Accepting the fact that we cannot stop sinning ...

[Timothy]

I have been given the advice time and time again to just accept that I cannot stop sinning - God’s grace covers me and He will change and conform me to the image of Christ. More specifically, recognizing this fact will allow sin to lose it's power in my life.

I am given scripture such as Philippians 1:6, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." or Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,"

But, I have a hard time accepting this teaching when I study 1 John. 1 John 1:8-10 says, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."

Does not 1 John 1:9 teach the need for daily confession? How can I accept this fact that I cannot stop sinning when right here God says to confess sin for purification? How do you explain this? How can we need forgiveness if we have no condemnation?

 

[Smellin Coffee]

Great questions!  ;D

 

[JustABigKid]

I have been given the advice time and time again to just accept that I cannot stop sinning - God’s grace covers me and He will change and conform me to the image of Christ. More specifically, recognizing this fact will allow sin to lose it's power in my life.

I am given scripture such as Philippians 1:6, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." or Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,"

But, I have a hard time accepting this teaching when I study 1 John. 1 John 1:8-10 says, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."

Does not 1 John 1:9 teach the need for daily confession? How can I accept this fact that I cannot stop sinning when right here God says to confess sin for purification? How do you explain this? How can we need forgiveness if we have no condemnation?

I do not believe that you must accept the fact that you cannot stop sinning. Accepting that we can't stop sinning would be like telling a lady whose husband cheated on her that he just couldn't help it and you just have to accept it. No she don't and he could have helped it.

God has in fact given us a way to keep from sinning, The Holy Spirit. It is with His help that we can keep from sinning. The problem is that we still battle this worldly flesh and so we are going to make mistakes but we don't have to accept it.

So as a Christian we should be striving not to sin and when we do make a mistake then we have I John 1:9 to ask God to forgive us of that mistake the same way a child ask a parent for forgiveness. Not to be re-saved but to make sure that we are back in line with God and again pursuing that perfectness that He wants us to strive for.

We will never be perfect on this earth but should strive to be like Christ who was perfect on this earth.

 

[Timothy]

I have been given the advice time and time again to just accept that I cannot stop sinning - God’s grace covers me and He will change and conform me to the image of Christ. More specifically, recognizing this fact will allow sin to lose it's power in my life.

I am given scripture such as Philippians 1:6, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." or Romans 8:1, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,"

But, I have a hard time accepting this teaching when I study 1 John. 1 John 1:8-10 says, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."

Does not 1 John 1:9 teach the need for daily confession? How can I accept this fact that I cannot stop sinning when right here God says to confess sin for purification? How do you explain this? How can we need forgiveness if we have no condemnation?

I do not believe that you must accept the fact that you cannot stop sinning. Accepting that we can't stop sinning would be like telling a lady whose husband cheated on her that he just couldn't help it and you just have to accept it. No she don't and he could have helped it.

God has in fact given us a way to keep from sinning, The Holy Spirit. It is with His help that we can keep from sinning. The problem is that we still battle this worldly flesh and so we are going to make mistakes but we don't have to accept it.

So as a Christian we should be striving not to sin and when we do make a mistake then we have I John 1:9 to ask God to forgive us of that mistake the same way a child ask a parent for forgiveness. Not to be re-saved but to make sure that we are back in line with God and again pursuing that perfectness that He wants us to strive for.

We will never be perfect on this earth but should strive to be like Christ who was perfect on this earth.

Striving to be like Christ is where I am at now. Actually, your post is fairly close to how I believe. But, when you spend over 20 years as a Christian you start to wonder why certain struggles seem to stay the same.

In my studies, to better understand how to stop sinning here on earth, I find some believe that the same faith that saves us (faith without works) is also the faith that changes us. We want to do this or that to stop sinning, but in all actuality it is Jesus Christ who changes us when we allow him to. The concept I mentioned in my opening post, "just accept that I cannot stop sinning" would allow my life to be more in Christ's control since I am recognizing I am a hopeless sinner trusting Jesus Christ to save and change me.

But, like I said, all these years as a Christian I have followed much of what you share in your post. I just find the lack of results frustrating and perhaps proof that maybe I have something wrong as I grow in Christ Jesus.

 

[Binaca Chugger]

I think the teaching goes something like: "Christianity needs to develop from the inside, out.  Not from the outside, in."

