I have the Holy Spirit dwelling in me, a deposit of Heaven. I just hope there are some works that WILL pass the test–I don’t want to drag around a bag of ashes from all the wood, hay, and stubble I used to build my foundation.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Life in Christ
Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Matthew 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Matthew 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Notice Jesus told these Pharisees and scribes, you make clean the outside of the cup and platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. The scribes were officials or a public secretary or clerk, and a Pharisee was someone who considered themselves more righteous than the Jews and they tried to live according to the law. These scribes and Pharisee’s they looked good on the outside, St Luke 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. Jesus told these Pharisees in Luke 11:43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. On the outside these Pharisees put on a good show, but on the inside they were full of sin. Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Matthew 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also Jesus is telling these Pharisees to remove “first” the sin that is within the cup, and the outside, will automatically become clean. We must get to the root of the problem, and the problem is sin. I would like to give you an example. If I have weeds in my garden and I want to get rid of them what must I do, if I cut them down they will come right back. In order to solve the problem I will either have to pull them up or use weed poison and I guarantee the problem will be solved. By sinning and repenting every time you sin will not solve the problem. Today people are trying to deal with sin already committed by repenting every time they sin, that will not solve the problem either. Sin must be dealt with before it is committed, not after it’s committed. I’m not trying to be funny when I say this. The Spirit does not follow behind us, and when we sin he catches up with us and taps us on the shoulder and says, hey you sinned, don’t forget to repent. We must follow the Spirit, he does not follow us.
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: We know by Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden he brought sin into the world and he lost fellowship with God. I believe because of Adam’s disobedience there is a huge wall wall between us and God, to deep to get under, to high to climb over, to wide to get around it, but if you will look closely you will see a small door, and that door represents Christ. Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. How many sins did Adam have to commit to lose fellowship with God, was it not only one? How many sins do we have to commit to lose fellowship with God? Jesus said in St John 3:3 except a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. What is the purpose of being born again? The first birth we were born from our mother’s womb with a sinful nature because of Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Now we must be born again. If we had not been born with a sinful nature, there would be no need for the second birth, and we would not need a Savior. If we die in the sinful nature we will suffer the second death. God provided a perfect and sinless sacrifice in the person of Jesus Christ for the sins of the whole world. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. We were all born the first time, the physical birth, with a sinful nature, now we must be born again, the second birth, the Spiritual birth with, a new nature, where there will be no sin. We must have the same nature of Christ, we must have the mind of Christ. We must put on Christ. Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. It is impossible to have the Adam nature, and the nature of Christ, who did no sin in us at the same time. Christ is our example, we must follow his footsteps.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. If people could understand the truth that is being revealed in this scripture they would have a different outlook on sin, and they would have a perfect fellowship with Christ. It is impossible to have fellowship with Christ with sin in our life. Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. We must discern between being crucified physically and being crucified Spiritually, if you do not you will not understand what Paul is telling us. Paul said he was crucified with Christ, not physically but Spiritually. Most confessing Christians say, when Christ was crucified, I was crucified, when Christ was resurrected I was resurrected, I have no idea where they get that, it’s not in the bible, if I missed it please show me where it’s at. We know Christ died physically, Paul has also died, not physically, but Spiritually. The old man Paul is dead, his life no longer exists. Paul said, nevertheless I live, but notice what Paul said, YET NOT I, BUT CHRIST LIVETH IN ME. Paul’s old sinful life no longer exist, now it’s the life of Christ living in Paul. Why, why, cannot people see this simple truth? It’s not me, it’s Christ, without him we can do nothing, but Paul said in Phillippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strenghthens me. Christ is the perfect and sinless one, I am not perfect and I am not sinless, the one living in me is the perfect and sinless one. If I have been crucified and it’s no longer me living, but Christ living in me what kind of life will be manifested in me, will it be a sinful life? God said Job was perfect, Job himself never said he was perfect Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Notice what Job said in Job 9:20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: [if I say], I [am] perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. I say again, I am not perfect and sinless, but the one living in me is. My old man is dead, now I have the life of the new man, Christ Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Jesus was perfect and sinless one. Show me one scripture in the bible where Jesus said he was perfect and sinless, you will not find one. As I said before you will never hear me say I’m perfect and sinless, but the one living in me is, Christ Jesus. and we must be conformed to his image. Luke 6:40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.If I use the word mature instead of the word perfect I’m bringing Christ down to a lower level.
Here are some more scripture very seldom mentioned, found in the book of Colossians chapter 3 beginning with verse 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. These scriptures most people fail to understand. Paul said, for ye are dead, I could say, Paul you’re mistaken, I’m alive, I’m writing this letter aren’t I? I have been crucified, not physically but Spiritually and I am dead, now Christ is living his life in me. Paul then said, your life is hid in with Christ in God. What did Paul mean when he said, your life is hid with Christ in God? Paul is referring to our Adam nature we were born with, we no longer have it, it is hid with Christ in God. We are now conformed in the image of Christ.
This scripture should sum up the whole matter. Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. How did Christ become my life? My sinful nature was crucified, and it’s no longer me living but Christ living his life in me. If Christ is not my life life, how can I say I’m born again? In Ephesians Paul said Jesus is coming back for a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing and it will be holy without blemish. I don’t know of any church where I live that’s meets those qualifications. Of coerce most people believes he will perfect that church when he returns, is he not able to perfect that church in this day and time we’re now living in? I will come to a close with these next three scriptures found in St John chapter 8 beginning with verse 30 As he spake these words, many believed on him. John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. May we all grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. AMEN!!