You misquoted pickles she said "if only" meaning that we should be aware how our sin affects others. You misquote her and say "only" meaning we should abstain from sin only for the sake of others. You reposted and removed the word "if" to make an argument.
I didn't misquote anything. My post clearly has the full quote verbatim at the top.
It shows me how and why, the avoidence of sin is so important, if only for the sake of another.
By not using the word "if" when I first paraphrased the statement does not change the meaning one iota. The avoidance of sin is very important IF ONLY for the sake of another? The avoidance of sin is important because it is sin which separates an individual from God.
And to say that once we become "the new creation in Christ" we no longer sin or are now sinless is a major false statement. We are no longer slaves to sin as we are now slaves to righteousness.
Paul himself admits that he was still struggling with sin. Let's have a look what he says in Romans 7:15-20 "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree, with the law that it is good. But now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me."
Even though we are a "new creation" in Christ we still have "sin dwelling in us" because we are human. The difference is that now we are slaves to righteousness not slaves to sin. Before we came to Christ we would ALWAYS choose the path of sin. Now we are in Christ so our path is different.
Here you use pure rhetoric to blow off the content of my post. People like you always do this. You refuse to acknowledge what the Bible plainly teaches and refer to other passages which you represent out of context and then use them as if they cancel out other parts of the Bible. You are deceiving yourself when you do that.
Sin does not dwell in us. Sin is not a substance. Sin is a moral issue.
When Paul refers to the "sin that dwells in me" he is using a figure of speech to describe the wretchedness of a sinner brought to conviction under the law. Paul is using the grammatical device called Historical Present to emphasise the point he is making. Paul opens Romans chapter 7 by addressing those "that know the law," then Paul proceeds to defend the law from the charge of "is the law sin?" because it is by the law that sin can kill. The only means by which a sin unto death can occur is through the willful choosing of evil when the knowledge of good exists. That single act cuts one off from God and puts one under condemnation. It is that single act that Satan wants people to engage in because if they do they will perish in their sin.
After defending the law as the means to show men the way to life (the right way to go) Paul then explains that the law cannot save someone for it does not deal with the heart.
The wretched man serves the law of sin because his heart is defiled and full of guile. This is why Paul speaks of freedom being through "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." Which is the same message he teaches in Romans 6 when he explains it all within the framework of dying with Christ and then being raised up with Christ. We die to sin and are raised up to newness of life. We die to serving sin and we are raised up to serve righteousness. It is in serving righteousness that we no longer sin unto death and that is why eternal life is THROUGH Jesus Christ. THAT IS THE GOSPEL. The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which we PARTAKE IN by FOLLOWING JESUS.
You completely ignore all that and cling to "sin we will sin we must" and use Romans 7 and 1Joh 1:8 as proof texts to back it up. You will only damn yourself by doing that because you have refused to believe the Gospel but have instead chosen a counterfeit message.
Jesus said "go and sin no more" and "blessed be the pure in heart for they shall see God." You ignore those words of Jesus completely and instead misrepresent what Paul and John taught.
John wrote this...
Joh 8:32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35
And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Somehow you have been conditioned to reject the very teachings of Jesus.
Jesus said if you commit sin you are the servant of sin. That is EXACTLY the same sentiment Paul gives in Rom 6:16...
Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
The context is OBEDIENCE TO THE TRUTH. In other words it is yielding ourselves to what is right as opposed to rejecting what is right and choosing evil. That is why Paul wrote...
Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
A servant of righteousness is one who obeys from the heart the doctrine of Jesus Christ. In other words it is one who "goes and sins no more" just like Jesus commanded. Thus "disobedience to righteousness" STOPS. Sin unto death STOPS. The Spirit of life IN Jesus Christ sets us free from the law of sin and death, the law which is YOU SIN YOU DIE. We are SET FREE INDEED in Jesus Christ.
You don't believe that. You along with multitudes of other professing Christian's utterly reject the truth and argue in favour of ongoing wickedness.
Here is what you say...
Even though we are a "new creation" in Christ we still have "sin dwelling in us" because we are human. The difference is that now we are slaves to righteousness not slaves to sin. Before we came to Christ we would ALWAYS choose the path of sin. Now we are in Christ so our path is different.
We have sin dwelling in us because we are human? Where does the Bible say that?
You are misrepresenting Paul's words in Romans 7 in order to excuse ongoing wickedness.
Before we came to Christ we would ALWAYS choose the path of sin? So now you only do it SOMETIMES after coming to Christ? Is that what the Bible teaches? NO IT DOESN'T! Don't be deceived by such nonsense.
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.
1Jn 3:10
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
How are the children of God manifest? They don't commit sin because those who commit sin are the slaves of sin. That is what Jesus taught.
Your theology is wrong and it will damn you if you follow it because it leaves you convinced that your are bound for heaven whilst you continue to sin unto death. WAKE UP! YOUR SOUL IS IN THE BALANCE HERE!
You cannot have any guile whatsoever in your heart if you are going to enter the kingdom.
Psa 32:1 A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Psa 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
There can be no intention to do evil existent in our hearts at all. NONE! We MUST be pure before God. That is the purpose of the ministry of reconciliation. We are brought into an acceptable state before God whereby we have no guile and therefore God may then forgive our past crimes.
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Read that Hebrews passage over and over again until it clicks. It describes how we are to approach God in order to be cleansed and after being cleansed there is no ongoing wickedness. To engage in sin unto death after being cleansed is to put oneself in a perilous state. Read it, that is what the passage clearly states. Don't try and pretend it doesn't say that, it does say that very clearly.
Today very few people are genuinely being saved because they are not dying to sin in repentance. The old man is not being crucified and the service to sin is never stopping. Multitudes are therefore not being raised up to newness of life as true servants of righteousness who abide in the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ where they have been set free indeed from the law of sin and death. That is not happening.
True redemption is not happening because people have bought into a false gospel message. A message where instead of having to manifestly die with Christ, it is instead taught that we "trust in the finished work" and that "Jesus did it all" and that "if we say we have no sin (ie. ongoing wickedness) we are liars)." Thus people THINK they are saved when they are still in rebellion to God but their delusion prevents them from truly being redeemed because they reject the true means of redemption.
This is sickening to observe as so many millions and millions of people are going to be damned simply because they refused to dig deep like Jesus said and instead cocked their heads to doctrine which tickled their ears.
Please don't be one of those people. Don't ignore the words of Jesus. Jesus DID TEACH heart purity as being the standard set forth by God. Jesus did command people to go and sin no more. Jesus did teach that if you commit sin then you are its slave but that He came to set you free from that.