Is it possible to be sinless for 5 seconds straight?

[NBB]

Give me some scripture to back your claim.

Paul said, that there is sin of death and sin not of death.

 

[NBB]

Paul said, that there is sin of death and sin not of death.

You are not condemned to hell, by a little bad thought, but it is a sin anyway....

 

[AACJ]

And the true meaning of "sin" (hamartia) is "missing the mark". What mark do we aim for? It is supposed to be Christ. If we consider whether we fall short of Christ - in action, word, thought, or attitude - then we sin constantly.

HI,

"Missing the mark" is not the Biblical definition of sin (hamartia) and thus is not the true Scriptural meaning of sin. How secular persons used a Greek word does not necessarily conform to how Scripture uses it. Notice how that "missing the mark" implies a mistake or and act arising from ignorance. That does not describe all sin.

 

[~Anastasia~]

HI,

"Missing the mark" is not the Biblical definition of sin (hamartia) and thus is not the true Scriptural meaning of sin. How secular persons used a Greek word does not necessarily conform to how Scripture uses it. Notice how that "missing the mark" implies a mistake or and act arising form ignorance. That does not describe all sin.

I was referring to the meaning of the word which the Biblical writers chose. Greek is a rich language and there is much to be gained in considering why particular words are chosen at particular times.

Nevertheless, I answered with both definitions in mind.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Additionally (forgive me for not addressing) -

It doesn't necessarily imply ignorance. In fact, I would say that's a very secondary understanding. It does imply that there is a standard we aim for, a goal if you will for behavior and for shaping ourselves (by the grace of God of course and with His help) to be conformed to the likeness of Christ. That's the real thought to be held in mind regarding sin.

There is often a lot of emphasis placed on the legalistic side of transgression/punishment. But salvation (sozo) is just as much about healing as it is about saving. Healed from the effects of sin, which damage us as persons and mar the image of God in which we were created. God's desire is that we be restored to His image and likeness, made really like Jesus - and that is our healing from sin and the whole point of salvation. Not just avoiding punishment.

 

[AACJ]

Additionally (forgive me for not addressing) -

It doesn't necessarily imply ignorance. In fact, I would say that's a very secondary understanding. It does imply that there is a standard we aim for, a goal if you will for behavior and for shaping ourselves (by the grace of God of course and with His help) to be conformed to the likeness of Christ. That's the real thought to be held in mind regarding sin.

There is often a lot of emphasis placed on the legalistic side of transgression/punishment. But salvation (sozo) is just as much about healing as it is about saving. Healed from the effects of sin, which damage us as persons and mar the image of God in which we were created. God's desire is that we be restored to His image and likeness, made really like Jesus - and that is our healing from sin and the whole point of salvation. Not just avoiding punishment.

Thanks for the additional clarification. Yes, there is the element of an aimed-for standard. But it is important for bible students to be mindful of the fact that word studies are limited. Relying on the the lexical definition alone can mislead. I'm not implying that you don't understand that.

The other part of the Scriptural definition of what constitutes sin ("All unrighteousness is sin..." 1 John 5:17) takes care of those things you apparently describe as belonging outside of the Law. I believe that in turn points to Christ as the sole standard by which God judges us.

Compared to Christ Jesus we have all come short.

I believe the Law even addresses attitudes. I addition, it is important to be mindful of the fact that the total body of commands, including those from the mouth of Christ Himself constitute God's Law. But of course you already know that.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Ok so how is a person unrighteous when they sleep?

Not loving the Lord God with all our heart, mind, soul, strength.. we can be lacking in that every second of every day and not realize it, because we are busy with the things of life - or dreaming of it. (In what minute are you certain there wasn't another ounce you could have loved God with?)

We can lack humility.

We can lack patience

We can not love our brothers and sisters as much as we should.

We can do many sins without even thinking...we can dream of worldly things in our sleep too..

I watched a tv and saw a man on the screen with muscles when he took his shirt off and thought he was handsome for which I begged forgiveness just the other day..

