Can We Live Sin Free???

[Laela]

Hi, Pooh,

How many sins are there?

That's neat that you posted these scriptures. These are some of the same scriptures I came across when studying the Bible.

I started to see a contrast in how God was toward people in the Old Testament vs the New Testament.

In the Old Testament, there was the Law. People had to give up sin offerings and different sacrifices to pay for their sins. God would forgive them over and over for backsliding, or when God got fed up, he would destroy them.

In the New Testament, God sends His Son Jesus, God in the flesh, to show us how to live perfect and sinless. In a way, it's like bringing God's people back to Him. He loved us so much that He came down on this Earth to dwell among us so we can see how to live right. By truly believing in Christ's birth, death, burial, and resurrection, we repent of sins, be dead to sins, and abide in Him. He took the punishment of our sins.

That's why we have so many people pointing out hypocrites. It's like how can you point out this person being a liar when you just got done gossipping about a friend? How can you talk bad about someone who aborts a child when you are stealing money from a family member? How can you talk about a homosexual going to hell when you are having sex with your unmarried girlfriend? And so on...

How can one go on sinning (let's say fornication), ask God for forgiveness, then 7 days later, do the same sin again and ask for forgiveness. That's the Old Testament way. Repentance is completely turning away from sin...going and sinning NO more. I don't know how else to get around that definition. It has been watered down to "feeling sorry for sins and trying not to sin again" but that's not what God has called us to do. He hates sin and we should hate sin too and avoid it at all cost by suffering in the flesh if we believe in Him.

 

[Poohbear]

Hi, Pooh,

How many sins are there?

There's alot of sins, but is that an excuse for Christians to sin? Lately, I've been thinking no, that is not an excuse to sin.

Take a look at what makeupgirl just said:

Your girlfriend may be born again but is carnal in her thinking. That's the danger of the sinful nature still living in us because it's so easy to do what the flesh wants to do. However, some people just sin because they just want to have it their way. Ask her how she came to know the Lord, if she hasn't already. I say that because I hear people around me all the time say "I"m a Christian" but their walk doesn't show it and they don't show any of the fruits of the spirit. If she's not, continue to pray that she will sincerely give her life to the Lord.

This is what I am talking about...

We say we can't live without sin, but then we judge someone who claims to be a Christian who is doing a certain sin...

How do we differentiate between a person willingfully sinning and unconsciously sinning? I don't think there's a way to sin unconsciously. We are all alive here. The sins against God are all pointed out in the Bible. We can't go around saying "I just had sex with my boyfriend. I feel so bad. Please Lord forgive me! I'm trying my hardest to live right." Then turn around and have sex with him again and say "I'm just a Christian working out my salvation. I don't do anything else bad." So what! All sin is displeasing to God, no matter how many you're doing or what type of sin it is.

What do you think?

 

[makeupgirl]

But what about this verse:

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Here's an interesting link I found as well: http://www.learnthebible.org/becoming-a-new-creature.html

Are we really Christians if we are continuing in our old nature of sin?

We are new creatures in Christ once we become born again, the old man that we were born is not buried and gone because we still live in human flesh and it's corruptable. In fact one of Satan's ways to get us to sin is by appealing to the lust of the flesh, as well as the eyes and the pride of life. So we still have the flesh and the Spirit of God in us battling out inside of us. God knows we are going to sin even though we are his kids and even if we try hard not to. Whoever said being a Christian is easy was wrong. It's the most hardest thing to be. That's why we have to die to self and ask God to give us the strength and the guidance and wisdom to be the person he wants us to be. We must always be filled with his Spirit because it's easy to fall out of the will of God.

Anything we've done in the past is over once you've accepted Christ but once you are in Christ your way of thinking changes, your conversation should be all about him and the glory, honor, and praise that we give him. If you fall out of line then you know to go before God's throne and ask for forgiveness and repent. You know that his blood is going to continuely(sp?) wash us white as snow once we confess the sin that has offended him.

So when we become a Christian, then the slate is clean. When you confess and repent of your sins, the slate is clean. This doesn't mean that we are completely off the hook. We're still chastised and we still have to give an account to God as to why we went against his word but this is confirmation that we belong to him and he is our God, Savior, and our Heavenly Father.

 

[makeupgirl]

There's alot of sins, but is that an excuse for Christians to sin? Lately, I've been thinking no, that is not an excuse to sin.

Take a look at what makeupgirl just said:



This is what I am talking about...

We say we can't live without sin, but then we judge someone who claims to be a Christian who is doing a certain sin...

