- Mar 28, 2005
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True. 1 John 1:8 clearly says that the person who says they don't have sin deceives themselves and the truth is not in them. 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. What this means to me is that we have the presence of sin within us, and when we confess that we are sinners, then we are forgiven and cleansed.You are setting Scripture against itself. . .1 Thessalonians 2:10 against 1 John 1:8, 1:10,
which is de facto misunderstanding of it, for God does not contradict himself in his word.
Holy, blameless and just as used of persons in Scripture, both OT and NT, do not mean sinless.
Paul said, "When I sin, it is not I who sinned, but the sin within me." That is a very interesting statement, because Paul makes a distinction between the real him in his heart, and the sinfulness of his flesh. He says that there is nothing good in him, that is in his flesh. He describes his struggle with his sinfulness as the flesh warring against the Spirit. He comes to the conclusion that the spirit of life in Christ has set him free from the law of sin and death, and therefore there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ.
This shows that Paul was a grace-based believer and not a performance-based one. The latter is depending on their own righteousness to give them success and victory over sin, while the former depends on the grace of God through faith in Christ, along with the Holy Spirit who is working sanctification in them and producing the good works in them that God has ordained for them to walk. Self-righteous people produce their own good works, while those who have the righteousness of Christ allow the Holy Spirit to produce their good works.
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