Does the Holy Spirit convict the born again believer of sin?
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Right. The old habit patterns we developed over our lifetime take time to overcome. And we have an adversary who is adept at baiting us. Whether we take the bait or not is up to us.
When we "zap em back" we are feeding into our old fleshly habit patterns. All that does is aggravate us to the point where we find ourselves thoroughly entrenched in our fleshly desires / lusts.
James 4:7-8 tells us Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh [near] to God and He will draw nigh to you..
The only way we can resist is to submit ourselves to God and draw near to Him. The devil will flee as we resist. However, notice there is no mention of how long we need to resist. God does not say "resist for an hour" or "resist for a day, week, month, year". So we need to resist as long as it takes for the devil to flee. However long that takes. And God promises to help us and see us through however long it takes. He never leaves us alone to fight His adversary.
We need to take God at His Word, believe what He says about us, and not allow ourselves to be talked out of who and what we are in Christ Jesus. Are we successful all the time? No. But the minute we realize we have taken our eyes off Him and we find ourselves living in light of who we were in Adam, we are to turn our hearts back to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and live our lives in light of who we are in Him.
When we "zap em back" we are feeding into our old fleshly habit patterns. All that does is aggravate us to the point where we find ourselves thoroughly entrenched in our fleshly desires / lusts.
James 4:7-8 tells us Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh [near] to God and He will draw nigh to you..
The only way we can resist is to submit ourselves to God and draw near to Him. The devil will flee as we resist. However, notice there is no mention of how long we need to resist. God does not say "resist for an hour" or "resist for a day, week, month, year". So we need to resist as long as it takes for the devil to flee. However long that takes. And God promises to help us and see us through however long it takes. He never leaves us alone to fight His adversary.
We need to take God at His Word, believe what He says about us, and not allow ourselves to be talked out of who and what we are in Christ Jesus. Are we successful all the time? No. But the minute we realize we have taken our eyes off Him and we find ourselves living in light of who we were in Adam, we are to turn our hearts back to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and live our lives in light of who we are in Him.
Amen to that Renewed!! You just reminded me of a real encouraging message I taped on dvd and listen to very often when I'm home from work. It was about resisting the devil when "fear" comes. I'll try to write it the way it was presented.
How fear causes us to be paralyzed and when and if we do proceed forward in life.,., we do it with grave and fearful caution saying,.... Why should I try this new job? Why should I chance getting to know these people? Why should I trust that something will work out well when it might not and I'm safe right here right now? This person ends up stifled and blocked in their life based on fear. Fear of loss., hurt., shame., lack.
Fear is a paralyzing force. Fear is one of the opposites of faith. This guy was saying; I thought of going into some kind of psychiatric health career but I didn't want to cause someone to be more messed up and ruin their lives..., I thought about being a doctor but I didn't want to cause someone to die if I failed., I thought about going into the ministry., but didn't want to cause anyone to go to hell.
He shared that fear dominates people's lives. How a man he knew so feared the financial crisis and was so afraid of lack for him and his family., he ended up committing suicide. He didn't know how he would make it and couldn't see past his fear.
Without the use of fear., the enemy is limited against us. Just as God needs faith to bring His word to pass in our lives., satan needs fear to bring his words to pass in our life. Fear is a spirit., comes from the outside in. Job said the thing I feared the most has come upon me. But we can say today., the thing I had "faith" in the most., has come upon me.
This speaker said in a sense that fear is the faith of the enemy. Fear can grip a person and paralyze them. The speaker mentions how when something comes knocking at our door and it's scary and seems to be hopeless how should we react in light of the knowledge of how satan uses fear to defeat us?
This man had cancer, of an aggressive kind come knock at his door. With all it's potential to kill him. He had learned from his previous experiences with fear and observations., that most people end up yielding to that kind of fear. Why? Because they don't know what else to yield to. We generally yield to what is presently knocking at our door.
And when we don't know the Word and we don't know what Jesus has already done for us we think that just because we are experiencing that knock on the door we have to open it and receive what is there. NO
We don't have to let it in., we don't have to allow it to move in and take residence. And this is to be applied to whatever fearful thing comes. I'm just repeating one of the biggies that all of us are aware of today and what this man gave testimony too in his message.
He said he believed with his heart that Jesus had provided his healing. He believed against the signs in his body and against what he felt in his mind in the natural of his circumstances. He applied his faith that healing was not made available when he got the diagnoses., healing was available 2000 years ago when Jesus already paid for it.
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ., for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is REVEALED from faith to faith; as it is written, But the righteous man shall live by faith.
So the guarding of the mind is needed. The world is relentless in it's bad news. So we need to take an active part and be a "custodian" of what is allowed in. If I sit around a listen to doubt and unbelief all day., that is what I'm going to be thinking..,doubt and unbelief.
