Are you a Christian?

[Johnlove]

I see I was afraid this was what this was about. i was hoping your question was meant to be a provocative question to make us ponder more on what it means to be a Christian however sadly it seems this is about not sinning and ties in with those who admit they sin not being saved. As I am sure you expected yes I do sin I fail I slip up i am imperfect and am not sinless however if one is to judge another's salvation according to performance then they need to first search their own heart

My thread is to tell people that if he or she does not keep God’s Commandments, and that includes not sinning, they are at best infants in Christ. One can’t be a Christian and also be of the devil. Apostle John told us if one sins he or she has never seen God, nor knows God.

(1 John 3:5-6) “Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin; anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins has never seen him or known him.”

(1 Corinthians 3:1-3) “Brothers, I myself was unable to speak to you as people of the Spirit; I treated you as sensual men, still infants in Christ. What I fed you with was milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it; and indeed, you are still not ready for it since you are still unspiritual. Isn’t that obvious from all the jealousy and wrangling that there is among you, from the way that you go on behaving like ordinary people?”

 

[thepsalmist]

In order to be a Christian you must accept Jesus into your heart with genuine confession of saying you're a sinner in need of a savior. I have done this. Now your point of bringing up the holy spirit is not valid. What of the thief who Jesus promised would be in paradise with Him. It never spoke of the theif ever having received the Holy Spirit yet he was promised heaven by Jesus. So by that logic you don't have to have the holy spirit to be a Christian. You just have to accept what Jesus did on the cross for all mankind.

JOHN 3

5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Scriptures did not say that the thief had received the Holy Spirit ... but he MUST have ... otherwise you make Jesus out to be a liar.

 

[BenFTW]

My thread is to tell people that if he or she does not keep God’s Commandments, and that includes not sinning, they are at best infants in Christ. One can’t be a Christian and also be of the devil. Apostle John told us if one sins he or she has never seen God, nor knows God.

(1 John 3:5-6) “Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin; anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins has never seen him or known him.”

(1 Corinthians 3:1-3) “Brothers, I myself was unable to speak to you as people of the Spirit; I treated you as sensual men, still infants in Christ. What I fed you with was milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it; and indeed, you are still not ready for it since you are still unspiritual. Isn’t that obvious from all the jealousy and wrangling that there is among you, from the way that you go on behaving like ordinary people?”

Sin does not alienate God when such sin is washed in the blood of Christ. As a Christian, as a child of God, your sin while deplorable and wrong does not cause God to forsake you. You are His child, dearly beloved and His desire is for you to be set free from that which binds you. He wants you to walk in the victory His Son purchased for you, and the realization of you being a new creation (having died and risen with Christ).

I can attest to sinning and that very night the Lord speaks to me as His son. Telling me that He holds not my sins against me. VVhy? Because under grace is sin's dominion broken (as according to scripture). That is the paradoxical solution to sin. Liberty!

 

[Johnlove]

I confess that I do sometimes catch myself committing a sin. I yet always repent and change and got much better at not sinning unlike before. I havent been perfected all the way yet but I refuse to call myself of the Devil because I am not. I once was but I am not anymore. Repentance is sometimes a progress as it is the change of the mind and the mind is one of the greatest battlegrounds of us humans.

If you truly have the Holy Spirit you will never be tested beyond your strength/grace, and will never deliberately commit a sin. People will commit wrongdoings that don’t lead to death, and those wrong doings are not sins that one knows are wrong but willingly commit.

If one still deliberately commits sin then he or she is not being led by the Holy Spirit.

 

[rdbseekingafterhim]

It means if you live in sin John. You think us getting saved miraculously stops us from sinning? What about the apostles they still sinned Paul spoke of Peter committing a sin. Does that make Peter unable to go into heaven now.No one can stop sinning, but as bbelievers we are to not live in sin anymore. You are viewing the verses out of context.

 

[Ultimatum77]

Yes I am a Christian, do I act like it all the time? sadly no I fall and mess up as well.....it is impossible to be born into this world and not sin even after getting saved....if your a human formed by earthly conception (sperm/egg) you're a sinner from birth and will always be that way until you die or are transformed in the rapture.....

