Freedom from Sin: Overcoming the Wet Paint Principle (the complete version)

[justbyfaith]

Freedom from Sin: Overcoming the Wet Paint Principle



By Victor Jedidiah



A Blood of the Covenant Tract or Booklet

3rd editiion

Preface

May the Lord the Holy Spirit impart to you what He wishes to impart to you as you read this; and also give you discernment that you may be a Berean (Acts 17:11) and sift it wisely in order that you may receive the truth alone. Receive it as on a par with the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13); and yet if anything be unworthy, I pray that He will show you by speaking to you, what you ought to receive and what you ought not to receive. Even though I am the one who wrote this, I read it again and again to remind myself of its truths.


Body
1
1 I am not under the law, am dead to the law, and am delivered from the law—I am not obligated to obey the law for my salvation. Romans 6:14, 7:4, 7:6.
2 But because I am saved, I desire to obey the word, including the law of the Old Testament—I desire to obey the law because I am saved.
3 If I fail to obey the law, I am not condemned—but because I am not condemned—because I am born of God—1 John 3:9—I will not fail to obey the law.
4 If I fail to obey the law, the Lord will not impute it to me as sin—Romans 4:8. Now I cannot sin because I am not under the law, am dead to the law, and am delivered from the law—and sin is the transgression of the law. Because where the law does not apply, there is no transgression. Romans 4:15, 5:13.
5 Therefore I am perfect in Christ no matter what I do—and yet this is predicated on a heart that desires to obey the Lord and all of His commandments—and He is the God of the Old and New Testaments.
6 Because I am born of God I don’t want to sin and I don’t have to sin. Therefore I cannot sin, not because I couldn’t go down that path if I wanted to, but because I don’t want to and don’t have to go down that path.
7 I am under the law to Christ in that I willingly subject myself to the law of God because I am spiritually-minded. Romans 8:7.
8 Now the wet paint principle of the law might take effect, if I begin to think that I am justified by the law. If I base my salvation on my performance rather than on the finished work of Christ on the Cross, then sin will take advantage of the law and I will sin in that thing wherein I base my salvation on my own obedience.
9 But when I begin to understand that nothing can ever separate me from the love of God—not even my violation of the principle of the law—
10 When I begin to understand that I am that blessed man to whom the Lord will not impute sin—the wet paint principle is then dealt with because its power lies in the condemnation that the law brings to the one who is not counted as forever perfect in Christ.
11 The wet paint principle has its effect because we begin to think that we are saved through our obedience and the Lord will not allow this to compete with the Cross as our means of salvation. So God will allow us to sin so that we will be driven to the Cross as the only remedy for sin.
12 When we stay on the Cross as the only remedy for sin, then it truly acts as the remedy for sin at every level, and obedience is produced within us because we are born of God and are abiding in Him.
13 As those who are abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are subject in our minds to the law of God for that we are not carnally-minded. Romans 8:7.
14 The wet paint principle might begin to take effect any time our focus is on the law—our key to victory being the understanding that I am not saved through law-keeping but through faith in what Christ has done for me.
15 Therefore I obey the law because I am in love with Jesus Christ—and I love Him because He first loved me.
16 I do not obey the law in order to be justified. If I did that, I would be obligated to obey the whole law and would be fallen from grace.
17 But grace has as its effect in my life deliverance from sin—and sin is the transgression of the law.
18 Therefore because I am delivered from sin by the grace of God, I obey the law because obedience to the law is the antonym of its transgression.
19 I obey the word of God because He has redeemed me and because I love Him, with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Because I love Him, I love my neighbor as myself—and on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. And these two are one, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
20 His commandments are not grievous or burdensome—1 John 5:3—and this means they are doable.
21 As one who is born of God, I cannot sin because love is the fulfilling of the law and is also shed abroad in my heart through the infilling of the Holy Ghost.
22 Sin is the transgression of the law, and as long as the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in me, I do not sin.
23 Wherefore if I walk in love I will fulfill the law: for walking in the flesh is the antithesis of love.
24 Therefore I do not sin as long as I am walking according to love.
25 Now I study the law in order that I might learn of the specifics of the love of God. As I read and study, I learn what it means to love the Lord my God with all of my heart, mind, soul, and strength—and my neighbor as myself—in more specific ways. I learn the details of how to love God and neighbor by studying the law.
26 And by the law is the knowledge of sin. Therefore when I place my trust in Christ and allow Him to live His life in me and through me, I will walk according to the details of God’s love. But if my trust is not in Christ, the wet paint principle will come into effect, and I will sin against those details of obedience on which I begin to predicate my salvation. And the law will condemn me as a sinner.
27 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John 3:9.
28 Therefore the one who is a saint cannot be a sinner.
29 I am therefore made perfect for ever through faith in Jesus Christ; and this righteousness is not based in the law.
30 I am counted as perfect in Christ because I am born of God; and this means I desire to obey the Lord perfectly.
31 Therefore I obey Jesus because I want to, not because I have to.
32 The law cannot condemn me as long as I place my faith and trust in Christ.
33 Because I am not under the law, am dead to the law, and am delivered from the law, the Father sees me as perfect and I am therefore set free to obey the law to the best of my ability apart from fear of condemnation.
34 The wet paint principle is also stripped of its power because I know that I am accepted in the Beloved.