So as a Christian., I'm responsible for renewing my mind. It's exchanging your thoughts your feelings and your opinions for God's thoughts., God's feelings and God's opinions. So when we see that our thoughts are not lining up with His., we change our thoughts., we don't try to change God's word to suit what we think. And renewing the mind is not a one time thing., it's a life time process. We renew our minds so we can .., according to Romans
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world., but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may PROVE what is that GOOD and ACCEPTABLE and PERFECT will of God.
Be CHANGED. but we can't expect to be changed unless we are willing to change the way we think. It's not just "positive thinking" No., it's a "mind set with the Word of God" So the Word of God through your thinking will PROVE what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
As we renew our minds., we begin to release what has already been put in us. We have NOT been given the spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind. The day we got born again., healing was put on the inside of us., deliverance was put on the inside., He goes on to say... I am not the sick trying to get healed., I am the healed protecting my health against sickness and disease that's trying to take it.
I'm not the pauper trying to get on my feet., I am the provided for, protecting my position from who or what is trying to steal what Jesus has already done. I'm not using my faith to try to GET God to do something., but I use my faith as a positive response to what God has already done. Those seeds are already planted in us.
Eph.1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. And where is Christ Jesus? inside you.
The enemy plants seeds of fear and doubt and we can water that seed and we can grow that into all kinds of misery and defeat.,sickness and death.,
Or we can respond and water the seeds of hope, faith, love., and healing that Jesus has provided
He also mentions that it has something to do with the hardness of the heart. Our lack of willingness to see something outside of our usual vision. What we DON'T consider we will harden our hearts towards., what we DO consider., we will be flexible to. Abraham considered NOT the deadness of Sarah's womb. He instead considered only the promise.
So we have a choice., to either spent time considering the problem OR we can spend time considering the the promise like Abraham did. We want to be open and flexible to the promises not the problems. So we harden our hearts toward the problems instead of the promises.
So he said what he did was., each day instead of choosing to sit curling up in a corner in fear., he chose to keep considering the promises in the Word of God. Saying the Word out loud as well as reading it to himself about what Christ has given him. Saying the Word., believing the Word., saying the Word, believing the Word About who he is in Christ. He learned that the reciprocal of fear is not faith but perfected love. WOW
So he also learned that the love of God has everything to do with this fear issue. He learned he doesn't have to fear once he begins receiving the love of God in Christ for him personally. And if God be for him., who can be against him? If you know God loves you so much that He knows all the numbers of hairs on your head (and if your bald he knows the number is 0.) God knows intimate details about us. And because God loves me., what I hope for will come to pass. It all ties in together with the renewing of the mind to see as God sees.
This sets us free from fear and all that it brings. No more fear because perfect love casts out fear. Awesome awesome truths that make my heart light!!
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Either that or you miss understand the text you just quoted.
My point comes from the same book you have quoted as seen here:
1Jn 3:9 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.
The context is quite clear that it is the one who is born again who does not sin.
I would suggest that your text is referring to those who are yet to be born again.
While John is clearly talking to people who believe Jesus to be the messiah, the bible is clear that this does not automatically equal born again. In fact John says this prior to the text you quoted:
1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Notice the reason that John is writing this to them: that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
If they already had fellowship with them and God then they would not need this.
The point is simple, one has to admit that they are a sinner and have sinned in order to receive forgiveness and cleansing as it is written:
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Everyone who is born again goes through repentance and is given the Spirit which cleanses the soul from sin that they may walk holy and blameless before the Lord in the Grace of Christ Jesus. This takes of course Faith in the work of Jesus to forgive and also to cleanse. Praise Jesus, He is able.
Blessings
My point comes from the same book you have quoted as seen here:
1Jn 3:9 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.
The context is quite clear that it is the one who is born again who does not sin.
I would suggest that your text is referring to those who are yet to be born again.
While John is clearly talking to people who believe Jesus to be the messiah, the bible is clear that this does not automatically equal born again. In fact John says this prior to the text you quoted:
1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Notice the reason that John is writing this to them: that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
If they already had fellowship with them and God then they would not need this.
The point is simple, one has to admit that they are a sinner and have sinned in order to receive forgiveness and cleansing as it is written:
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Everyone who is born again goes through repentance and is given the Spirit which cleanses the soul from sin that they may walk holy and blameless before the Lord in the Grace of Christ Jesus. This takes of course Faith in the work of Jesus to forgive and also to cleanse. Praise Jesus, He is able.
Blessings
[TABLE="class: passage-cols"]
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[TD="class: passage-col col-xs-12 first last"]1 John 1King James Version (KJV)
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
John is saying all have sinned so don't say you haven't.. but if you confess He is Faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us..
