Do Christians Have Power Over Sin?

[holo]

It isn't insight that matters but constant use to train yourself that matters. Any one can be a hearer of the Word but DOING the Word is what matters.

No, it's not about "training yoruself" - it's about being transformed and renewed. It's God who does that. When people don't experience it, it's probably because they're trying to do it themselves.

"Doing the word" is NOT to live according to the letter, but according to the Spirit.

 

[DevotiontoBible]

Then a sinner isn't guilty if he does something good.

You have the unBiblical idea that a Christain is not a sinner even though he sins. So no, a Christian is not guilty if he doesn't sin.

 

[DevotiontoBible]

No, it's not about "training yoruself" - it's about being transformed and renewed. It's God who does that. When people don't experience it, it's probably because they're trying to do it themselves.

"Doing the word" is NOT to live according to the letter, but according to the Spirit.

So what are you going to do now ignore the very Scripture you just posted?

 

[JContinuum]

Your lack of Scripture is noticable.

Read my signature.

 

[JContinuum]

Furthermore: The single most important factor in the heart and life of the Believer. The Believer, not knowing how to appropriate Grace, whether he realizes it or not, functions in law, which only tends to make a bad matter worse. No matter how hard he tries, no matter how zealous he might be, no matter how dedicated he might be, he will not come out to victory, only defeat and to be sure, the defeat will get worse and worse. The only way that the Believer can understand the Grace of God, and to have Grace flowing uninterrupted in his heart and life is to understand the Cross, and thereby place his Faith. The Holy Spirit, Who superintends all Grace, will then guarantee victory in one’s life (Eph. 2:18). It is impossible to have and enjoy the Grace of God, unless one properly understands the Cross. As the Cross and the Word are synonymous, one could as well say that the Cross and Grace are synonymous. The Grace of God is merely the Goodness of God, extended to undeserving Believers. That Grace or Goodness is superintended by the Holy Spirit, Who works exclusively within the parameters of the Finished Work of Christ (Rom. 8:1-2, 11). But most Christians don’t understand the Cross, simply because it’s not properly taught behind most pulpits, and thereby, they function in law, because there is no place else for them to function. It is either law or Grace, and if one doesn’t understand the Cross, which is the password to Grace, then law is the only other alternative. dedicated he might be, how zealous he might be, he’s not going to arrive at a place of victory by this method. In fact, the hurtful situation in his life will only get worse. Not understanding the Cross, what does the Church do? The answer to every problem the sinner might have, or the Believer might have, is the Cross and the Cross alone! The Cross is not a confused, convoluted theory, but is rather the answer to man’s dilemma, as given to us by the Lord. In other words, what Jesus did at the Cross addressed every single problem that faces humanity,

 

[holo]

You have the unBiblical idea that a Christain is not a sinner even though he sins. So no, a Christian is not guilty if he doesn't sin.

You have the wrong idea about righteousness.

You're not righteous because of how you behave. Your behaviour has never added a speck to your righteousness. You righteousness is Christ. Your ENTIRE righteousness is Christ.

When you were a sinner, you were a sinner because you were BORN a sinner. Now that you are a saint, you are a saint because you've been born again.

You sinned because you were a sinner, not the other way around. The reason you still sin is because you don't realize who you really are.

 

[holo]

So what are you going to do now ignore the very Scripture you just posted?

What do you mean?

 

[Heartland]

You have the wrong idea about righteousness.

You're not righteous because of how you behave. Your behaviour has never added a speck to your righteousness. You righteousness is Christ. Your ENTIRE righteousness is Christ.

When you were a sinner, you were a sinner because you were BORN a sinner. Now that you are a saint, you are a saint because you've been born again.

You sinned because you were a sinner, not the other way around. The reason you still sin is because you don't realize who you really are.

Amen. We are called to Life, not death.

 

[DevotiontoBible]

You have the wrong idea about righteousness.

You're not righteous because of how you behave. Your behaviour has never added a speck to your righteousness. You righteousness is Christ. Your ENTIRE righteousness is Christ.

When you were a sinner, you were a sinner because you were BORN a sinner. Now that you are a saint, you are a saint because you've been born again.

You sinned because you were a sinner, not the other way around. The reason you still sin is because you don't realize who you really are.