2
1 God sees me as perfect and I am growing up into the finished product seen by the Lord—I am growing up into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
2 And in my heart I am already perfected because there He has placed the fullness of His love.
3 I am righteous in His sight, even as He is righteous, and therefore I practice righteousness. 1 John 3:7.
4 All things are naked and opened and laid bare before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:13.
5 Therefore if I am righteous in His sight, I am truly righteous—and this will bear itself out in the way that I behave.
6 He has given me the free gift of righteousness which I receive through faith in His shed blood upon the Cross. Romans 5:9, 5:17
7 As through the disobedience of Adam many were made sinners, so through the obedience of Jesus Christ many are made righteous—and this is the free gift of God received by faith in what Christ did for us on the Cross. Romans 5:19, 5:15-16.
8 He has chosen us in Him from before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Ephesians 1:4.
9 He is making us into a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that we should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27.
10 He sanctifies and cleanses us with the washing of water by the word—and His blood also sanctifieth us and cleanseth us from all sin. Ephesians 5:26, Hebrews 13:12, 1 John 1:7.
11 He gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:14.
12 To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted to him as righteousness. Romans 4:5.
13 Therefore it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by His mercy that He has saved us, through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Titus 3:5.
14 And faith without works is dead, because all who have been saved through faith are transformed within and this produces attitudes and behavior conducive to good works.
15 If I sin willfully after receiving the full knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of the judgment and fiery indignation that will consume the enemies of God.
16 Jesus said, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me: and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
17 Therefore if I desire to and am able to come to Christ in repentance, I have not willfully sinned against Him as one who knows the truth in all of its fullness.
18 If I say, I did not know the truth, and therefore I had license to sin willfully, will not God say that I willfully ignored the truth?
19 Therefore in knowing the truth I become bound to righteousness and must not sin.
20 And yet this is to speak in human terms because of the weakness of the flesh. The truth of the matter is that I am no longer a slave but a son.
21 If I focus on what seems to contradict, the gospel may fail to have its effect. But if I receive the message as a whole, salvation will be wrought in me, and sin will be eradicated as a practice from my life. Matthew 1:21, 1 John 3:5-9.
22 He is able to make me holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight—and is it not true that He sees and knows all? Colossians 1:22, 1 Thessalonians 2:10.
23 If I relish a heart of disobedience after coming to the knowledge of the truth, I will find that I am still under the law, and am NOT dead to the law, and am NOT delivered from the law—I will find that the law condemns me as a sinner.
24 But if my heart is a heart of obedience, condemnation is for me an impossibility.
25 Did not Jesus say, “I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish; neither can anyone pluck them out of my hand”?
26 Therefore do not throw away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward; for we are His house if we hold fast to the confidence and rejoicing of hope firm unto the end.
27 Nevertheless it is ordained by the Lord that eternal security is predicated on the body of Christ working together to keep every member in the safe zone so that they will not fall away.
28 So exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin; towards departing from the living God because of an evil heart of unbelief.
29 The foundation of the Lord stands strong in these two things: The Lord knows the ones who are His; and, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
30 Therefore if any man desires assurance of salvation, let him live a holy life.
31 And the root of all true holiness is faith in Jesus Christ and His shed blood on the Cross of Calvary.
32 As many as receive Him, to them He gives the power to live as sons of God, even to all those who believe on His name.
33 And those who live as sons of God are sons of God: provided that their holiness is not cut off from the primary root: faith in Jesus Christ.
34 Herein is power in the Holy Ghost to live a holy life: Christ in you, the hope of glory; the fullness of God’s love.
35 Therefore if I appear to be holy, but this holiness does not come from faith, my holiness will avail for me nothing.
36 For a heart of obedience, if it is not the result of faith in Jesus Christ, is not truly a heart of obedience because in it there is no substance of faith and therefore it is as the outside of a cup that is cleansed when the inside is not clean.

3
1 It is clear that our Lord sprang out of the tribe of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood; and therefore in order to be High Priest, as He is High Priest, Jesus must be High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
2 And the priesthood being changed from Levitical to Melchizedekan, there is of necessity a change also of the law.
3 Therefore has even one jot or tittle passed from the law?
4 Every jot and tittle of the Old Testament remains inspired and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
5 Every sacrifice points to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the Cross.
6 Every moral tenet speaks to me on how to more specifically love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and my neighbor as myself.
7 The change in law therefore refers to the transition from looking to obey a set of do’s and don’ts, to walking according to the Spirit rather than the flesh.
8 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, relegated sin to the flesh.
9 Therefore the law is now this: anything I do according to the flesh is sin.
10 If I give in to fleshly desire then I walk according to the flesh.
11 If I do anything in my own ability or strength, I also walk according to the flesh.
12 And if I do anything contrary to the love of God, I am also walking according to the flesh.
13 However the law of the Old Testament properly lays out, in its set of do’s and don’ts, what it means to walk according to the flesh if I were to disobey any of its tenets.
14 If I disobey a law in the Old Testament that is not fulfilled by the New (in that Christ is sacrificed for us), I am walking according to the flesh.
15 And therefore the Old Testament law is still valid as an old way of defining what it means to walk according to the flesh and to walk according to the Spirit.
16 By the Old Testament law is still the knowledge of sin.
17 Sin is still the transgression of the Old Testament law.
18 And yet in the New Testament we also find moral tenets given as a set of do’s and don’ts that also tell us what it means to walk according to the flesh and according to the Spirit, defining sin for us.
19 Because of certain things the wrath of God falls on the children of disobedience!
20 We are to mortify such things as fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
21 Also no whoremonger nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
22 Therefore the New Testament is not nullified by the Old, and neither is the Old Testament nullified by the New: but the moral tenets of both together produce a codified law.
23 And this is what it means when “the law” is mentioned in scripture: the combination of moral tenets found in the Old Testament and the New.
24 The law says to those who are under it that they are not righteous; sinners in need of a Saviour.
25 But sin shall not have dominion over you and you are righteous if you are in Christ: for you are not under the law but under grace.
26 In that you subject yourself willingly to the law of God, being spiritually-minded, you are under the law to Christ: and this is the exception to the rule, because you are under the law not by obligation but by free will; and therefore you are righteous in Christ because you are at the same time not under the law.
27 Is Christ therefore become of no effect to you because you are not under the law but under grace? Sin shall not have dominion over you; are you not therefore justified according to the law in due process of time?
28 As it is written, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”
29 And yet in another place it is also written, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace!”
30 Therefore I am justified before God by faith in Christ, which produces the obedience whereby I am justified before man according to the law.
31 God knows that I am the chief of sinners: And that I am made righteous through His blood, and that this changes me from the inside out so that I become blameless in the sight of God and man.
32 Therefore in the sight of God I am not justified by the law but by faith in Jesus Christ: for He sees what is invisible and what can become visible because the effect is not very far from its cause.
33 Now I am face to face with the wet paint principle once again, if I begin to think that I am justified by the law.
34 Wherefore, since grace makes me blameless according to the law, I find that I am justified according to the law because of grace.
35 I must therefore consider that the root is grace; and the fruit obedience to the word of God.
36 And if I were to make the root of grace obedience and the fruit of obedience the grace of God in my life, I would have the cart before the horse and would indeed be justified by the law.
37 But because the root is grace, truly by grace am I justified before God and am justified by the law only in the sight of man.
38 And God alone sees the whole of the reality: for man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.