A proper aspiration for Christ, as expressed through the books of poetry, cause us to not desire that which would grieve the one we love and desire.

A simple illustration: I choose to not keep my shoes on, though they are comfortable, because the dirt left on the carpet grieves my wife.

 

[Timothy]

I think the teaching goes something like: "Christianity needs to develop from the inside, out.  Not from the outside, in."

A proper aspiration for Christ, as expressed through the books of poetry, cause us to not desire that which would grieve the one we love and desire.

A simple illustration: I choose to not keep my shoes on, though they are comfortable, because the dirt left on the carpet grieves my wife.

Yes. That is it. Is this what you believe?

 

[prophet]

I think the teaching goes something like: "Christianity needs to develop from the inside, out.  Not from the outside, in."

A proper aspiration for Christ, as expressed through the books of poetry, cause us to not desire that which would grieve the one we love and desire.

A simple illustration: I choose to not keep my shoes on, though they are comfortable, because the dirt left on the carpet grieves my wife.

Well put.

Anishinabe

 

[Binaca Chugger]

I think the teaching goes something like: "Christianity needs to develop from the inside, out.  Not from the outside, in."

A proper aspiration for Christ, as expressed through the books of poetry, cause us to not desire that which would grieve the one we love and desire.

A simple illustration: I choose to not keep my shoes on, though they are comfortable, because the dirt left on the carpet grieves my wife.

Yes. That is it. Is this what you believe?

Absolutely.

An example of failure in this area is baptism.  An overemphasis on the outward expression coupled with a de-emphasis on the inner grace causes the errant doctrine of baptismal regeneration to spring forth.

 

[subllibrm]

Flesh and spirit. One will win and one will lose every time.

The goal isn't to gin up enough strength to resist sin. It is to surrender so fully to God that sin no longer needs resisting.

That is going to take different amounts of time, leading down different paths for different people. Add to that all the different sins and our levels of temptation and you will see there is no one answer other than Jesus.

So if we have an answer to the question of sin why would we just accept that we cannot stop sinning? Rather the realization that we never could stop sinning should motivate us even more to the Spirit filled life.

Acknowledge that we cannot, in and of ourselves, stop? Yes. Accept it? Never!

 

[T-Bone]

The Gospel is not a call to behavioral modification, but to a Savior who changes us from the inside out. There is never a time I don't need Him, I needed Him to save me from my sin & I need Him to keep me from going back into sin.  I cannot withstand the temptations of sin on my own, merely by determining not to sin...only Christ can win the victory over my sin... so I must walk in Him rather than my own flesh!

 

[subllibrm]

The Gospel is not a call to behavioral modification, but to a Savior who changes us from the inside out. There is never a time I don't need Him, I needed Him to save me from my sin & I need Him to keep me from going back into sin.  I cannot withstand the temptations of sin on my own, merely by determining not to sin...only Christ can win the victory over my sin... so I must walk in Him rather than my own flesh!

Yes! Preach it brother!

 

[Timothy]

The Gospel is not a call to behavioral modification, but to a Savior who changes us from the inside out. There is never a time I don't need Him, I needed Him to save me from my sin & I need Him to keep me from going back into sin.  I cannot withstand the temptations of sin on my own, merely by determining not to sin...only Christ can win the victory over my sin... so I must walk in Him rather than my own flesh!

And how would you define walking in Him?

 

[rsc2a]

The Gospel is not a call to behavioral modification, but to a Savior who changes us from the inside out. There is never a time I don't need Him, I needed Him to save me from my sin & I need Him to keep me from going back into sin.  I cannot withstand the temptations of sin on my own, merely by determining not to sin...only Christ can win the victory over my sin... so I must walk in Him rather than my own flesh!

And how would you define walking in Him?

It's when He walks with me, talks with me, and tells me I am His own.

 

[T-Bone]

The Gospel is not a call to behavioral modification, but to a Savior who changes us from the inside out. There is never a time I don't need Him, I needed Him to save me from my sin & I need Him to keep me from going back into sin.  I cannot withstand the temptations of sin on my own, merely by determining not to sin...only Christ can win the victory over my sin... so I must walk in Him rather than my own flesh!

And how would you define walking in Him?

I will let His words answer your question.."If you abide in me and my word abides in you..." John 15.  It is certainly not something one perfectly does, but it is a decision to surrender to His will and way everyday.