So like gotime states it is those yet to Repent and believe.
So you can not walk in darkness yet claim to believe the Light...
[TR]
[TD="class: passage-col col-xs-12 first last"]1 John 1King James Version (KJV)
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
John is saying all have sinned so don't say you haven't.. but if you confess He is Faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us..
So like gotime states it is those yet to Repent and believe.
So you can not walk in darkness yet claim to believe the Light...
Amen, it does however bare saying that anyone can have a conscience. Atheists, Muslims, Buddhists too.
They do not have the Holy Spirit living in them.
It's not about the conscience mind, which is where the conscience "lives", it's about living in the Spirit.
It is not necessarily the feeling bad about sin action (although one mostly does), it is about the solution to sin, and us relationally looking to Him as we live our lives. Him through us, and us in Him, the all encompassing "abiding"
The more we look to Him, the less we look to sin.
They do not have the Holy Spirit living in them.
It's not about the conscience mind, which is where the conscience "lives", it's about living in the Spirit.
It is not necessarily the feeling bad about sin action (although one mostly does), it is about the solution to sin, and us relationally looking to Him as we live our lives. Him through us, and us in Him, the all encompassing "abiding"
The more we look to Him, the less we look to sin.
I know some argue against this point, but will make it again...
a. It is the spirit that has been born again of incorruptible seed by the Spirt of God that does not sin in the believer
b. The body is dead because of sin, is contrary to God and is not subject unto the to word of God
c. Paul said with his mind he served the law of God, his body the law of sin
d. The battle ground for control is the mind
e. The more the mind is renewed the more control man has and the less he sins in the flesh
f. If the mind is not renewed, the less control he has and the more he sins in the flesh
Paul covers this in the PRESENT TENSE and it is not that difficult to balance all scriptures concerning this when one is honest....
Again, the conscience has a lot to do with it as well concerning how it is tuned by study and renewing and or seared by the deceitfulness of sin and lack of study and the applied word.........
a. It is the spirit that has been born again of incorruptible seed by the Spirt of God that does not sin in the believer
b. The body is dead because of sin, is contrary to God and is not subject unto the to word of God
c. Paul said with his mind he served the law of God, his body the law of sin
d. The battle ground for control is the mind
e. The more the mind is renewed the more control man has and the less he sins in the flesh
f. If the mind is not renewed, the less control he has and the more he sins in the flesh
Paul covers this in the PRESENT TENSE and it is not that difficult to balance all scriptures concerning this when one is honest....
Again, the conscience has a lot to do with it as well concerning how it is tuned by study and renewing and or seared by the deceitfulness of sin and lack of study and the applied word.........
7
so you don't agree when scripture calls strongholds the thoughts in our minds that disagree with the Bible?
the Bible tells us that strongholds are incorrect thinking habits
we tear these down by the word of God, HIS word...we renew our minds with that same word
here is a very simple and biblical explanation about strongholds. I agree with this explanation from GOT QUESTIONS
Question: "Spiritual strongholds - what is the biblical view?"
Answer: The word strongholds is found once in the New Testament, used metaphorically by Paul in a description of the Christian’s spiritual battle: “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses [strongholds]” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4, NASB). This passage reveals the following facts about our warfare:
1) Our battle is not planned according to the way this world fights; earthly stratagems are not our concern.
2) Our weapons are not physical, for our warfare is spiritual in nature. Rather than guns and tanks, our weapons are those of the “full armor of God” and consist of “the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:14-17).
3) Our power comes from God alone.
4) God’s plan is to demolish spiritual strongholds.
What are these “strongholds” or “fortifications” we face? In the very next verse, Paul interprets the metaphor: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). The “arguments” are the philosophies, reasonings, and schemes of the world. The “pretensions” have to do with anything proud, man-centered, and self-confident.
source
the Bible tells us that strongholds are incorrect thinking habits
we tear these down by the word of God, HIS word...we renew our minds with that same word
here is a very simple and biblical explanation about strongholds. I agree with this explanation from GOT QUESTIONS
Question: "Spiritual strongholds - what is the biblical view?"
Answer: The word strongholds is found once in the New Testament, used metaphorically by Paul in a description of the Christian’s spiritual battle: “Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses [strongholds]” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4, NASB). This passage reveals the following facts about our warfare:
1) Our battle is not planned according to the way this world fights; earthly stratagems are not our concern.
2) Our weapons are not physical, for our warfare is spiritual in nature. Rather than guns and tanks, our weapons are those of the “full armor of God” and consist of “the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:14-17).
3) Our power comes from God alone.
4) God’s plan is to demolish spiritual strongholds.