4
1 What shall I say then if I come to Christ as one who is blameless according to the law? How does my life then change? I will count my blamelessness as dung in order that I might be justified by grace, and be found in Christ.
2 If in seeking to be justified by Christ it becomes evident that I am a sinner, does that make Christ a minister of sin? God forbid.
3 For if in my blamelessness I think that I am justified, I might forget that the root of my blamelessness is Christ: even faith in Him.
4 Therefore shall I sin in order that I might abandon my blamelessness so that I will no longer be justified according to the law? God forbid.
5 But I will place the highest value on my faith in Christ and the lowest value on its result in order that I might keep a proper perspective on faith in Christ.
6 If I was ever blameless according to the law, I will count that blamelessness as dung in order that I might gain Christ and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
7 Therefore I conclude that righteousness is imputed to me through faith in Christ apart from anything I might do.
8 All that God requires of me is faith. And my faith is counted as righteousness although I am an ungodly man. Romans 4:5.
9 All the godliness I can muster will never save me in the eyes of God.
10 It is only Christ: what He has done for me is all my righteousness.
11 Knowing this makes me desire not to sin: not because of fear or obligation.
12 But the Cross of Christ consumes me as I realize that Christ died for me and that this is all my righteousness.
13 I am undone: all my self-effort availed for nothing. I see the light in knowing that Christ and His sacrifice is everything.
14 All my righteousnesses I count as dung and as filthy rags as my eyes are opened to the fact of His righteousness and how nothing I could ever do will ever measure up to His holiness.
15 And I simply trust therefore in the complete work that Christ has wrought on my behalf. And I simply enter into His rest.
16 Shall I then sin because I have entered into His rest? God forbid. If we have learned anything, we have learned that the wet paint principle is dealt with when we cast ourselves upon Christ for our salvation.
17 Therefore by trusting in Christ I will find that I have victory over sin; because I have taken my focus off of the law for salvation and have placed it on my Saviour, even on what He did for me on the Cross.
18 No longer must I strive not to sin in order to maintain my salvation; but as I focus on the Cross, my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will keep me from sinning against Him because the Cross is clearly in view and therefore the poison of the serpent is nullified because I look on Christ in faith.
19 And as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, even so has the Son of man been lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:14-16.

5
1 The wet paint principle is the principle spoken of by Paul the apostle, which can be explained as our inclination, if we see a green bench with a WET PAINT sign on it, to touch that bench to see if it is still wet.
2 It is the principle that when faced with the law of God the inclination of unforgiven sinful man is to violate the law because he says, “Why am I not allowed to do this or that?”
3 This principle is described most aptly in Romans 7:4-13.
4 "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in the newness of the spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

 

[justbyfaith]

Freedom from Sin: Overcoming the Wet Paint Principle



By Victor Jedidiah



A Blood of the Covenant Tract or Booklet





Preface

May the Lord the Holy Spirit impart to you what He wishes to impart to you as you read this; and also give you discernment that you may be a Berean (Acts 17:11) and sift it wisely in order that you may receive the truth alone. Receive it as on a par with the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13); and yet if anything be unworthy, I pray that He will show you by speaking to you, what you ought to receive and what you ought not to receive. Even though I am the one who wrote this, I read it again and again to remind myself of its truths.


Body


1

1 I am not under the law, am dead to the law, and am delivered from the law—I am not obligated to obey the law for my salvation. Romans 6:14, 7:4, 7:6.

2 But because I am saved, I desire to obey the word, including the law of the Old Testament—I desire to obey the law because I am saved.

3 If I fail to obey the law, I am not condemned—but because I am not condemned—because I am born of God—1 John 3:9—I will not fail to obey the law.

4 If I fail to obey the law, the Lord will not impute it to me as sin—Romans 4:8. Now I cannot sin because I am not under the law, am dead to the law, and am delivered from the law—and sin is the transgression of the law. Because where the law does not apply, there is no transgression. Romans 4:15, 5:13.

5 Therefore I am perfect in Christ no matter what I do—and yet this is predicated on a heart that desires to obey the Lord and all of His commandments—and He is the God of the Old and New Testaments.

6 Because I am born of God I don’t want to sin and I don’t have to sin. Therefore I cannot sin, not because I couldn’t go down that path if I wanted to, but because I don’t want to and don’t have to go down that path.

7 I am under the law to Christ in that I willingly subject myself to the law of God because I am spiritually-minded. Romans 8:7.

8 Now the wet paint principle of the law might take effect, if I begin to think that I am justified by the law. If I base my salvation on my performance rather than on the finished work of Christ on the Cross, then sin will take advantage of the law and I will sin in that thing wherein I base my salvation on my own obedience.

9 But when I begin to understand that nothing can ever separate me from the love of God—not even my violation of the principle of the law—

10 When I begin to understand that I am that blessed man to whom the Lord will not impute sin—the wet paint principle is then dealt with because its power lies in the condemnation that the law brings to the one who is not counted as forever perfect in Christ.

11 The wet paint principle has its effect because we begin to think that we are saved through our obedience and the Lord will not allow this to compete with the Cross as our means of salvation. So God will allow us to sin so that we will be driven to the Cross as the only remedy for sin.

12 When we stay on the Cross as the only remedy for sin, then it truly acts as the remedy for sin at every level, and obedience is produced within us because we are born of God and are abiding in Him.

13 As those who are abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are subject in our minds to the law of God for that we are not carnally-minded. Romans 8:7.

14 The wet paint principle might begin to take effect any time our focus is on the law—our key to victory being the understanding that I am not saved through law-keeping but through faith in what Christ has done for me.

15 Therefore I obey the law because I am in love with Jesus Christ—and I love Him because He first loved me.

16 I do not obey the law in order to be justified. If I did that, I would be obligated to obey the whole law and would be fallen from grace.

17 But grace has as its effect in my life deliverance from sin—and sin is the transgression of the law.

18 Therefore because I am delivered from sin by the grace of God, I obey the law because obedience to the law is the antonym of its transgression.

19 I obey the word of God because He has redeemed me and because I love Him, with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Because I love Him, I love my neighbor as myself—and on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. And these two are one, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

20 His commandments are not grievous or burdensome—1 John 5:3—and this means they are doable.

21 As one who is born of God, I cannot sin because love is the fulfilling of the law and is also shed abroad in my heart through the infilling of the Holy Ghost.

22 Sin is the transgression of the law, and as long as the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in me, I do not sin.

23 Wherefore if I walk in love I will fulfill the law: for walking in the flesh is the antithesis of love.

24 Therefore I do not sin as long as I am walking according to love.

25 Now I study the law in order that I might learn of the specifics of the love of God. As I read and study, I learn what it means to love the Lord my God with all of my heart, mind, soul, and strength—and my neighbor as myself—in more specific ways. I learn the details of how to love God and neighbor by studying the law.