How do we differentiate between a person willingfully sinning and unconsciously sinning? I don't think there's a way to sin unconsciously. We are all alive here. The sins against God are all pointed out in the Bible. We can't go around saying "I just had sex with my boyfriend. I feel so bad. Please Lord forgive me! I'm trying my hardest to live right." Then turn around and have sex with him again and say "I'm just a Christian working out my salvation. I don't do anything else bad." So what! All sin is displeasing to God, no matter how many you're doing or what type of sin it is.

What do you think?

Amen sister! That's exactly what I had to learn that once you've repented, you have agreed with God that you will not do that particular sin again. I had that same problem when it came to sex and I wasn't married. I kept on doing it, feeling awful but I was asking him forgiveness but still doing what I was doing. Until I really got into the Word and learned that having sex, masterbation (sp?) was fornication and realized that I was going against his word. So now when I do have these urges, I start praying and also a hymn or gospel song comes to my mind so that I know that I can't hide the sin and also that once I start sinning, I am out of the will of God.

 

[Nefertiti0906]

Do you believe we sin because we want to sin?
I believe we sin because it's part of human nature, there's no one perfect, no not one. I think that's why Jesus paid the price for our sins because we as humans are always prone to sin.


Do you think we can live without sin like Jesus? Why or why not?
I don't think we can live without sin like Jesus, because none of us are perfect.


What is your Christian denomination/sect, etc.? Non-denominational

 

[Laela]

My point is everyone has a different weakness.
That is why a Christian man whose weakness isn't sex can turn away from a Jezebel type with no feelings, while another who has that weakness could PROBABLY sin. He could resist by being in the Spirit but if he's carnal, he'll likely give in. The woman was never a temptation to the first man.

Temptation is a test or trial specifically designed for each of us, based on our weakness, to cause us to sin against God. The devil knows our weaknesses, that is the ONLY way he can attack us. Once he gets a foot hold into our lives, it becomes a Stronghold in our mind.

Can we change our Mindset? Of course. If a Christian truly works on their weaknesses through renewal of the mind (ACT OF FAITH) after professing Jesus a Savior, they will conquer those sins and Jesus will be Lord of their life. That's how we CHANGE. But we can't change without exercising our Faith.

Can this be done all at once? Of course not...This is where I see you are stuck. I'm not making any excuses, but those who KNOW better, do better. Emphasis on know. Which means someone has 'heard' the Word and it makes sense to them and they GET IT. So they move from being a Hearer to a Doer of God's Word. This is why there are Christians who take years to mature to 'perfection'. While others get on fire right away and are more mature than folks who have been saved for years.

Are there Christians with NO weaknesses? Possibly, if they've conquered them all and are living in the Spirit. There have been examples on earth and one of the was taken by God, not even feeling the sting of death. So yes we CAN live Sin free.

At the same token, I'll also point out that there are different types/levels of Christians: Natural, Carnal, Spiritual. The Spiritual Christian has developed the Mindset to not walk in the flesh AND they know what their weaknesses are and have triumphed over them. Understanding this will help us meet people where they are in their Walk, because where they are depends on where they are in their Mind (Soul). You can't lump all Christians in the same boat. Just as there are old people, babies and teens, there are different Christians in Christ.

And it really is possible to 'sin' without knowing, because we can sin in words, deeds and thoughts. We could grieve the Holy Spirit, even with our thoughts! We don't always have to act out to sin. The sin can be internal: an unforgiveness against someone who did something to us, that we internalized; The only person who would know about this is the Holy Spirit. This is where Conviction comes in and this why we must pray without ceasing, to ask God to renew our hearts/mind DAILY. It's true that Jesus was an example for us in the flesh to know our temptations, but don't forget that He also IS GOD.
However, if God is in us, we have the help we need to RESIST temptation and live a life free of the guilt of sin. Again, please don't read this as an excuse to sin. If we say we Love God, we will WANT to always do what is right, to please Him.

Also, Jesus taught us also about sin and forgiveness in Luke 17:1-6:

"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. [4] If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."

Is Jesus giving us an excuse to sin here? Of course not. Forgiveness is how we stay connected to God, because He loves us (Spiritual selves) in spite of our 'sinful nature' (earthly bodies).

There's alot of sins, but is that an excuse for Christians to sin? Lately, I've been thinking no, that is not an excuse to sin.

Take a look at what makeupgirl just said:



This is what I am talking about...

We say we can't live without sin, but then we judge someone who claims to be a Christian who is doing a certain sin...

How do we differentiate between a person willingfully sinning and unconsciously sinning? I don't think there's a way to sin unconsciously. We are all alive here. The sins against God are all pointed out in the Bible. We can't go around saying "I just had sex with my boyfriend. I feel so bad. Please Lord forgive me! I'm trying my hardest to live right." Then turn around and have sex with him again and say "I'm just a Christian working out my salvation. I don't do anything else bad." So what! All sin is displeasing to God, no matter how many you're doing or what type of sin it is.