Righteousness is DOING right. Committing sins is not righteousness, that is wickedness. Christianity is not living wickedly while calling yourself righteous.

 

[holo]

Righteousness is DOING right. Committing sins is not righteousness that is wickedness. Christianity is not living wickedly while calling yourself righteous.

Yes, righteousness is DOING right, therefore our only chance of righteousness is to receive the righteousness of Christ, who is the only one who ever DID 100% righteously. Or do you think God's standard is so low that you are actually meeting it with your behaviour?

 

[DevotiontoBible]

Yes, righteousness is DOING right, therefore our only chance of righteousness is to receive the righteousness of Christ, who is the only one who ever DID 100% righteously. Or do you think God's standard is so low that you are actually meeting it with your behaviour?

God standard is high but not impossible. You need to stop dumbing down the Biblical standard of what righteousness means. A person is not righteous to commit sins, they are wicked. Jesus did not die so you can live wickedly and fantasize that you are a righteous man.

 

[holo]

God standard is high but not impossible.

If righteousness could come by the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Yes, behaving good enough for God is impossible. But even if it should be possible, do you think that you are actually behaving well enough to deserve heaven? YOU need to stop dumbing down the biblical standard of what righteousness means.

And who's talking about living a wicked life? Is that what you would do if your salvation didn't depend on your behaviour?

We who believe are made righteous. We are given Christ's righteousness. Now, unless Christ lacks something in the righteousness department, I really don't see what I should need to ADD to His righteousness. But honestly, you don't seem to have (or even want) the righteousness of Christ, but rather your own.

 

[DevotiontoBible]

If righteousness could come by the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Yes, behaving good enough for God is impossible. But even if it should be possible, do you think that you are actually behaving well enough to deserve heaven? YOU need to stop dumbing down the biblical standard of what righteousness means.

And who's talking about living a wicked life? Is that what you would do if your salvation didn't depend on your behaviour?

We who believe are made righteous. We are given Christ's righteousness. Now, unless Christ lacks something in the righteousness department, I really don't see what I should need to ADD to His righteousness. But honestly, you don't seem to have (or even want) the righteousness of Christ, but rather your own.

The OP is about regenerated people not the unregenerated men who try to be justified without faith in Christ. You are confusing the doctrine of initial justification by faith and the doctrine of sanctification. Jesus did not die so you can continue to live sinfully and call yourself a righteous man.

 

[holo]

The OP is about regenerated people not the unregenerated men who try to be justified without faith in Christ. You are confusing the doctrine of initial justification by faith and the doctrine of sanctification. Jesus did not die so you can continue to live sinfully and call yourself a righteous man.

But again, who's talking about living sinfully? Is that what you do, or what is it about?

"Initial sanctification..." well, the bible doesn't talk about "initial sanctification" and then some other form of sanctification that comes later, and/or depends on our behaviour. Christ IS our sanctification, our righteousness is FROM faith TO faith. Christ was my righteousness yesterday, He is my righteousness today, and He will be my righteousness tomorrow. Since I know who I am in Him, I'm naturally free to behave accordingly (instead of acting like a sinner).

You can train a monkey to act like a dog, but that doesn't make him a dog. You can train a sinner to behave better, but that doesn't make him a saint. Likewise, the church worldwide is instructing its members that they are sinners and therefore they naturally act like it. You provided a good example yourself, with your using self-discipline to "better" yourself. That's not what the gospel is about though. It's not about an old man whipping himself into a better man, it's about the old man DYING and a NEW man taking his place.

 

[DevotiontoBible]

But again, who's talking about living sinfully? Is that what you do, or what is it about?

"Initial sanctification..." well, the bible doesn't talk about "initial sanctification" and then some other form of sanctification that comes later, and/or depends on our behaviour. Christ IS our sanctification, our righteousness is FROM faith TO faith. Christ was my righteousness yesterday, He is my righteousness today, and He will be my righteousness tomorrow. Since I know who I am in Him, I'm naturally free to behave accordingly (instead of acting like a sinner).

You can train a monkey to act like a dog, but that doesn't make him a dog. You can train a sinner to behave better, but that doesn't make him a saint. Likewise, the church worldwide is instructing its members that they are sinners and therefore they naturally act like it. You provided a good example yourself, with your using self-discipline to "better" yourself. That's not what the gospel is about though. It's not about an old man whipping himself into a better man, it's about the old man DYING and a NEW man taking his place.