 

[Timothy]

The Gospel is not a call to behavioral modification, but to a Savior who changes us from the inside out. There is never a time I don't need Him, I needed Him to save me from my sin & I need Him to keep me from going back into sin.  I cannot withstand the temptations of sin on my own, merely by determining not to sin...only Christ can win the victory over my sin... so I must walk in Him rather than my own flesh!

And how would you define walking in Him?

I will let His words answer your question.."If you abide in me and my word abides in you..." John 15.  It is certainly not something one perfectly does, but it is a decision to surrender to His will and way everyday.

How can one divide legalism with pure "His will" .... Bible alone? Prayer? Strong Personal Conviction?

To abide - is that simply reading his word, taking it by faith, and applying it?

Forgive the simplistic nature of my questions.

 

[T-Bone]

The Gospel is not a call to behavioral modification, but to a Savior who changes us from the inside out. There is never a time I don't need Him, I needed Him to save me from my sin & I need Him to keep me from going back into sin.  I cannot withstand the temptations of sin on my own, merely by determining not to sin...only Christ can win the victory over my sin... so I must walk in Him rather than my own flesh!

And how would you define walking in Him?

I will let His words answer your question.."If you abide in me and my word abides in you..." John 15.  It is certainly not something one perfectly does, but it is a decision to surrender to His will and way everyday.

How can one divide legalism with pure "His will" .... Bible alone? Prayer? Strong Personal Conviction?

To abide - is that simply reading his word, taking it by faith, and applying it?

Forgive the simplistic nature of my questions.

On your first point..Paul answered that question in Romans 14...we want to get in debates over "doubtful things" and want to put our personal standards and requirements on others (ie. legalism).  Paul tells us to live our lives to the Lord, in faith, "for whatever is not of faith is sin".  He also warns us not to use our liberty in Christ to offend a weaker believer.

We learn to abide by walking in a relationship with Christ...which does include the disciplines of the Christian faith...being in His Word, spending time with Him in prayer (not only speaking, but listening), following the leadership of the Holy Spirit in each event of the day.

Hope this helps with your questions.

 

[christundivided]

Timothy...

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Its difficult to walk in the Spirit at times. Its not something that is natural to this flesh we live in. However, it is "natural" or the "nature" of the Spirit that lives with us. We all now of this "struggle". Even Paul had issues.

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

I love the purity and revelation of the book of Romans. Paul's argument is so true. It hits home with everyone that has experienced grace in Christ Jesus. Paul's statements are so revealing and applicable to those in Christ Jesus that only Roman's 8 can give the remedy.

Rom 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you

God can and DOES quicken our mortal bodies to serve Him.

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

I've never had a problem with sin while I'm centered on my relationship with God.... When I am centered on my eternally loving sonship given in Christ Jesus. While I am grateful and humbled calling up the Father.

I admit. I am not always that way. We all aren't from time to time. This is what is meant by Paul in verse 22,23

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Ultimately, our position is secure. Our destination settled. We have a promise of relief in our future. A relief that will see the end of all our struggles. A joyous end. Everything within me looks forward to that day. I can't help but desire it. I can't help but look for it. NOTHING else will completely satisfy our hunger for relief.

We should be grateful that the divine nature of God has so filled our hearts....that we hate sin. Its against our divine nature in Christ Jesus.

If there were ANY condemnation for sin left for those in Christ Jesus, we certain would find it. We certainly would fall victim to its circumstances. Thank GOD.... we don't have to worry about it.

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
Rom 8:37  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
Rom 8:39  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Does this mean I should "enjoy" sin?

NO. It is impossible for those in Christ Jesus to so reject their diving nature as to entirely ENJOY sin. We know its consequence. We know its end. Sure we can find some sibilance of "enjoyment" in sin. Yet, we can not deny it grieves us to no end. Thank God it does. Its "natural". Its suppose to be that way.

 

[Timothy]

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Powerful scripture ....

 

[Izdaari]

Sinning is missing the mark, not being all that God wants us to be. That's unavoidable in this life. But the perfect is the enemy of the good enough: Just because we are unable to be perfect, that doesn't mean we can't do better. If we aren't at least a little more Christ-like than we were several years ago, we're doing it wrong. I'm not talking about salvation. That can't be earned, and as Christ's followers, we have that already. I'm just talking about being good kids to our heavenly Father.