26 And by the law is the knowledge of sin. Therefore when I place my trust in Christ and allow Him to live His life in me and through me, I will walk according to the details of God’s love. But if my trust is not in Christ, the wet paint principle will come into effect, and I will sin against those details of obedience on which I begin to predicate my salvation. And the law will condemn me as a sinner.

27 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John 3:9.

28 Therefore the one who is a saint cannot be a sinner.

29 I am therefore made perfect for ever through faith in Jesus Christ; and this righteousness is not based in the law.

30 I am counted as perfect in Christ because I am born of God; and this means I desire to obey the Lord perfectly.

31 Therefore I obey Jesus because I want to, not because I have to.

32 The law cannot condemn me as long as I place my faith and trust in Christ.

33 Because I am not under the law, am dead to the law, and am delivered from the law, the Father sees me as perfect and I am therefore set free to obey the law to the best of my ability apart from fear of condemnation.

34 The wet paint principle is also stripped of its power because I know that I am accepted in the Beloved.

2

1 God sees me as perfect and I am growing up into the finished product seen by the Lord—I am growing up into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

2 And in my heart I am already perfected because there He has placed the fullness of His love.

3 I am righteous in His sight, even as He is righteous, and therefore I practice righteousness. 1 John 3:7.

4 All things are naked and opened and laid bare before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:13.

5 Therefore if I am righteous in His sight, I am truly righteous—and this will bear itself out in the way that I behave.

6 He has given me the free gift of righteousness which I receive through faith in His shed blood upon the Cross. Romans 5:9, 5:17

7 As through the disobedience of Adam many were made sinners, so through the obedience of Jesus Christ many are made righteous—and this is the free gift of God received by faith in what Christ did for us on the Cross. Romans 5:19, 5:15-16.

8 He has chosen us in Him from before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Ephesians 1:4.

9 He is making us into a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that we should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27.

10 He sanctifies and cleanses us with the washing of water by the word—and His blood also sanctifieth us and cleanseth us from all sin. Ephesians 5:26, Hebrews 13:12, 1 John 1:7.

11 He gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:14.

12 To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted to him as righteousness. Romans 4:5.

13 Therefore it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by His mercy that He has saved us, through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Titus 3:5.

14 And faith without works is dead, because all who have been saved through faith are transformed within and this produces behavior conducive to good works.

15 If I sin willfully after receiving the full knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of the judgment and fiery indignation that will consume the enemies of God.

16 Jesus said, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me: and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

17 Therefore if I desire to and am able to come to Christ in repentance, I have not willfully sinned against Him as one who knows the truth in all of its fullness.

18 If I say, I did not know the truth, and therefore I had license to sin willfully, will not God say that I willfully ignored the truth?

19 Therefore in knowing the truth I become bound to righteousness and must not sin.

20 And yet this is to speak in human terms because of the weakness of the flesh. The truth of the matter is that I am no longer a slave but a son.

21 If I focus on what seems to contradict, the gospel may fail to have its effect. But if I receive the message as a whole, salvation will be wrought in me, and sin will be eradicated as a practice from my life. Matthew 1:21, 1 John 3:5-9.

22 He is able to make me holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight—and is it not true that He sees and knows all? Colossians 1:22, 1 Thessalonians 2:10.

23 If I relish a heart of disobedience after coming to the knowledge of the truth, I will find that I am still under the law, and am NOT dead to the law, and am NOT delivered from the law—I will find that the law condemns me as a sinner.

24 But if my heart is a heart of obedience, condemnation is for me an impossibility.

25 Did not Jesus say, “I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish; neither can anyone pluck them out of my hand”?

26 Therefore do not throw away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward; for we are His house if we hold fast to the confidence and rejoicing of hope firm unto the end.

27 Nevertheless it is ordained by the Lord that eternal security is predicated on the body of Christ working together to keep every member in the safe zone so that they will not fall away.

28 So exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin; towards departing from the living God because of an evil heart of unbelief.

29 The foundation of the Lord stands strong in these two things: The Lord knows the ones who are His; and, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

30 Therefore if any man desires assurance of salvation, let him live a holy life.

31 And the root of all true holiness is faith in Jesus Christ and His shed blood on the Cross of Calvary.

32 As many as receive Him, to them He gives the power to live as sons of God, even to all those who believe on His name.

33 And those who live as sons of God are sons of God: provided that their holiness is not cut off from the primary root: faith in Jesus Christ.

34 Herein is power in the Holy Ghost to live a holy life: Christ in you, the hope of glory; the fullness of God’s love.

35 Therefore if I appear to be holy, but this holiness does not come from faith, my holiness will avail for me nothing.

36 For a heart of obedience, if it is not the result of faith in Jesus Christ, is not truly a heart of obedience because in it there is no substance of faith and therefore it is as the outside of a cup that is cleansed when the inside is not clean.



3

1 It is clear that our Lord sprang out of the tribe of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood; and therefore in order to be High Priest, as He is High Priest, Jesus must be High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek

2 And the priesthood being changed from Levitical to Melchizedekan, there is of necessity a change also of the law.

3 Therefore has even one jot or tittle passed from the law?

4 Every jot and tittle of the Old Testament remains inspired and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

5 Every sacrifice points to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the Cross.

6 Every moral tenet speaks to me on how to more specifically love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and my neighbor as myself.

7 The change in law therefore refers to the transition from looking to obey a set of do’s and don’ts, to walking according to the Spirit rather than the flesh.

8 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, relegated sin to the flesh.

9 Therefore the law is now this: anything I do according to the flesh is sin.

10 If I give in to fleshly desire then I walk according to the flesh.

11 And if I do anything in my own ability or strength, I also walk according to the flesh.

12 And if I do anything contrary to the love of God, I am also walking according to the flesh.

13 However the law of the Old Testament properly lays out, in its set of do’s and don’ts, what it means to walk according to the flesh if I were to disobey any of its tenets.

14 If I disobey a law in the Old Testament that is not fulfilled by the New (in that Christ is sacrificed for us), I am walking according to the flesh.

15 And therefore the Old Testament law is still valid as an old way of defining what it means to walk according to the flesh and to walk according to the Spirit.

16 By the Old Testament law is still the knowledge of sin.

17 Sin is still the transgression of the Old Testament law.

18 And yet in the New Testament we also find moral tenets given as a set of do’s and don’ts that also tell us what it means to walk according to the flesh and according to the Spirit, defining sin for us.