What do you think?

 

[Laela]

You moved from being a Hearer, to a Doer.... case in point. Amen

Amen sister! That's exactly what I had to learn that once you've repented, you have agreed with God that you will not do that particular sin again. I had that same problem when it came to sex and I wasn't married. I kept on doing it, feeling awful but I was asking him forgiveness but still doing what I was doing. Until I really got into the Word and learned that having sex, masterbation (sp?) was fornication and realized that I was going against his word. So now when I do have these urges, I start praying and also a hymn or gospel song comes to my mind so that I know that I can't hide the sin and also that once I start sinning, I am out of the will of God.

 

[plainj]

Your girlfriend may be born again but is carnal in her thinking. That's the danger of the sinful nature still living in us because it's so easy to do what the flesh wants to do. However, some people just sin because they just want to have it their way. Ask her how she came to know the Lord, if she hasn't already. I say that because I hear people around me all the time say "I"m a Christian" but their walk doesn't show it and they don't show any of the fruits of the spirit. If she's not, continue to pray that she will sincerely give her life to the Lord.

makeupgirl, thanks for your response. I'll have to disagree with you on my friend being born again. Maybe I'm not being open enough to how God touches people and rebirths them but that just wasn't my experience. I was in the world. No drugs, drinking or smoking or anything like that. I considered myself to be a good person. I just didn't have a relationship with Christ. Didn't know Him. Didn't want to know anyone who knew Him. When He touched me I wasn't even looking for Him (although my sisters in Christ insist I was--I don't feel like I was). N e way, when I got reborn, I didn't want to have anything to do with sin. I had no desire to lie, or cheat, or steal or do anything displeasing to God. All I wanted to do was please Him. I wanted to live for Him. I'm not perfect but when I do something that I know is not right (or sometimes I may not know it is not right), I am very convicted (not condemned) by it. That's why I just can't understand how if one is truly born again, he/she doesn't feel something when they do the smallest thing wrong. How can they not desire to live to please the God who created them, who saved them.
I do however love your idea of asking my friend how she came to know the Lord. I will.

 

[plainj]

T We can't go around saying "I just had sex with my boyfriend. I feel so bad. Please Lord forgive me! I'm trying my hardest to live right." Then turn around and have sex with him again and say "I'm just a Christian working out my salvation. I don't do anything else bad." So what! All sin is displeasing to God, no matter how many you're doing or what type of sin it is.

What do you think?

Poohbear, this is exactly what my friend does. She shrugs it off by saying "God knows my heart". I just don't understand it. It hurts to see it.

 

[makeupgirl]

makeupgirl, thanks for your response. I'll have to disagree with you on my friend being born again. Maybe I'm not being open enough to how God touches people and rebirths them but that just wasn't my experience. I was in the world. No drugs, drinking or smoking or anything like that. I considered myself to be a good person. I just didn't have a relationship with Christ. Didn't know Him. Didn't want to know anyone who knew Him. When He touched me I wasn't even looking for Him (although my sisters in Christ insist I was--I don't feel like I was). N e way, when I got reborn, I didn't want to have anything to do with sin. I had no desire to lie, or cheat, or steal or do anything displeasing to God. All I wanted to do was please Him. I wanted to live for Him. I'm not perfect but when I do something that I know is not right (or sometimes I may not know it is not right), I am very convicted (not condemned) by it. That's why I just can't understand how if one is truly born again, he/she doesn't feel something when they do the smallest thing wrong. How can they not desire to live to please the God who created them, who saved them.
I do however love your idea of asking my friend how she came to know the Lord. I will.

I understand where you're coming from. I was in the world also but I didn't smoke, drink or do drugs because I was too young. I didn't get saved until I was 20. But, I feel ya most definitely. I love serving and worshiping the Lord. It's like when you become apart of his family, that's all you really want to do, at least we should feel like this. I'll also pray for your friend. You never know, it maybe you that will be the one to lead her to Christ or at least would have planted the seed. I pray that the seed will grow and that she comes to a saving knowledge.

 

[makeupgirl]

Poohbear, this is exactly what my friend does. She shrugs it off by saying "God knows my heart". I just don't understand it. It hurts to see it.

I hate when people say this.

 

[empressaja]

Thanks. I wonder about speeding and other man-made laws. If we break the man-made laws, like the small ones (like speeding, parking in the wrong spot, etc.), are we really disobeying God? I know there's a verse in the bible about respecting your authorities or higher power, but I feel like that verse is referring to God, not man.

I also feel like speeding has been newly considered as a sin to make it an excuse to do other sins that we don't want to give up and to make the excuse of "Oh, we can't stop sinning. We sin everyday. Everything is a sin, etc."