What are these “strongholds” or “fortifications” we face? In the very next verse, Paul interprets the metaphor: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). The “arguments” are the philosophies, reasonings, and schemes of the world. The “pretensions” have to do with anything proud, man-centered, and self-confident.
source
I do not believe I am miss understanding the text;
The Apostle John is writing to believers and to address the false teaching of Gnosticism in the Church. He uses the word "sin singular" because the unbeliever would have sin's plural, not sin singular. So that as you work your way through John's Epistle to the Church "his audience is multi purposed." If we cannot agree on this obvious distinction then there is no need to continue.
The idea of someone walking around considering themselves to be perfect and ready to stand before a Holy God is foolish and dangerous, even a flame from a candle will cast a shadow. "we are deceiving ourselves." Here John includes himself, "ourselves", along with, believer's, "we". He would not say "ourselves" if he was speaking to non-believers period.
The notion of sinless perfection has been around since Cain but it is a false gospel. You are close to the truth but not yet. Try to let the bible reveal the truth to you rather than making it conform to what you wished it would say. All believer's look forward to the day where we do not have to battle the desires of the flesh and the pride of life, but until we stand before Jesus, it is still a day to day battle; because of Christ's blood sacrifice for our sin, we are already there, not fully yet, True Gospel.
Text:
"If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us." 1John1:8
God bless
The Apostle John is writing to believers and to address the false teaching of Gnosticism in the Church. He uses the word "sin singular" because the unbeliever would have sin's plural, not sin singular. So that as you work your way through John's Epistle to the Church "his audience is multi purposed." If we cannot agree on this obvious distinction then there is no need to continue.
The idea of someone walking around considering themselves to be perfect and ready to stand before a Holy God is foolish and dangerous, even a flame from a candle will cast a shadow. "we are deceiving ourselves." Here John includes himself, "ourselves", along with, believer's, "we". He would not say "ourselves" if he was speaking to non-believers period.
The notion of sinless perfection has been around since Cain but it is a false gospel. You are close to the truth but not yet. Try to let the bible reveal the truth to you rather than making it conform to what you wished it would say. All believer's look forward to the day where we do not have to battle the desires of the flesh and the pride of life, but until we stand before Jesus, it is still a day to day battle; because of Christ's blood sacrifice for our sin, we are already there, not fully yet, True Gospel.
Text:
"If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us." 1John1:8
God bless
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HELPS[SUP]TM[/SUP] Word-studies defines "strongholds" as follows:
From Thayer's Greek Lexicon:
I like HELPS[SUP]TM[/SUP] definition – we devise false arguments and seek shelter to escape reality ("reality" being the imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God as shown in 2 Cor 10:5).
3794 oxýrōma (from the root oxyroō, "fortify") – a fortified, military stronghold; a strong-walled fortress (A-S), used only in 2 Cor 10:4. Here 3794/oxýrōma ("a heavily-fortified containment") is used figuratively of a false argument in which a person seeks "shelter" ("a safe place") to escape reality.
HELPS[SUP]TM[/SUP] Word-studies
copyright © 1987, 2011 by Helps Ministries, Inc.
HELPS[SUP]TM[/SUP] Word-studies
copyright © 1987, 2011 by Helps Ministries, Inc.
From Thayer's Greek Lexicon:
2. tropically, anything on which one relies: καθεῖλε τό ὀχύρωμα, ἐφ' ᾧ ἐπεποίθεισαν, Proverbs 21:22; ὀχύρωμα ὁσίου φόβος κυρίου, Proverbs 10:29; in 2 Corinthians 10:4 of the arguments and reasonings by which a disputant endeavors to fortify his opinion and defend it against his opponent.
http://www.blbclassic.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3794&t=KJV
http://www.blbclassic.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3794&t=KJV
I like HELPS[SUP]TM[/SUP] definition – we devise false arguments and seek shelter to escape reality ("reality" being the imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God as shown in 2 Cor 10:5).
Your words; "The context is quite clear that it is the one who is born again who does not sin."
This is a false gospel and can lead to harmful long term effects.
Quote:
"The confession of sins is a necessary consequence of "walking in the light" (1Jo 1:7). "If thou shalt confess thyself a sinner, the truth is in thee; for the truth is itself light. Not yet has thy life become perfectly light, as sins are still in thee, but yet thou hast already begun to be illuminated,
because there is in thee confession of sins", [Augustine].
Attribute: http://biblehub.com/1_john/1-8.htm
This is a false gospel and can lead to harmful long term effects.
Quote:
"The confession of sins is a necessary consequence of "walking in the light" (1Jo 1:7). "If thou shalt confess thyself a sinner, the truth is in thee; for the truth is itself light. Not yet has thy life become perfectly light, as sins are still in thee, but yet thou hast already begun to be illuminated,
because there is in thee confession of sins", [Augustine].
Attribute: http://biblehub.com/1_john/1-8.htm
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