I laugh when TV preachers say they are a "walking Jesus" I call huge bs on that......no one is Jesus a sinless human-being (He was also God)..... and my works won't save me only Jesus blood/sacrifice can cover my lowsy sin nature.....

This works salvation crap I used to practice a lot till I found that I was killing myself with working religion/religious works and not really living as Christ intended for me to live....with freedom (no not to sin) but not to live with constant fear and condemnation that God will smite me for messing up by telling a lie or something.....

Bottom line is your works/sinlessness won't save you it will draw you closer to God but won't ultimately determine if you go to hell or heaven only if Jesus lives in your soul/spirit will determine that. Jesus knows we are screwed up humans and will never be perfect to his standard./ He does however want us to live for Him the best we can and avoid sin to the maximum while drawing closer to Him.

 

[Blain]

My thread is to tell people that if he or she does not keep God’s Commandments, and that includes not sinning, they are at best infants in Christ. One can’t be a Christian and also be of the devil. Apostle John told us if one sins he or she has never seen God, nor knows God.

(1 John 3:5-6) “Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin; anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins has never seen him or known him.”

(1 Corinthians 3:1-3) “Brothers, I myself was unable to speak to you as people of the Spirit; I treated you as sensual men, still infants in Christ. What I fed you with was milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it; and indeed, you are still not ready for it since you are still unspiritual. Isn’t that obvious from all the jealousy and wrangling that there is among you, from the way that you go on behaving like ordinary people?”

Even the strongest of warriors fall down and even the most holy of God's children sometimes mess up but this does not in any way decide the condition of one as a believer, if you judge the level of ones faith based on performance then I oppose you because I search the heart not performance and in the same way you are based on works on effort on performance on not sinning as where I am of grace and do not see through the same eyes as you.

 

[Demi777]

Hmm even Elijah sinned but he was so holy that he didnt die but got Picked up straight into heaven..and that was completely under the law without Jesus.. Your missing something brother

If you truly have the Holy Spirit you will never be tested beyond your strength/grace, and will never deliberately commit a sin. People will commit wrongdoings that don’t lead to death, and those wrong doings are not sins that one knows are wrong but willingly commit.

If one still deliberately commits sin then he or she is not being led by the Holy Spirit.

 

[Johnlove]

It means if you live in sin John. You think us getting saved miraculously stops us from sinning? What about the apostles they still sinned Paul spoke of Peter committing a sin. Does that make Peter unable to go into heaven now.No one can stop sinning, but as bbelievers we are to not live in sin anymore. You are viewing the verses out of context.

You are wrong about Paul and Peter sinning after becoming children of God.

You are saying Paul was a sinner even after receiving the Holy Spirit.

This same Paul that wrote the following scripture.

(Romans 6: 11) “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ... “

(Romans 8: 4) “He did this in order that the law’s just demands might be satisfied in us, who behave not as our unspiritual nature but as the Spirit dictates.”

(1 Corinthians 6:9-19) “You know perfectly well that people who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God: people of immoral lives, idolaters, adulterers, catamites, sodomites, thieves, usurers, drunkards, slanders and swindlers will never inherit the kingdom of God.”

Romans 8:12-13) “So then, my brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.”

(1 Corinthians 5:11) “What I wrote was that you should not associate with a brother Christian who is leading an immoral life, or is a usurer, or idolatrous, or a slanderer, or a drunkard or is dishonest; you should not even eat a meal with people like that.”

If you believe Paul and Peter were given the knowledge of the truth, and deliberately sinned, after receiving the knowledge of the truth, then you believe they were condemned.

(Hebrews 10:26-31) “If, after we have been given knowledge of the truth, we should deliberately commit any sins, then there is no longer any sacrifice for them. There is left only the dreadful prospect of judgment and of the fiery wrath that is to devour your enemies. Anyone who disregards the Law of Moses is ruthlessly put to death on the word of two witnesses or three; and you may be sure that anyone who tramples on the Son of God, and who treats the blood of the covenant which sanctified him as if it were not holy, and who insults the Spirit of grace, will be condemned to a far severer punishment. We are all aware who it was that said: Vengeance is mine; I will vindicate his people. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

 

[Sac49]

Ok i see now what this is about. It is about perfection. We are humans with a sinful nature. We cannot acheive a sinless perfection. Thank God for His saving grace! Just because we came to Christ does not meen we no longer sin. It meens that sin no longer drives our lives. We are no longer "slaves to sin". If becoming sinless was what we needed to be saved then we are all doomed. But because of the blood of Christ when we come before God, He will now see us as righteous because of the saving work of Christ and our accepting Him as Lord and Savior. I thank God for what He did for me because without it i would never be able to enter heaven. Without the grace of God not a single person would ever be able to enter glory with Him.