We sin. We are fallen.

Nothing we do will ever ever ever be good enough and our very thoughts can betray us.. we are fallen.

Only Christ doesn't sin. Only through Christ do we have worth standing before God, and only because of Christ.

 

[Neogaia777]

First we have to define sin.
Sin according to scripture is, "transgression of the law" - 1 John 3:4

Consider sleeping. Do we transgress the law in the 7-8 hours we sleep? Do we transgress the law if we're praying in tongues, or prophesying? Or praising God?

If your answer is yes: If it's possible to be sinless for more than 5 seconds. Is it possible for 10 minutes, 1 week, 1 year, or the rest of your life?

If your answer is no: Explain how we transgress the law, within any given 5 seconds, while having the Holy Spirit living in us.



And it's not to say we are perfect if we are sinless. Like a girl who is defiled by a man, cannot be a virgin again. (perfect abstinence)
We were already defiled by sin. But there is an argument for being born again into clean garments.

While our heart and our nature is still wicked and has darkness to it or in it, no we really do not or cannot... nor is it while we are still walking in pride... We can be deceived into thinking we can or do, but it itself is sin in disguise...

Until our heart and nature is changed, we are always and perpetually sinning because of it/that, though we may think we are not...

Now, if our heart and nature can be changed...? But, we must know what it should be like to be truly not sinning...? I find the best picture of that is Christ himself, and if we are not exactly in every way like he was/is, we are in sin and are sinning...

So, if your not like Christ, and just like him, we are missing the mark, which is sin...

If you truly want to be sinless, you must be just like Christ, and you must have a heart and nature that is exactly like his, and/cause if it is not, it is sin, and you are sinning constantly cause you are in a sinful state always, unless your heart and nature are exactly like his, your mind like his also...

If it is not, it is sin...

We have sinful thoughts almost every second of our lives, whether we realize it or not... Our thoughts are not pure at all... Until the consequences of the fall are reversed in you or in us, we are in sin constantly and continually...

Unless your "perfect" the answer to your question and poll is "No"...

However if our heart and nature and mind could be changed and changed permanently, it might be possible... But while in this fallen world, it might not be able to "stick" IDK...?

God Bless!

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Ok so how is a person unrighteous when they sleep?

You see sin as an act. I see it as a state of being. Some people seem to ascribe to a theory of punctuated perfection, wherein they think they are perfect in between their mistakes. It's a foolish notion, really. A man proves that he is a sinner now by the sin that he eventually commits, displaying his nature. Whether it takes a second or a year is only a matter of degree and circumstance, but a state of imperfection is a state of sin. If he goes to sleep with a sinful nature, then he is not sinless. If opportunity is the only thing lacking, then his success at refusing sin is meaningless, because he has refused nothing. A rat in a cage is no less a rat than the one crawling up the inside of the wall.

 

[Neogaia777]

You see sin as an act. I see it as a state of being.

Exactly...

And for us who see it that way, the answer is "no"...

Unless you can be like Christ, (God) and have his mind, know the way he thought and thinks (and feels) about "everything" and unless you can make that you, you are stuck in a sinful state of being, and is impossible to not be a sinner (a sinful state of being) constantly and continually because we do not really "know him", (not in the way we would need to to be sinless or for that nature to be changed), or have his state of being in us, and it is not our being fully (yet)...

Very good point!

God Bless!

 

[mark kennedy]

First we have to define sin.
Sin according to scripture is, "transgression of the law" - 1 John 3:4

Consider sleeping. Do we transgress the law in the 7-8 hours we sleep? Do we transgress the law if we're praying in tongues, or prophesying? Or praising God?

If your answer is yes: If it's possible to be sinless for more than 5 seconds. Is it possible for 10 minutes, 1 week, 1 year, or the rest of your life?

If your answer is no: Explain how we transgress the law, within any given 5 seconds, while having the Holy Spirit living in us.