But I don't know. Maybe I think too much.

We are to also obey the laws of the land which are man made laws.

Romans 13:1-7 1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

 

[Poohbear]

We are to also obey the laws of the land which are man made laws.

Romans 13:1-7 1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

I wasn't asking for the verse. I know the verse is in the Bible.

However, whatever Bible you have is different than what King James Version Bible says: "1Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. " ...and so on

Who's to say who everyone's higher power is? God is my higher power... no man (police, president, pastor, etc.) is not my higher power.

But anyway, my point is this, people still use their sin as an excuse to keep on sinning. We can stop speeding in our cars as well as any other thing that's against the law or against God. Why won't anyone address that issue? Why do we continue to ignore that Jesus died for our sins, but yet, we keep on sinning and claim to be born of God and believers of Jesus Christ?

 

[HeChangedMyName]

I wasn't asking for the verse. I know the verse is in the Bible.

However, whatever Bible you have is different than what King James Version Bible says: "1Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. " ...and so on

Who's to say who everyone's higher power is? God is my higher power... no man (police, president, pastor, etc.) is not my higher power.

But anyway, my point is this, people still use their sin as an excuse to keep on sinning. We can stop speeding in our cars as well as any other thing that's against the law or against God. Why won't anyone address that issue? Why do we continue to ignore that Jesus died for our sins, but yet, we keep on sinning and claim to be born of God and believers of Jesus Christ?

your reason right there. It's human nature. It is possible for us to stop completely cold turkey and never turn back. Jesus proved that it is possible. BUT, he was created sinless and his purpose required him to be sinless.

I believe that God has a specific purpose for each of us and whatever path we go down, if we learn to turn it over to him, then that purpose can be fulfilled. Example. . .I am a single mother. had sex way too early, I wasn't directed in the ways of the Bible hard core. So. . .I am straight up with all the young ladies in my life about the reality. premarital sex is a sin. period. point blank. For me it wasn't sufficient that my mother told me not to, but maybe if I tell girls that God said not to, then they will change their ways. I disclose to any and everyone I can that being a single mother is not cute. I don't do the baby mama title, but so many little girls want that and I stop them right there in their tracks. . .all of this is my testimony and it started with a sin. A sin that has since been forgiven.

 

[plainj]

Poohbear, I understand where you're coming from. The one scripture that keeps coming to mind as I read your posts is Matt 7:13-14 -
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
I think the word "Christian" is thrown around too loosely and not many people truly know what it means to be (and live as) a Christian. I was one of those people. I called myself a Christian because I went to church; because I wasn't an atheist, Buddhist or Muslim; because I had to identify with something. I just didn't know. Not everyone who professes to be Christian truly is one. Sometimes they don't even know it. We need to continue to pray them into or back into the Kingdom. Stay focused on Christ.

 

[empressaja]

I wasn't asking for the verse. I know the verse is in the Bible.

However, whatever Bible you have is different than what King James Version Bible says: "1Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. " ...and so on

Who's to say who everyone's higher power is? God is my higher power... no man (police, president, pastor, etc.) is not my higher power.

But anyway, my point is this, people still use their sin as an excuse to keep on sinning. We can stop speeding in our cars as well as any other thing that's against the law or against God. Why won't anyone address that issue? Why do we continue to ignore that Jesus died for our sins, but yet, we keep on sinning and claim to be born of God and believers of Jesus Christ?

I believe it's the NIV. This is the only place in the KJV that the phrase "higher powers" are used together. This says to me that Paul isn't speaking about God but of the powers put in place by God when he gave dominion of the earth over to mankind.

But to kind of answer your original question.

Can we live sin-free lives ?no, the fact that we must die daily to the flesh comes from us living in a fallen world because of the Original sin of Adam
Why are we to believe that we can live sin free lives in a fallen world? We are not sinners because we sin. We are called sinners because of Adam sin. And because of Jesus we are made righteous due to his finished work on the cross not just what we did but for what we will do.
With the whole speeding comment it really isn't about the speeding it is about the rebellious nature, the intent, the heart in which those actions stem from.

I believe we all have a tendency to be "sin-conscious" when we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. We should be righteousness conscious. "Awake to righteous and sin not.
1Cor 15:34. I believe when we believe right we are transformed and begin to change to his image but from glory to glory and subsequently live right!

Can you explain this question further.Why do we continue to ignore that Jesus died for our sins, but yet, we keep on sinning and claim to be born of God and believers of Jesus Christ?


Are you saying that when individuals sin we are ignoring that Jesus died for those sin?

We are born of God and can claim that identity not because of what we DO but because of what we BELIEVE. Because the Word says so.

I really liked this discussion. I hope that it continues ~Blessings~