19 Because of certain things the wrath of God falls on the children of disobedience!

20 We are to mortify such things as fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

21 Also no whoremonger nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

22 Therefore the New Testament is not nullified by the Old, and neither is the Old Testament nullified by the New: but the moral tenets of both together produce a codified law.

23 And this is what it means when “the law” is mentioned in scripture: the combination of moral tenets found in the Old Testament and the New.

24 The law says to those who are under it that they are not righteous; sinners in need of a Saviour.

25 But sin shall not have dominion over you and you are righteous if you are in Christ: for you are not under the law but under grace.

26 In that you subject yourself willingly to the law of God, being spiritually-minded, you are under the law to Christ: and this is the exception to the rule, because you are under the law not by obligation but by free will; and therefore you are righteous in Christ because you are at the same time not under the law.

27 Is Christ therefore become of no effect to you because you are not under the law but under grace? Sin shall not have dominion over you; are you not therefore justified according to the law in due process of time?

28 As it is written, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”

29 And yet in another place it is also written, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace!”

30 Therefore I am justified before God by faith in Christ, which produces the obedience whereby I am justified before man according to the law.

31 God knows that I am the chief of sinners: And that I am made righteous through His blood, and that this changes me from the inside out so that I become blameless in the sight of God and man.

32 Therefore in the sight of God I am not justified by the law but by faith in Jesus Christ: for He sees what is invisible and what can become visible because the effect is not very far from its cause.

33 Now I am face to face with the wet paint principle once again, if I begin to think that I am justified by the law.

34 Wherefore, since grace makes me blameless according to the law, I find that I am justified according to the law because of grace.

35 I must therefore consider that the root is grace; and the fruit obedience to the word of God.

36 And if I were to make the root of grace obedience and the fruit of obedience the grace of God in my life, I would have the cart before the horse and would indeed be justified by the law.

37 But because the root is grace, truly by grace am I justified before God and am justified by the law only in the sight of man.

38 And God alone sees the whole of the reality: for man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.

4

1 What shall I say then if I come to Christ as one who is blameless according to the law? How does my life then change? I will count my blamelessness as dung in order that I might be justified by grace, and be found in Christ.

2 If in seeking to be justified by Christ it becomes evident that I am a sinner, does that make Christ a minister of sin? God forbid.

3 For if in my blamelessness I think that I am justified, I might forget that the root of my blamelessness is Christ: even faith in Him.

4 Therefore shall I sin in order that I might abandon my blamelessness so that I will no longer be justified according to the law? God forbid.

5 But I will place the highest value on my faith in Christ and the lowest value on its result in order that I might keep a proper perspective on faith in Christ.

6 If I was ever blameless according to the law, I will count that blamelessness as dung in order that I might gain Christ and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

7 Therefore I conclude that righteousness is imputed to me through faith in Christ apart from anything I might do.

8 All that God requires of me is faith. And my faith is counted as righteousness although I am an ungodly man. Romans 4:5.

9 All the godliness I can muster will never save me in the eyes of God.

10 It is only Christ: what He has done for me is all my righteousness.

11 Knowing this makes me desire not to sin: not because of fear or obligation.

12 But the Cross of Christ consumes me as I realize that Christ died for me and that this is all my righteousness.

13 I am undone: all my self-effort availed for nothing. I see the light in knowing that Christ and His sacrifice is everything.

14 All my righteousnesses I count as dung and as filthy rags as my eyes are opened to the fact of His righteousness and how nothing I could ever do will ever measure up to His holiness.

15 And I simply trust therefore in the complete work that Christ has wrought on my behalf. And I simply enter into His rest.

16 Shall I then sin because I have entered into His rest? God forbid. If we have learned anything, we have learned that the wet paint principle is dealt with when we cast ourselves upon Christ for our salvation.

17 Therefore by trusting in Christ I will find that I have victory over sin; because I have taken my focus off of the law and have placed it on my Saviour, even on what He did for me on the Cross.

18 No longer must I strive not to sin in order to maintain my salvation; but as I focus on the Cross, my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will keep me from sinning against Him because the Cross is clearly in view and therefore the poison of the serpent is nullified because I look on Christ in faith.

19 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so has the Son of man been lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:14-16.

5

1 The wet paint principle is the principle spoken of by Paul the apostle, which can be explained as our inclination, if we see a green bench with a WET PAINT sign on it, to touch that bench to see if it is still wet.

2 It is the principle that when faced with the law of God the inclination of sinful man is to violate the law because he says, “Why am I not allowed to do this or that?”

3 This principle is described most aptly in Romans 7:7-13.

If you have a way of printing this out, print it out for easier more consistent reading; and also give copies to your friends and family, coworkers and/or simply leave the tract/booklet in restaurants for people to find, or anywhere you think someone will pick them up for keeps. This tract/booklet is the law and the gospel as they relate to each other in scripture; it preaches the gospel by exalting the law and then bringing it home so that the only way in is faith and trust in Christ!

 

[Halbhh]

This is easier for me to understand:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

And this:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

And this really does make it clear for me:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

 

[justbyfaith]

This is easier for me to understand:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

And this:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

And this really does make it clear for me:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

 

[justbyfaith]

Hello @Halbhh

If you read my post in totality, it in no way contradicts any of the passages you just quoted. Did you read the whole of the post, or stop short after reading only the first verse? I think that your problem would be cleared up if you only make it to the second verse. A point to be made, however, is that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. I would suggest that you read the whole post and not respond out of hand.

 

[Halbhh]

Hello @Halbhh

If you read my post in totality, it in no way contradicts any of the passages you just quoted. Did you read the whole of the post, or stop short after reading only the first verse? I think that your problem would be cleared up if you only make it to the second verse. A point to be made, however, is that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. I would suggest that you read the whole post and not respond out of hand!

I read only the first several points, and then it seems too long and complicated. Now, it's not that I'm unwilling to read long and complicated, but we are already reading Paul's complex epistle Romans right now in our Bible study, and it's already a handful! (this is not the first time I've read Romans, but it has been a few years).

I do think, just as Paul works on at length in Romans, for chapters, that it is worthwhile to reconcile the place of the Law in relation to Grace and Faith.

Definitely.

So I don't think it has to be that such a list of points isn't great.

Instead, it hit me in that moment, after reading the first several, that really all we need to know in those crucial questions of salvation, faith, and commandments, the most crucial things of all to know are, at least for me, in those 3 I quoted, and I went ahead and listed them because I didn't want to work through the entire list you offered and there is indeed a lot of discussion here on CF about the proper place of the law, or even what is the law for us now (after all the convoluted sentences from Paul), in relation to the New Covenant, of course.

