The Quest for Perfection

[InnerPhyre]

If someone were to stop sinning altogether, it would be THROUGH Christ that he or she would achieve this, so I don't think that saying that it could happen would be to deny that we all need Christ. In other words, if I stopped sinning completely and then said "aha! I don't need a saviour anymore" I would, in doing so, immediately fall back into sin, because the only thing that would have been sustaining me and keeping me in that state would have been Jesus.

 

[Bon]

I don't think that living in the flesh makes us sinful.

Oblio, the meaning of your posts are not very clear to me.
"Living in the flesh" and "Being in the flesh" to me are two different things.

Living in the flesh, is disregarding the things of the spirit and therefore sinful.

Being in the flesh, is just how we happen to be created at this time.

So you can either:
Be in the flesh and live in the flesh
or you can
Be in the flesh and live in the spirit.

By being in the flesh, I speak of the Incarnation, which is literally enfleshment. Living according to the flesh, as St. Paul speaks, is to allow oneself to fall victim to the fallen world and the sin that has beset it as a disease.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.



Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.


Shalom from Bon

 

[Ainesis]

"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." I John 3:9

 

[wild01]

the more things he helps me to overcome the more I realise how far from him I truely am, while I may be able to eventually overcome everything that I currently struggle with I believe that it would again only serve to show me how much further the original gap truely was. even if I overcame everything the anyone in this room sees as sin, it would only show how far appart God and man truely are. heres a good mental picture God says his grace is sufficient, not abundant but sufficient. if anyone has ever seen the opening scene of pirates of the carribean, you probably remember the ship Jack sailed in on. he starts out bailing water, and by the time the ship gets to dock he steps off the top of the mast onto the dock and theboat is gone. that boat was sufficient to get jack to the dock, I think while many of us want to sail in on the luxury cruise ship, we all know how truely far we are.