And it's not to say we are perfect if we are sinless. Like a girl who is defiled by a man, cannot be a virgin again. (perfect abstinence)
We were already defiled by sin. But there is an argument for being born again into clean garments.

We cannot be sinless unless we are perfectly righteous. It won't happen for five seconds until the redemption of the purchased price. There is no reason we should not pursue more purity, in fact we should. But thinking we can be sinless apart from the resurrection at the end of the age is delusional.

 

[Anguspure]

You are not transgressing probably, but your state is not totally 100% pure.

In Him it is. Not because of our own doing but because or dirty feet belong to Him. He purchased them with His shed blood and if we belong to Him we have no right to them far less the dirt that clings to them.
This is how Paul can write:
2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV
God made him who had no sin to be sin b for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
....and who would denigrate the Righteousness of God?

 

[DamianWarS]

First we have to define sin.
Sin according to scripture is, "transgression of the law" - 1 John 3:4

Consider sleeping. Do we transgress the law in the 7-8 hours we sleep? Do we transgress the law if we're praying in tongues, or prophesying? Or praising God?

If your answer is yes: If it's possible to be sinless for more than 5 seconds. Is it possible for 10 minutes, 1 week, 1 year, or the rest of your life?

If your answer is no: Explain how we transgress the law, within any given 5 seconds, while having the Holy Spirit living in us.



And it's not to say we are perfect if we are sinless. Like a girl who is defiled by a man, cannot be a virgin again. (perfect abstinence)
We were already defiled by sin. But there is an argument for being born again into clean garments.

Just because we can put on corrective lenses and see perfectly doesn't mean our eyes are fixed.

 

[Dave L]

First we have to define sin.
Sin according to scripture is, "transgression of the law" - 1 John 3:4

Consider sleeping. Do we transgress the law in the 7-8 hours we sleep? Do we transgress the law if we're praying in tongues, or prophesying? Or praising God?

If your answer is yes: If it's possible to be sinless for more than 5 seconds. Is it possible for 10 minutes, 1 week, 1 year, or the rest of your life?

If your answer is no: Explain how we transgress the law, within any given 5 seconds, while having the Holy Spirit living in us.



And it's not to say we are perfect if we are sinless. Like a girl who is defiled by a man, cannot be a virgin again. (perfect abstinence)
We were already defiled by sin. But there is an argument for being born again into clean garments.

We are born cannibals (so to speak) under God's restraints so most of us do not sink to that level.
And this remains with us our entire life. When God regenerates our dead human spirit, he makes us new and loving. And we have a new bias against sin and a desire for holiness. But a battle emerges between the Spirit (Holy Spirit in our hearts) and the wicked flesh that remains unchanged. So while it is possible not to yield to the flesh and sin, it is not possible to be sinless until God cleanses our bodies in the grave, and resurrects them new and glorified to be reunited with our glorified spirits on the last day.

 

[Neogaia777]

If there is even any desire to sin, or temptation that you have to fight against to sin, then it is because, on the inside, we "want to (do that) sin"... and that means there is something wrong with us on the inside, that we are still in a sinful state of being...

So, unless you have absolutely no desire or temptation to sin, your in a sinful state, A.K.A. a "sinner" by your nature, and that is what has to change or be fixed...

Now were all different, so we each have our particular to us, sin, that is our weakness(es)... For some that may be some inner sins, or for some more kind of outer, or outward, or external sins... But, we all fight something, and that is only because we really want to do that or those sins in our hearts, due to our sinful state of being...

Now, you might say, well Jesus was tempted (in every way), but with Jesus the thought was thrown at him from an outside source, but, he had "absolutely no desire to sin at all" in any way... When the thought was hurled at him, he was able to very, very quickly dismiss it or brush it off, or get rid of it almost immediately, cause he had no desire in him to do it at all, and that is the difference between us and him...

