We can stop the major sins by choice and have a better life and have less stress. But I don’t think we are going to stop sinning, we are very sinful. That’s why God made repentance. That’s what I want to do- live in repentance, be cause sin lives in us’. Paul admitted to sin. It seemed like John didn’t but he showed the way if we do in 1John. Jesus was the only sinless man. And there will never be perfection for us imperfect people, until heaven. Admitting your sin, confessing your sin, being a complete human and humbling yourself to God our savior. He saves us from our sin, more than once. He died for all sin past, present and future.
This life is full of trials and Jesus promised us there will be trouble. It’s getting worse don’t you think? Life isn’t all good or bad, but the trib will be all bad, just like revelation says. I don’t know all the details but I believe it fairly literally. It’s coming and hopefully we won’t be here.
When we sin and all things work together for good’, we can refresh our faith, trust and commitment to God. We can be forgiven and He lifts that weight off our shoulders and we can return to joy and a fresh start. We are His He loves us like some of our dads. He will never leave or forsake us. So take heart! Endure your trials with joy’, take pleasure in your afflictions. It’s not that bad right now. But Jesus is preparing great reward for us.
You can’t stop all the neighsayers but you can study and find out the truth in the Bible in the right church, in fellowship. There are so many who offend the conscience. Find out the truth and stick to it, test the spirits and see who is really following Christ and the Bible alone.
Hey there, you said some things that actually go against the testimony of the Bible (as you said to test the spirits), as well as my own experience and witness of Jesus Christ.
You said:
"We can stop the major sins by choice and have a better life and have less stress. But I don’t think we are going to stop sinning, we are very sinful."
We can stop all sins because Jesus is powerful enough to empower us and teach us:
Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
1Pe 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin;
Jud 1:24 Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
I mention what John said about this below....
You said:
"Paul admitted to sin. It seemed like John didn’t but he showed the way if we do in 1John. Jesus was the only sinless man."
Paul admitted to sin, but he also admitted to being perfect, which means at some point he learned how to stop sinning and live in the teachings of the Spirit of God as he said in Romans 8:
Rom 8:13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.
Php 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you.
John in 1 John explicitly stated children of God stop sinning and come to a place where they cannot sin, He said this is how we know the children of God verses the children of the devil:
1Jn 3:5 You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.
1Jn 3:6 Whoever remains in him does not sin. Whoever sins has not seen him and does not know him.
1Jn 3:7 Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
1Jn 3:8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil.
1Jn 3:9 Whoever is born of God does not commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
1Jn 3:10 In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever does not do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who does not love his brother.
Keep in mind with verse 10, loving the brethren is obeying God's commandments:
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is loving God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous.
Regarding children of God not sinning, he said it again here:
1Jn 5:18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one does not touch him.
Jesus was the only one who never sinned, but through Him we can be like Him and stop sinning. That is the whole point of salvation. Jesus did not need saving, but when He saves us He saves us from sin, as it is written: He destroys the works of the devil and again it says: He takes away our sins. You cannot be saved from sins you are still doing (unless you are in the process of learning and overcoming), but sinning and not believing you can stop, makes you a servant to sin:
Rom 6:16 Do not you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.
You said: "And there will never be perfection for us imperfect people, until heaven."
That is a false teaching from Satan to leave people comfortable with dying in their sins, instead of believing in Jesus Christ to deliver them and teach them so they overcome and received the perfection of the body, glorification. Many confuse the perfection of the physical body (Phil 3:11-12) with the moral perfection required to attain the perfection of the body (Phil 3:15). These verses mention two different Greek words for perfect.
Furthermore, Jesus commanded us to be perfect now:
Mat 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
The LORD said also commanded it in the Old Law:
Deu 18:13 You shall be perfect with YHWH your God.
God's standard is perfection, but most have a distorted view of what perfection is. A 5 year old child is perfect if they do the few things they know, an 18 year old is perfect if they live up to the much more they know. Likewise a seedling who just sprouted is perfect, but the flower who does not blossom in their season but continues to act like a seedling when they are not, and they know better, is not perfect. God expects us to live up to the level of revelation of good and evil He has revealed to us.
This means it is possible to His standard. His standard is living up to the measure of truth and light we have been taught. This is why Noah and Job were perfect (Gen 6:9, Job 1:8). This means whatever sins you know you are battling with, if you go to Him and receive teaching on how to overcome after being delivered and maintain, you are perfect in His sight. If in a few months He points out something knew, you are expected to then learn and live up to the new teaching you received. If you continue in any sins you know are wrong, then you are not perfect, in sin and need to repent and learn from the Grace of God. If you mess up it is not a big deal, return to Jesus because Grace increases, meaning you can learn from your mistakes:
Rom 5:20 The law came in besides, that the trespass would abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly;
You said this and YOU ARE RIGHT: "Admitting your sin, confessing your sin, being a complete human and humbling yourself to God our savior."
The only thing you are missing that people should do after this is learn from the Grace of God to learn how to stop doing those sins:
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God bringing salvation has appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present age;
Joh 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.
1Jn 2:27 As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you do not need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him.
1Jn 2:28 Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
1Jn 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does righteousness has been born of him.
You said: "He died for all sin past, present and future."
Technically the Bible does not say this. It says He died for our past sins, sins we repented of, and His sacrifice also cover ignorant sins, but the Holy Spirit will eventually reveal those as we grow in Grace and then we will be accountable for them, to repent and learn to overcome. But as for sins we know are sins, sins we know are wrong, that we still do and continue doing knowing its wrong, this is what the Bible says:
Heb 10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28 A man who disregards Moses' law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses.
Heb 10:29 How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has abused the Spirit of grace?
It's abuse to the Spirit of Grace because as I mentioned and quoted above, it is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Grace who teaches us how to stop sinning so we have no excuse to continue in sin.
As for the tribulation, my playlist above explains we are in the tribulation now, and the last hour is coming where it is about to get worse. One of the marks of knowing we are in the tribulation is that fact most are apostate, they do not believe we can stop sinning, they trust the false christ, the man of sin, who tolerates sin. Also, the Dome of the Rock on the temple mount which has been there sinc 691AD. The great tribulation is great both in intensity and length of time.
It sounds like your biggest hindrance is not believing we can completely cease from sin now and be perfect. This means you currently do not completely believe that Jesus Christ is powerful enough and willing to completely deliver you, transform you and teach you how to live and walk as He did:
1Jn 2:3 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments.
1Jn 2:4 One who says, "I know him," and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jn 2:5 But whoever keeps his word, God's love has most certainly been perfected in him. This is how we know that we are in him:
1Jn 2:6 he who says he remains in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked.
Once you repent of unbelief of this, then you will begin to walk in that direction. Jesus said the way is narrow and few find it. I am a living testimony of this. If you actually want to stop sinning and believe we can stop sinning, Jesus will teach you, this is what it means to have eternal life:
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Joh 12:50 I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak."
Joh 17:3 This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
The free gift of Eternal life is the commandments of God written in us (that's what makes it a gift, it lives in us now - 1 John 3:9) and knowing God and Jesus Christ, we know we know Him if we obey His commandments, eternal life, Jesus Christ is that life. His Commandments, His Words, Eternal Life, destroy sin and death.
If we truly believe in Jesus Christ, we will obey Him and cease from sin:
Joh 3:36 One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."
-Jesus bless you.