Paul wrote, I feel, Romans, in significant part in order to help us reconcile the Old and New Covenants, and especially for the Jewish Converts, who all at that time grew up under the Old Covenant Laws.

 

[Halbhh]

I think that for those not involved in doctrine overly, not theologists, a shorter list, more concise, could be useful. But as a long list, perhaps it is useful as doctrinal discussion.

I think maybe I just might read more! I do like the short sentences of it.

...

 

[Halbhh]

I think point 4 can spark endless discussion.

For one thing it seems to contradict Matthew 7:23, which should only be read as a part of the full passage (as for all verses should be read only as part of passages, though some are a passage of one verse). That full passage is verses 21-27, and so crucial for us.

We are to do as Christ commands, or we will meet the terrible outcome of verses 23 and 27.....

There is no modification or exception or 'if' or 'but' on that.

 

[justbyfaith]

@Halbhh

If you are not familiar with the doctrines laid out in Romans, it may even be better to understand them before delving into what my document has to say, which is not to say that you couldn't get anything out of it without understanding them first. In fact, this is written to people who know the doctrines of their Bible well; nevertheless people who don't know their Bible CAN benefit from reading it as it is based in the doctrines of the word: and it actually draws from Romans itself quite a bit. It is a preaching document which I believe has the capacity of bringing salvation even to people who have never opened a Bible; and it will also help you to understand sound doctrine even better if you have read your Bible for quite some time. I suggest printing it out and saving it for a later time, since you are currently busy with the book of Romans.

 

[Halbhh]

We are to do as Christ commands, or we will meet the terrible outcome of verses 23 and 27.....

There is no modification or exception or 'if' or 'but' on that. Grace is that we are forgiven to begin with, not having earned it, even when we were still enemies of God Christ willingly died for us!, and as He says to us, if we love Him, we will keep His commandments.

But when we do stumble we know we can confess and be forgiven, because we learn this in 1 John chapter 1 and in James chapter 5.

It's such wonderful wording:

5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from allb sin.

8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

So, it's both at once -- we are to walk in the light because we are His, yet when we do stumble we are to confess (sincerely) and then we are forgiven.

 

[justbyfaith]

Point 1:4 is not to be separated from point 1:5, I wrote this with the presupposition that readers will believe that context is everything.

 

[justbyfaith]

I believe that our positional standing is secure even if we have unconfessed sin, but that communion of relationship is broken or restored through confession of our sin to the Lord. iow, if I sin I am forgiven through faith, not confession of sin, but I will be out of fellowship with the Lord until I confess it.

 

[Halbhh]

I believe that our positional standing is secure even if we have unconfessed sin, but that communion of relationship is broken or restored through confession of our sin to the Lord. iow, if I sin I am forgiven through faith, not confession of sin, but I will be out of fellowship with the Lord until I confess it.

Maybe.

But....just like you choose to wear a seat belt even though you don't expect an accident on any given day...

So I will do as this verse instructs:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

I want to confess -- that is to truly turn from my sin, to repent -- because I want that result: to be forgiven and to be purified.

 

[justbyfaith]

I wasn't saying not to. . But don't think that you don't have salvation if you haven't confessed every sin. It suffices just to confess that you are a sinful human being.

 

[Halbhh]

I wasn't saying not to. . But don't think that you don't have salvation if you haven't confessed every sin. It suffices just to confess that you are a sinful human being.

I generally agree, though there are some sins we do that are more serious, and those really do separate us from God, and we really do need to confess and repent of those more serious ones.

But if I merely fail to yield in traffic (or any number of endless little sins we may do of not loving our neighbor completely enough) , I don't usually feel a need to confess and repent, though perhaps I do in a way in that I realize I should have been more considerate. Yes, for those little ones, that general confession I think is good, as best I understand.

 

[justbyfaith]

Also, 1 John 1:8 the word "sin" is better translated "offence" so that the whole verse is better translated from the original Greek as "If we say that we have never committed any kind of offence against the Lord, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."

Therefore I believe that 1 John 1:8 says exactly the same thing as 1 John 1:10, and John wrote the latter as a clarification of 1 John 1:8, that that was what he was really saying.

 

[justbyfaith]

bumping.

 

[justbyfaith]

Only 196 views so far for this topic on being set free from sin, while another topic, initiated later, accusing God of causing the fall of man, has over3,000! It shows people's priorities and what their itching ears want to hear.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Freedom from Sin: Overcoming the Wet Paint Principle

See, the problem here is that the author here is saying that one can break God's commands and still be saved; However, somehow this is supposed to magically lead us to obeying God by thinking this way. The real truth, is that if you tell people they can sin and still be saved because God has got their salvation covered no matter what they do, they are going to take the easy route and sin under God's grace and they are not going to obey God (as you suggest). This is why the majority in the OSAS (Once Saved Always Saved) camp condemn Sinless Perfectionism.

1 I am not under the law, am dead to the law, and am delivered from the law—I am not obligated to obey the law for my salvation. Romans 6:14, 7:4, 7:6.

No. Paul is not saying we are not under no Law whatsoever. If we are not under any of God’s Laws than we can forget preaching, helping the poor, and in living holy. We can sin and still be saved. But we know Paul is talking about the Old Law and not the New Law.

How so?

First, Paul makes it clear in Romans 3:1, Galatians 5:2, and other verses that he is referring to the Old Law when he refers to circumcision. For circumcision is a command given in the Old Testament and not the New Testament. The Old Law is no more. This is why Paul says in Galatians 5:2 that if you seek to be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. In other words, Paul is condemning “Circumcision Salvationism.”

Second, the New Testament tells us about God’s Laws or Commands that are unique to the New Covenant or about God’s Eternal Moral Laws (like do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, etc.) which have existed since after the Fall of Adam (When they received the knowledge of good and evil). Keeping these laws does relate to our salvation. For the moment one says that we don’t have to keep God’s Laws to be saved means that a person can be saved by doing that which is sinful or evil. In fact, many OSAS proponents tell me that a true believer will not live in a really bad sin like murdering others. They say that if they do, they are showing that they are not saved. I agree. However, it is their wrong way of thinking when they say things like: “We can sin on occasion” or “we can never overcome serious sin in this life." This is what concerns me. As if to justify a little bit of evil is any different than doing lots of evil. For Adam and Eve were separated from God spiritually by just committing one sin.