You are not righteous if you are sinning. The Bible never says you ARE righteous when you believe. Earlier you described what a persons conscience does and called it the devil speaking and needs to be ignored, now you are spewing that committing sins just needs to be ignored that it is wickedness and call it righteousness. You are constantly calling what is good evil and calling evil good.

 

[holo]

You are not righteous if you are sinning. The Bible never says you ARE righteous when you believe. Earlier you described what a persons conscience does and called it the devil speaking and needs to be ignored, now you are spewing that committing sins just needs to be ignored that it is wickedness and call it righteousness. You are constantly calling what is good evil and calling evil good.

No, never once have I even implied that sins can or should be ignored.

If you belive that you are making yourself righteous, you don't need Christ, and you're not preaching the gospel. The gospel is God's power to salvation. Your self-discipline isn't the power to anything at all. In fact, your self-discipline is itself a fruit of the Spirit. It doesn't even come from you.

A believer is righteous because he believes, and only because he believes. His behaviour does not change his identity. Just like you can't stop being your mother's son, no matter what you do, you can't change the fact that you've been born again by what you do, either. And you most definately weren't born again as a result of your conduct anyway.

Who do you think you are? If you think you're a sinner, no wonder you struggle with sin. But if you realise that you are in fact a righteous saint, you will also act like it.

But as long as you insist on building your own righteousness, you simply won't get to benefit of the righteousness of CHRIST, which is available to all who want it.

 

[JimfromOhio]

A believer's accountability to God increases in strictness on the basis of his doctrinal knowledge and influence (not forcing) on others. Each Christian believer may fall into sin, incur God's judgment on himself or herself, and feel the Spirit convicting him or her of the need for repentance; thus the believer is simultaneously sinner and saint. While the Holy Spirit is not a physical being, He is not spatially located in believers, but actively located in them, working redemptively within the deepest part of their beings to conform them into the image of Christ.

The Holy Spirit produces as fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. The filling of the Holy Spirit occurs when a believer is wholly submissive to God's work in his life, and results not in loss of self-control, but in voluntary Christlike behavior. Sanctification continues throughout the believer's life, whereby the Holy Spirit moves him toward moral and spiritual maturity. The Holy Spirit accomplishes His work of sanctification through the purifying power of the Bible, using people, circumstances, and spiritual disciplines as the channels through which He brings the believer into the knowledge and application of God's word.

 

[DevotiontoBible]

A believer's accountability to God increases in strictness on the basis of his doctrinal knowledge and influence (not forcing) on others. Each Christian believer may fall into sin, incur God's judgment on himself or herself, and feel the Spirit convicting him or her of the need for repentance; thus the believer is simultaneously sinner and saint. While the Holy Spirit is not a physical being, He is not spatially located in believers, but actively located in them, working redemptively within the deepest part of their beings to conform them into the image of Christ.

The Holy Spirit produces as fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. The filling of the Holy Spirit occurs when a believer is wholly submissive to God's work in his life, and results not in loss of self-control, but in voluntary Christlike behavior. Sanctification continues throughout the believer's life, whereby the Holy Spirit moves him toward moral and spiritual maturity. The Holy Spirit accomplishes His work of sanctification through the purifying power of the Bible, using people, circumstances, and spiritual disciplines as the channels through which He brings the believer into the knowledge and application of God's word.

That sounds good to me.

 

[Heartland]

You are not righteous if you are sinning. The Bible never says you ARE righteous when you believe. .

I have to differ on this one point of your post. The bible most definately says you ARE righteous when you believe. More than that it says: 2 Cor 5:18-2118 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

[JimfromOhio]

I have to differ on this one point of your post. The bible most definately says you ARE righteous when you believe. More than that it says: 2 Cor 5:18-2118 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Spiritually, we are righteous even when we are sinning. However, because we live in a body that still sins, we will still sin. When a Christian who is saved by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, this Christian is living in a new Creature with holy conscience rather than sinful conscience. A Christian is to have the peace of conscience, not war within because if I rely on "self", or "self-will" that we are grieving the Holy Spirit; "not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30). If you keep sinning and not feeling guilty, not remorsing that you are not willing to repent and change your ways, it is a "sign" that you may not be saved.