 

[Johnlove]

Hmm even Elijah sinned but he was so holy that he didnt die but got Picked up straight into heaven..and that was completely under the law without Jesus.. Your missing something brother

Yes before Jesus came and gave us his Holy Spirit it was not possible to defeat Satan/sin. Jesus made it possible for us to become children of God by giving us his Holy Spirit.

To believe one can be of God and still sin one has to believe Apostle John did not understand what God taught him.

(1 John 2:5 -6) “Whoever says, 'I know him' without keeping his commandments, is a liar, and truth has no place in him. But anyone who does keep his word, in such a one God's love truly reaches its perfection. This is the proof that we are in God. Whoever claims to remain in him must act as he acted.”

(1 John 3:5-6) “Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin; anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins has never seen him or known him.”

(1 John 3:9-10) “No one who has been begotten by God sins; because God’s seed remains inside him, he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God. In this way we distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil: anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God’s.”

 

[Sac49]

This is exactly the type of teaching that discourages many "new" Christians. If you keep telling them that they are now to be completely sinless then when they "mess up" they will see themsrlves as a failure and "unworthy" of Jesus. We are all "unworthy" but by the grace of God we are made worthy. Not by our actions but by the actions of Jesus.

 

[Blain]

Ok i see now what this is about. It is about perfection. We are humans with a sinful nature. We cannot acheive a sinless perfection. Thank God for His saving grace! Just because we came to Christ does not meen we no longer sin. It meens that sin no longer drives our lives. We are no longer "slaves to sin". If becoming sinless was what we needed to be saved then we are all doomed. But because of the blood of Christ when we come before God, He will now see us as righteous because of the saving work of Christ and our accepting Him as Lord and Savior. I thank God for what He did for me because without it i would never be able to enter heaven. Without the grace of God not a single person would ever be able to enter glory with Him.

Sadly yes it's about perfection there are those out there who preach and teach on perfection some are very hardcore and no matter what you say or what scriptures you show them they will remain sinless in their own minds and will not admit they sin ever, I have met some who when shown their sinless doctrine flawed and shown that they are not perfect waver a bit going from I never sin ever to I sin sometimes but for the most part I don't and continue to preach perfection.

These kind of mindsets with or without being aware are based on works on efforts and do not know or understand God's grace, these people and those who live under grace are the very image of the pharisee and the tax collector Jesus spoke of, of course like the pharisee they are unaware of the state of their heart and the chains they put on themselves.

 

[Demi777]

Elijah was a sinner that only had God the father. He didnt have a savior but he yet made it. Its the best example that God is NOT ONLY about our negative works of the flesh or positive. Its also faith and trying and striving to/for perfection because in the end its all about grace....

Yes before Jesus came and gave us his Holy Spirit it was not possible to defeat Satan/sin. Jesus made it possible for us to become children of God by giving us his Holy Spirit.

To believe one can be of God and still sin one has to believe Apostle John did not understand what God taught him.

(1 John 2:5 -6) “Whoever says, 'I know him' without keeping his commandments, is a liar, and truth has no place in him. But anyone who does keep his word, in such a one God's love truly reaches its perfection. This is the proof that we are in God. Whoever claims to remain in him must act as he acted.”

(1 John 3:5-6) “Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin; anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins has never seen him or known him.”

(1 John 3:9-10) “No one who has been begotten by God sins; because God’s seed remains inside him, he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God. In this way we distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil: anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God’s.”