2 But because I am saved, I desire to obey the word, including the law of the Old Testament—I desire to obey the law because I am saved.

God cannot save us if we willfully commit serious sin against Him.

“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,” (Hebrews 10:26).

Oh, and Hebrews 7:12 says the Law has changed. We don’t seek to build a temple to sacrifice animals because Jesus is our sacrifice. We don’t stone people if they break certain Laws of God because the Old Covenant Commands are not binding upon us. In other words, the Old Law is no more. Now, God’s Eternal Moral Laws since after the Fall still exist. The Old Law merely emphasized or repeated them.

3 If I fail to obey the law, I am not condemned—but because I am not condemned—because I am born of God—1 John 3:9—I will not fail to obey the law.

Yeah, that interpretation on 1 John 3:9 is false because it is ignoring the context. 1 John 3:8 says he that commits sin is of the devil. 1 John 3:10 says he that does not righteousness is not of God. 1 John 3:15 says if we hate our brother no eternal life abides within us. To love your neighbor (which would include loving your brother) is another way of saying,”keep God’s Moral Laws.” (See Romans 13:8-10). This loving our neighbor (which is keeping God’s moral laws) is alluded to in Romans 8:3-4 when it says that we “fulfill the righteousness of the law” by walking after the Spirit. The righteous part or aspect of the Old Law is God’s Eternal Moral Laws (like do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, etc.). The alternative is to walk after the flesh (sin) which brings death (i.e. spiritual death) (See Romans 8:13).

4 If I fail to obey the law, the Lord will not impute it to me as sin—Romans 4:8.

No. That is not what Romans 4:8 is saying. Nowhere will you find the words in Scripture said by this author that says, “If I fail to obey God’s commands, the Lord will not impute that sin to me.” That is false. That is an addition to Scripture that cannot be found in God’s Word. Let’s take a look to see what Romans 4:8 really says.

Let’s skip back a few chapters.

“But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (Romans 2:5-12).

Sure sounds like we still have to obey God otherwise we will be judged.

Then why is Paul saying we are not under the Law?

Because Paul said, “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?”
(Romans 3:1).

This is the OLD LAW and not all of God’s Laws and or it is not talking about God’s commands in the New Testament.

For there is:

1. The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.
2. The Royal Law.
3. The Law of Christ.
4. The Perfect Law of Liberty.
5. The Command to believe on Jesus.
6. The Command to Repent.

In fact, Jesus says, if you will enter into life, keep the commandments. Paul says if any man speaks contrary to the words of Jesus Christ and the doctrine according to Godliness, he is proud and he knows nothing.

Okay, back to Romans 4:8.

We see that “belief” is accounted for righteousness without works. This is called the process of Justification. It is having a belief in Jesus as one’s Savior and believing that He died and He rose again on our behalf. This is an aspect of salvation that is not founded upon works alone like the false belief of Circumcision Salvationism. Romans 10 says whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This is where works is not included yet. For one first needs to accept Jesus as their Savior and believe in the gospel before they can do any works. Otherwise, one is putting the cart before the horse. So Romans 4 does not mean works are not required after they believe. Paul was arguing against the false Pharisee religion that Jesus condemned. For Jesus said the Pharisees ignored the weightier matters of the law like love, faith, justice, and mercy (See Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42).

Anyways, when a person says, “Once Saved Always Saved” as a part of their message to an audience and then they stop their conversation. They are teaching a license to sin because people will think they can sin and still be saved by hearing such a message. For do you believe that a believer can sin and still be saved? That is what I am fighting against. God is good and He is not evil and He can no more condone a person desiring to do evil than for rain not to be wet. Yeah, I know. You believe a true believer will in time do what is good and right. But I do not see how that is possible with the kind of teaching that makes an allowance for sin from the beginning. It just doesn’t work or making any sense; And God is not the author of confusion.

Now I cannot sin because I am not under the law, am dead to the law, and am delivered from the law—and sin is the transgression of the law. Because where the law does not apply, there is no transgression. Romans 4:15, 5:13.

When Paul says he is dead to the Law, he is referring to how he is not under the control of sin’s effects. He is not saying that he can sin and still be saved. Jude 1:4 NIV warns against turning God’s grace into a license for immorality.’

In Romans 4:15, Paul is saying “there is no law” as in reference to the Old Law like circumcision.

4 “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:4-6).

The motions of sins which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. Which law? All law? No. The Old Testament Law of Moses because verse 6 says we are to SERVE in newness of spirit and not in the OLDNESS of the LETTER. The oldness of the letter is the Torah or the 613 Laws of Moses given to Israel (and not the church).

As for Romans 5:13:

Paul is making a point that the written law was not in effect before it was given as a parallel of how we are not under the written law of the Old Covenant anymore. Paul is not saying that there were no laws before the written law of Moses. 1 John 3:4 says sin is transgression of the Law; And yet, the whole world was destroyed by a global flood for their sin or their wickedness. Peter says that they were an example to all who will live ungodly. Peter did not say all who live ungodly except believers who live ungodly. The same is true with John when he said, that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8). Did John mention another group of liars who will miss out on the Lake of Fire? Surely not.

In fact, the Holy Spirit will reprove the world of it’s sin because they do not believe on Jesus (See John 16:8-9).

Matthew 7.

Jesus says to certain believers who believed they did many wonderful works to depart from Him because they were working iniquity or sin. Jesus’s point here is not OSAS. In fact, in verses 26-27 Jesus says he that does not do what He says is like a fool who built his house upon the sand and when a storm came, great was the fall of that house.

5 Therefore I am perfect in Christ no matter what I do—and yet this is predicated on a heart that desires to obey the Lord and all of His commandments—and He is the God of the Old and New Testaments.

Look up the word “perfect” at BlueLetterBible.org

You will not find any such word being attached to what is being said here above. Nowhere does the Bible say we are perfect in Christ no matter what we do as long as we have a desire to obey God’s commands. This is a contradiction. The person who truly desires to obey God will not make excuses in turning God’s grace into a license for immortality as some kind of safety net by saying they are saved even if they disobey God. It is still a justification or an excuse to sin. In addition, this kind of thinking makes sin as if it was some kind of minor infraction against God or no more dangerous than a fluffy kitten. Yet, sin put Jesus Christ on the cross; And the end goal of why Jesus gave Himself for us is for the purpose of making us holy, without blemish, and to be zealous of good works (See Ephesians 5:25-27 and Titus 2:14).