Now if we could do that with all sin...? But many of us don't, or can't even... With us, a sinful thought will stay with us sometimes, a lot of the time, and put sometimes extreme pressure on us (to do it (that sin)) (or say it in some cases (that sin)) (or be it in other cases (that sin))...

This is because there is something wrong with all of "us" on the inside... It is also mainly in part due to us "wanting to do, commit, or be", that sin, and our sinful desires get the better of us most of the time...

It will always be a constant battle with us, as long as the desire to do it (sin) is still there...

I think this is a perfect time to inject Paul's words here, the one who called himself the "chief of all sinners"...

(Romans 7:24) "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

All of Romans 7 is perfect for this discussion though...

I'm under the impression that Paul was a bit more knowledgeable, a bit more advanced, a bit more, more spiritually grown up or mature, (and dare I say more honest and less proud or prideful) than all of the rest of the apostles or believers, especially at the time, the time and day they were in...

Peter says his words (and message) were "difficult" to comprehend or understand, and I'm guessing that was even to him (Peter) and the other apostles and followers of Christ or Christians of the day...

I think Paul and Paul's words are of especially, most paramount importance today... It could be that the full understanding or revelation of his words, were not to be fully comprehended or meant (for), or fully understood until a time and era like today...

God Bless!

 

[truefiction1]

First we have to define sin.
Sin according to scripture is, "transgression of the law" - 1 John 3:4

Consider sleeping. Do we transgress the law in the 7-8 hours we sleep? Do we transgress the law if we're praying in tongues, or prophesying? Or praising God?

If your answer is yes: If it's possible to be sinless for more than 5 seconds. Is it possible for 10 minutes, 1 week, 1 year, or the rest of your life?

If your answer is no: Explain how we transgress the law, within any given 5 seconds, while having the Holy Spirit living in us.



And it's not to say we are perfect if we are sinless. Like a girl who is defiled by a man, cannot be a virgin again. (perfect abstinence)
We were already defiled by sin. But there is an argument for being born again into clean garments.

Sin begins with a sinful thought, or sinful thoughts. Thoughts that align with sinful desires can be embraced and be acted upon, or they can be rejected in favor of centering one's thoughts on the words of our prayer in the presence of God.

This understanding is at the heart of spiritual warfare, and gives meaning to Christ's commandment to us to "Watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation". The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The spirit must therefor wage war against the sinful flesh, with unceasing prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17). By this means, the Holy spirit joins in with our spirit to overcome the sinful flesh, with it's evil desires and passions. This is the "narrow gate" Christ points to, that few enter by. The Holy Spirit helps us, but does not choose for us. We choose to move closer and closer to God, by unceasing prayer, which cuts off sinful thoughts at their conception, and opens our hearts to receiving ever increasing amounts of the grace of the Holy Spirit, with it's heart purifying action ("Blessed are the pure in heart, for they it is who see God")

 

[Neogaia777]

You do know that sin is not the number one issue don't you, well not "outer sins" or outward sins at least... The weightier matters of the Law are mercy, joy, love, compassion, faith and hope, and these all have to do with the "inside", or inner man...

I do not protect a false image of myself, or have a reputation that I care about to defend... I have said to God, if I am going to have any image or reputation at all, I want it to true, and a real, true, accurate reflection of who I really am, and not some falsehood, or pretense, or some false image...

How many on here are attempting to project a "false image" of themselves on here...? I think many are, and they probably do this in the world as well, while inside they are full of every sort of evil and wickedness imaginable... Yet, they do not want to be at all honest about that, I guess due to what others might think of them, and that is what of the most paramount importance to them, it "seems" anyway...

I have been honest to fault on here specifically because I do not want to be deceiving into thinking I'm something I'm not, or more than what I actually am... Why would you want people to fall in love with a false image of yourself anyway...? I guess I just don't get I guess, and hope I never do...

That can make you sin a lot by the way, and can make temptations and sinful desires to sin much, much worse, not to mention it is sin to be doing it as well... And if your having to fight that hard against sin, you'll all to often elevate yourself or life yourself up, all to often, "above other people" (pride) to get out of it, and that is just trading more obvious sin, for less obvious ones...