 

[Johnlove]

Ok i see now what this is about. It is about perfection. We are humans with a sinful nature. We cannot acheive a sinless perfection. Thank God for His saving grace! Just because we came to Christ does not meen we no longer sin. It meens that sin no longer drives our lives. We are no longer "slaves to sin". If becoming sinless was what we needed to be saved then we are all doomed. But because of the blood of Christ when we come before God, He will now see us as righteous because of the saving work of Christ and our accepting Him as Lord and Savior. I thank God for what He did for me because without it i would never be able to enter heaven. Without the grace of God not a single person would ever be able to enter glory with Him.

Yes God commanded us to become perfect, and made it possible for us to do just that.


(Matthew 5:48) “Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”


To believe one can be of God and still sin one has to believe Apostle John did not understand what God taught him.

(1 John 2:5 -6) “Whoever says, 'I know him' without keeping his commandments, is a liar, and truth has no place in him. But anyone who does keep his word, in such a one God's love truly reaches its perfection. This is the proof that we are in God. Whoever claims to remain in him must act as he acted.”

(1 John 3:5-6) “Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin; anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins has never seen him or known him.”

(1 John 3:9-10) “No one who has been begotten by God sins; because God’s seed remains inside him, he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God. In this way we distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil: anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God’s.”

 

[gb9]

Praise God, and I do understand.
Jesus/Holy Spirit has kept me clean, and sin no longer has any part of my life.

sin no longer has a part in you life?? well, there's one right here. a big fat lie. for ANYONE who CALAIMS ( because it is not true) to be sinless is a liar.

 

[Blain]

Yes God commanded us to become perfect, and made it possible for us to do just that.


(Matthew 5:48) “Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”


To believe one can be of God and still sin one has to believe Apostle John did not understand what God taught him.

(1 John 2:5 -6) “Whoever says, 'I know him' without keeping his commandments, is a liar, and truth has no place in him. But anyone who does keep his word, in such a one God's love truly reaches its perfection. This is the proof that we are in God. Whoever claims to remain in him must act as he acted.”

(1 John 3:5-6) “Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin; anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins has never seen him or known him.”

(1 John 3:9-10) “No one who has been begotten by God sins; because God’s seed remains inside him, he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God. In this way we distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil: anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God’s.”

These scriptures are speaking of striving to be perfect not literally being perfect, who among us is perfect? Can you say to me that you are perfect and that you never sin or mess up ever? if you cannot say this to me then your own doctrine fails you

 

[Demi777]

Oh and John. In case you dont keep translation in mind. The word that is used for the ''cleansing'' by the blood of Jesus means a processing cleansing from past present and future sins.. So we true believers are made righteous and accepted and made perfect.

 

[Johnlove]

This is exactly the type of teaching that discourages many "new" Christians. If you keep telling them that they are now to be completely sinless then when they "mess up" they will see themsrlves as a failure and "unworthy" of Jesus. We are all "unworthy" but by the grace of God we are made worthy. Not by our actions but by the actions of Jesus.

Defeating Satan/sin is the Good News that Jesus came here to give to us. That is the Word we are to give a person who has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her God.

Jesus Christ made it possible for us to never sin again, and in no way is that a work on our part. Jesus made it easy for us to keep God’s word all we need to do is obey The Holy Spirit. God even gives us the grace to be able to obey him. It is all God’s Work in his Children.

(Romans 8:1-4) “The reason, therefore, why those who are in Christ Jesus are not condemned, is that the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. God has done what the Law, because of our unspiritual nature, was unable to do. God dealt with sin by sending his own Son in a body as physical as any sinful body, and in that body God condemned sin he did this in order the Law’s just demands might be satisfied in us, who behave not as our unspiritual nature but as the spirit dictates.”

 

[Johnlove]

Oh and John. In case you dont keep translation in mind. The word that is used for the ''cleansing'' by the blood of Jesus means a processing cleansing from past present and future sins.. So we true believers are made righteous and accepted and made perfect.

To believe what you posted, one has to ignore most of the New Testament.

You can do that, but if you still sin you are of the devil.

(1 John 3:9-10) “No one who is a child of God sins because God's seed remains in him. Nor can he sin, because he is a child of God. This is what distinguishes the children of God from the children of the devil: whoever does not live uprightly and does not love his brother is not from God” New Jerusalem bible