As for the statement that suggests we are to obey the laws of the Old Testament (in addition to the New Testament Commands):

If this is what the author meant, it is pure nonsense. The Bible is clear we are not under the Old Law anymore. Peter was told to eat unclean animals in a vision (Which is a violation of OT law). Yes, this was also speaking metaphorically in reference to the Gentiles; But it was also speaking literally, too. For elsewhere, Paul makes it clear we can now eat anything.

6 Because I am born of God I don’t want to sin and I don’t have to sin. Therefore I cannot sin, not because I couldn’t go down that path if I wanted to, but because I don’t want to and don’t have to go down that path.

When John says that whosoever is born of God cannot sin in 1 John 3:6 and 1 John 3:9: It is talking about how a believer cannot sin while they are abiding in Christ (who is the promised seed that was foretold to Abraham). If they do sin again after accepting Jesus, they need to confess their sin to Jesus so as to be forgiven again (See 1 John 1:9). For he that commits sin is of the devil (See 1 John 3:8).

7 I am under the law to Christ in that I willingly subject myself to the law of God because I am spiritually-minded. Romans 8:7.

But based on another previous statement of this author, he says we are still saved if we disobey God’s commands. This is not being spiritually minded. This kind of thinking completely undoes a person’s mindset to be spiritually minded in obeying the Law of Christ and or the commands given to us by Jesus and His followers. In fact, if we were under no law whatsoever, then why would God confuse us by giving us even more laws or commands in the New Testament? There 613 OT Laws and there are 1,000 plus commands given to us in the New Testament.

Anyways, when you read Romans 8:7, you have to read the first half that says, to be carnally minded is death. Verse 8 also says they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Verse 13 says if you live after the flesh, you will die. So Paul is not teaching a sin and still be saved gospel here (that leads to holiness). Nobody can live holy if they teach that Christ’s sacrifice is a license for us to sin on some level. For God cannot agree with sin because He is holy.

8 Now the wet paint principle of the law might take effect, if I begin to think that I am justified by the law. If I base my salvation on my performance rather than on the finished work of Christ on the Cross, then sin will take advantage of the law and I will sin in that thing wherein I base my salvation on my own obedience.

No. Paul was condemning “Works Alone Salvationism” that left out God’s grace through faith to initially get right with Him. Remember. Paul was condemning circumcision (See Romans 3:1). So salvation is both in Justification (belief first without works) and also in Sanctification (works and holy living after believing). Sanctification merely follows Justification. In fact, we know there are several ways to overcome sin according to Scripture and by the power of Jesus Christ and it is not in the way that this author suggests erroneously. For have you seen anyone you know that this method works for? My guess is that would be a… “no.”

9 But when I begin to understand that nothing can ever separate me from the love of God—not even my violation of the principle of the law—

10 When I begin to understand that I am that blessed man to whom the Lord will not impute sin—the wet paint principle is then dealt with because its power lies in the condemnation that the law brings to the one who is not counted as forever perfect in Christ.

11 The wet paint principle has its effect because we begin to think that we are saved through our obedience and the Lord will not allow this to compete with the Cross as our means of salvation. So God will allow us to sin so that we will be driven to the Cross as the only remedy for sin.

12 When we stay on the Cross as the only remedy for sin, then it truly acts as the remedy for sin at every level, and obedience is produced within us because we are born of God and are abiding in Him.

13 As those who are abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are subject in our minds to the law of God for that we are not carnally-minded. Romans 8:7.

14 The wet paint principle might begin to take effect any time our focus is on the law—our key to victory being the understanding that I am not saved through law-keeping but through faith in what Christ has done for me.

15 Therefore I obey the law because I am in love with Jesus Christ—and I love Him because He first loved me.

16 I do not obey the law in order to be justified. If I did that, I would be obligated to obey the whole law and would be fallen from grace.

17 But grace has as its effect in my life deliverance from sin—and sin is the transgression of the law.

18 Therefore because I am delivered from sin by the grace of God, I obey the law because obedience to the law is the antonym of its transgression.

19 I obey the word of God because He has redeemed me and because I love Him, with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Because I love Him, I love my neighbor as myself—and on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. And these two are one, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

20 His commandments are not grievous or burdensome—1 John 5:3—and this means they are doable.

21 As one who is born of God, I cannot sin because love is the fulfilling of the law and is also shed abroad in my heart through the infilling of the Holy Ghost.

22 Sin is the transgression of the law, and as long as the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in me, I do not sin.

23 Wherefore if I walk in love I will fulfill the law: for walking in the flesh is the antithesis of love.

24 Therefore I do not sin as long as I am walking according to love.

25 Now I study the law in order that I might learn of the specifics of the love of God. As I read and study, I learn what it means to love the Lord my God with all of my heart, mind, soul, and strength—and my neighbor as myself—in more specific ways. I learn the details of how to love God and neighbor by studying the law.

26 And by the law is the knowledge of sin. Therefore when I place my trust in Christ and allow Him to live His life in me and through me, I will walk according to the details of God’s love. But if my trust is not in Christ, the wet paint principle will come into effect, and I will sin against those details of obedience on which I begin to predicate my salvation. And the law will condemn me as a sinner.

27 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John 3:9.

28 Therefore the one who is a saint cannot be a sinner.

29 I am therefore made perfect for ever through faith in Jesus Christ; and this righteousness is not based in the law.

30 I am counted as perfect in Christ because I am born of God; and this means I desire to obey the Lord perfectly.

31 Therefore I obey Jesus because I want to, not because I have to.

32 The law cannot condemn me as long as I place my faith and trust in Christ.

33 Because I am not under the law, am dead to the law, and am delivered from the law, the Father sees me as perfect and I am therefore set free to obey the law to the best of my ability apart from fear of condemnation.

34 The wet paint principle is also stripped of its power because I know that I am accepted in the Beloved.

Okay, what is disturbing here is that the author here is using the style of verse numbers for his own writing. Either that or you have done it for him (Which would also not be good, either). God’s Word is unique and we should not act like we are adding verses to the Bible or making up our own Scriptures.

Anyways, I may address what is written here later and I may not (depending on your response). So far I see no difference between what you believe and what other Eternal Security proponents believe. The teaching of Sinless Perfection (i.e. overcoming sin) is true, but the way you are going about it is founded upon the belief of Once Saved Always Saved (Which is unbiblical).

 

[justbyfaith]

I suggest you read Proverbs 18:13 and then read the whole of the document before picking it apart line-by-line. But if you are going to pick it apart, pick apart every line and answer how the rest of the document refutes some of your statements with quotings from scripture and simple first truths.