God Bless!

 

[aiki]

First we have to define sin.
Sin according to scripture is, "transgression of the law" - 1 John 3:4

Well, there are more verses defining sin than this:

James 4:17
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Romans 14:23
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

1 John 5:17
17 All unrighteousness is sin...

Consider sleeping. Do we transgress the law in the 7-8 hours we sleep?

You do, if, like Jonah, you ought to be awake and about the Lord's work.

Do we transgress the law if we're praying in tongues, or prophesying? Or praising God?

You do if you do these things falsely, or hypocritically, or outside the bounds mandated in Scripture.

1 Corinthians 14
Matthew 24:24
Matthew 15:8

If your answer is no:

Explain how we transgress the law, within any given 5 seconds, while having the Holy Spirit living in us.

When a person is justified by God as a consequence of that person putting their trust in Christ, they are only forensically so. That is, when one is declared righteous (justified) by God and is clothed in Christ's righteousness, one is no more actually perfectly sinless as Christ is than a person who is clothed in a bearskin coat is actually a bear. The reality is that no matter how "sinless" we think we are in our daily living, compared to the absolute holy perfection of God, we will always be a hot, stinking mess of sinful foulness. We have dark, hidden corners of wickedness within to which we are completely blind; subtle strongholds of pride, and selfishness, and rebellion that exist at such a deep level that we cannot see them. It takes time and the supernatural work of God to reveal these secret nests of evil within us. Sin is also often a familiar friend, it can become comfortable, habitual, reflexive to such a degree that we no longer recognize it for the sin that it is. And there is so much sin within us that we never get to the end of it this side of the grave. This is why we must have Christ's righteousness imputed to us. It is the only way we will ever become acceptable to God. His righteousness must cover us because our "righteousness" will always fall far short of God's absolutely pure, totally perfect, holy glory.

I always cringe when I hear Christians bat about the idea that they can be sinlessly perfect in their living. Such talk reveals a profoundly low view of God's holiness and a grotesquely enlarged sense of one's own goodness. Yes, the Holy Spirit will aid us, He will transform us and cause us to be ever more like Christ, but the distance we must traverse to attain to God's holy perfection in our daily condition - even with the Spirit's help - is so enormous it is impossible to cross. Again, this is why we must be made righteous, positionally, in Christ.

1 John 1:8
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

 

[Brian Mcnamee]

First we have to define sin.
Sin according to scripture is, "transgression of the law" - 1 John 3:4

Consider sleeping. Do we transgress the law in the 7-8 hours we sleep? Do we transgress the law if we're praying in tongues, or prophesying? Or praising God?

If your answer is yes: If it's possible to be sinless for more than 5 seconds. Is it possible for 10 minutes, 1 week, 1 year, or the rest of your life?

If your answer is no: Explain how we transgress the law, within any given 5 seconds, while having the Holy Spirit living in us.



And it's not to say we are perfect if we are sinless. Like a girl who is defiled by a man, cannot be a virgin again. (perfect abstinence)
We were already defiled by sin. But there is an argument for being born again into clean garments.

When we are born again we are 100% forgiven and obtain the seal of the promise the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We now have two natures that fight it out for control the rest of our lives. When we die the old nature is not raised up and this corruption puts on incorruption. The sin that is in my body never sleeps even when I am pure in thought and action that nature has not left me. So what pride I have left and anger and hidden resentment may not be at the forefront of my mind and actions for 10 seconds or even longer but it is always there. The process of growing in the LORD is like sandpaper so at first we may be using 60 grit and when we get to 220 fine sanding we might think we are done. I see 5000 grit for fine sanding of glass n things we never will be done on this side of the grave.

 

[RaymondG]

When one is filled with the spirit of God.....they go and sin no more. This is only possible with God....when He chooses.....as the wind blows....