Is every Christian living in sin?

[Fish14]

I think I haven't obeyed God 100% perfectly even for a second in my life. But that's what I am supposed to do. Am I sinning all the time?

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

I think I haven't obeyed God 100% perfectly even for a second in my life. But that's what I am supposed to do. Am I sinning all the time?

No, because we are justified by faith and the righteousness of Christ covers our sinfulness so that God sees only Christ in us. If we go about trying to be 100% perfect we are trying to establish our own righteousness and that is a filthy rag in God's sight. And a person who is trying to be justified by a moral law has a curse on him. But the Holy Spirit changes us as we grow in grace. You can rest in Christ and what God doesn't like about you, He will change it.

 

[com7fy8]

All of us are not perfect, Fish. If you have trusted in Jesus for salvation and all He desires with you (Ephesians 1:12), I offer that part of being a child of God is we seek our Father for His correction > Hebrews 12:4-11. And possibly you need to not give too much attention to how you still fail. But trust God who knows you, trust Him to change you the way He really wants to.

Actually, His standard is much better than how you might be evaluating yourself! Plus, He is able to bless us with much better correction, than we might try to impose on ourselves. We can have ways of picking and choosing what needs correction.

God will mainly work in our character so our nature is to love, more and more. We will not only gain self-control so we stop things which are making trouble for us and how we might want to live.

But God cares about us, better than we care about ourselves.

And, of course, God is doing what will please Him. But what is good for Him is so good for us > for example > how we become because of His correction and being cured in His love >

"rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." (1 Peter 3:4)

God's gentle and quiet love makes us pleasing to Him, in our character, not only in our acting and how we may tone our voices during prayer! And in His love's "gentle and quiet spirit", we are so specially satisfied . . . in Heaven's own quality of His love which is "in our hearts" > Romans 5:5. This is not how we can make ourselves become, and this is higher and better than our human standards have been; so we depend on You, O LORD our God and Father of our Lord Jesus, Your own Son, for this. Thank You so much

Also, by the way, note how the "gentle and quiet spirit" of God's love is beautiful and "incorruptible". As much as we grow in the gentleness and quietness of God's own love, we are in His own almighty safety so we can not be corrupted by fear or different sorts of lusts. By lusts, I mean different things which can violate us and distract us and deeply degrade us from God and submitting to Him in His peace and how He has us loving any and all people and sharing as family with one another in Jesus.

If we become deeply and pleasantly quiet, we can share personally and intimately with God in His own love. But many things attack us as we begin to be quiet > boredom, loneliness, worries, fears, memories with hurts and unforgiveness, bitterness, frustration, and pleasure desires and wishing for what does not need our attention.

So, feed on God's word, and trust Him to have you succeeding in all He means, more and more . . . as we grow as His children

But, if you read the Bible and listen to real ministers, you might find things which tell you how you are wrong, and this can be very scary and discouraging; but I have discovered something about God's word > usually, when God's word gives a strong confrontation against what is wrong, He also gives a direct or implied encouragement for us to have what is very good, instead, and which our Heavenly Father desires to share with us.

So, by the way, in case you are getting mainly or only guilt and shame about failure, this is not God. Because God will confront how you are wrong, but also encourage you to all which is so better; and He will succeed in how He corrects us. So, don't be fooled by failure, as if it somehow proves there is no hope. But love "hopes all things" (in 1 Corinthians 13:7). God has hope for us. Jesus never gave up on any of His disciples

 

[Ken Rank]

I think I haven't obeyed God 100% perfectly even for a second in my life. But that's what I am supposed to do. Am I sinning all the time?

No, sinning is the breaking of commandments (1 John 3:4). While we are born into sin, into a fallen state, the idea that God will have nothing to do with us is demolished by the OT and God's interactions with His prophets, and with people like Abraham or David. The idea that you exist in a constant state of sin is nothing more than a religious guilt trip. We are born needing to be saved from our fallen state, but God loves us just the same. Heck, that's why He sent His son.

 

[Dave-W]

No, sinning is the breaking of commandments (1 John 3:4).

That is only one part of sinning. There are more definitions.

What ever is not from faith is sin. Rom 14.23
Sinning is also falling short. (trying to hit the bulls eye but missing) Rom 3.23

 

[Ken Rank]

That is only one part of sinning. There are more definitions.

What ever is not from faith is sin. Rom 14.23
Sinning is also falling short. (trying to hit the bulls eye but missing) Rom 3.23

You're right, it isn't quite that simple. 1 John 3:4 and Romans 14:23, I would argue, are nearly the same in that faith is hearing the Word of God and then doing what we hear. So if we do without hearing we sin, or if we hear and don't do we sin.

 

[Tangible]

Of course you are sinning. In the fallen flesh we inherited from our father Adam we can do nothing but sin. But if you are a Christian you are simultaneously a completely righteous, holy saint - not because of whatever you may have done or not done, but because you are covered with the perfect righteousness of Christ.

We are always sinners, but we are forgiven sinners.

 

[1213]

I think I haven't obeyed God 100% perfectly even for a second in my life. But that's what I am supposed to do. Am I sinning all the time?

I have understood sin is to reject God and any matter that makes you reject God can be seen as sin.

He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 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, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother.
1 John 3:7-10