We ACT how we CHOOSE to act. Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldy lusts and to live soberly, uprightly in the present age. If you want to "act wicked" and then make an excuse that "that is how I naturally am" then you have obviously never repented of your evil and just choose to continue in it. The Bible speaks of laying aside ALL filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, have you done that Vigiliant? This is the kind of question I often ask people like you which is generally NEVER answered. I wonder if you will directly answer it this time.
Did you lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive the implanted word which saves the soul? Did you hear and do?
Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Salvation has been redefined, in their minds, to being some abstract concept or notion. This abstract concept or notion is premised purely on this invention of "Jesus paying the price owed" (which is not in the Bible).
You've just denied the Gospel as clearly stated in God's word and therefore disqualified yourself from having any ability to participate in this discussion.
John 19
30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
"It is finished" is not "price paid that was owed." Here again is just another example of the Bible saying one thing whilst you imply another. "It is finished" was a reference to this...
Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
The death of Jesus HAD NOTHING to do with paying any sin debt that was owed. God freely forgives the sins of those who truly come clean before Him and repent. An individual paying your fine on your behalf does not mean that the fine was forgiven, it means the fine was paid in full.
The Bible says not a word anywhere about Jesus paying any sin debt owed on behalf of the sinner. Believe the Bible, not the rhetoric and stories made up by men.
I know you've heard what I'm about to post said before, but what I've emboldened and underlined above tells me this is another biblical truth you unreasonably reject. The Greek
to telestai (to telestai) translates to the English "It is finished!' But, it also is seen written across ancient Roman tax bills --
ironically, in red ink! -- to mean "paid in full." Tell me, Skin, what was He saying when He said those words from the cross?
I told you and I will again quote what the Bible specifically states...
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
Heb 9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
Heb 9:18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
Heb 9:19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
Heb 9:20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
Heb 9:21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Heb 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Jesus died in order to become the mediator of the New Testament a Testament dedicated with His blood. The New Testament offers redemption of the transgressions committed under the Old Covenant (ie. Rom 3:25 - old sins) and is the means by which we can approach God and be reconciled, hence...
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?
Yet that is not the Gospel you contend for is it?
Instead you contend that Jesus "paid your sin debt" as your substitute whereby all sins, past, present and future are PAID FOR IN FULL and thus ongoing sin and future sin can no longer condemn you. Even through the Bible does not teach any such thing anywhere, proven by the fact that you nor anyone can quote a single Bible passage, you are still committed to this elaborate way of teaching that one can sin and not surely die.
This is what always happens when God’s people get their eyes off the basic truth of the gospel. The simplicity of the message of the cross does not split Christians apart. To the contrary, it binds them together. It is the glue that unites the church. Yet here you are, among others, being divisive, attempting to persuade us that sinless perfection in not only possible, but necessary.
You are the one that brings up "sinless perfection" as a strawman when I imply no such thing.
I contend for heart purity and a walk according to the Spirit through repentance and faith. You are the one who tries to smear such a thing as this thing you call "sinless perfection."
God does not require "sinless perfection." God requires sincerity and purity of heart. God requires that we love Him with all our heart, soul and mind and that we love our neighbour as ourselves. That is what God requires. Why not address that instead of some strawman phrase utilised to misdirect and belittle?
You lie, because you yourself have been lied to by others. Shake off the scales from your eyes! Awaken to the light!
You prattle on about "the service of sin" and can't even find that phrase in the Bible.
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
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 service of sin" is not possible in the Christian. Sin is possible, but not the "service" of of it. Service, in the Bible and in the sense to which you refer to it, is
latreia (latreia) refers only to the service and worship of God. Forms of it refer to public service, such as a tax collector or government official.
The Greek term is doulos it it can be found in...
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
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 term also pertains to serving God...
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Paul connects "service" to "obedience." We belong to whom we yield ourselves to. Yet you claim that the "service of sin" is not found in the Bible?
You accuse Christians of being able to alternately love Jesus and serve Him, and then offer that same kind of service to sin?
No I have not. Quote me making that accusation.
You just make things up.
I contend that a genuine Christian serves God and DOES NOT serve sin. In other words, I contend that a genuine Christian does not yield themselves to unrighteosuness but instead yields themselves to righteousness. In other words a Christian HEARS AND DOES as opposed to HEARING AND NOT DOING.
We cannot serve two masters. An individual who yields themselves to sin yet thinks they are serving Jesus is a deceived non-Christian for we are slaved to whom we obey, either sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness. We either obey God or we don't, there is no middle ground.
Worship sin? Live sin? It is an ignorant thought, devoid of any knowledge of the action of the Holy Spirit within the true believer. In short, with a believer, it is impossible to be so double-minded, as James would call him/her.
Yet Christians do sin. That much is clear in John's first epistle.
1 John 2
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
That is a contradiction. To claim that one cannot be double minded and then to claim that a Christian can engage in sin implies double mindedness. Sin is a CHOICE. Getting drunk or fornicating is a CHOICE and involves free agency conducted through the MIND. In order to yield oneself to sin one must have their MIND set to do so. One does not trip over and engage in adultery, it is an act of the will.
The context opf 1Joh 2 is clearly that of SINS OF IGNORANCE not rebellion to God. Jesus did not cleanse us that we can engage in rebellion to God with some kind of license to get away with it upon a mere confession. Jesus cleanses people so that they may remain clean, that is what a redemption from all iniquity and being made pure is all about.
People like you selectively snip portions of 1John out of their context and use it to justify ongoing wickedness. The context of 1Joh 1:8-10 is COMING CLEAN WITH GOD and WALKING IN THE LIGHT, not ongoing wickedness. In other words, John is teaching that in order to be truly cleansed of our sins we have to come clean with God about them, not hide them. He is not teaching that a Christian will always be wicked, that is ridiculous.
We have an advocate for wrong done through ignorance, not for willful sin. The Bible plainly states that if we willfully sin after recieving a knowledge of the truth, having been sanctified, that no sacrifice remains for sin. You teach the opposite that the sacrifice always remains and that future sins are forgiven in advance. You don't believe the Bible.
A Christian is manifest to the world by the very fact that they do not sin (ie. willful sin) and instead DO righteousness. It is the children of the devil who DO unrighteousness because they are slaves to whom they obey (Rom 6:16).
1Jn 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
1Jn 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
1Jn 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
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.
1Jn 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
You don't believe the above passage and nor do very many professing Christians.
The above passage speaks of the children of God ARE MANIFEST in that they DO NOT COMMIT SIN. That means the children of God do not yield themselves to unrighteousness. The children of God are a NEW CREATION and WALK ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT whereby the righteousness of God is fulfilled in them. CONDUCT is a reflection of the inward state of the heart. This is what Jesus was speaking about in the Sermon on the Mount, we have to be PURE if we are going to see God.
Modern Christianity is totally perverted and preaches a CLOAK for ongoing wickedness. That is why the churches are full of sinful conduct. The gospel being preached in the churches is false. True gatherings of real Christians are very few and far between. The vast majority of professing Christian's are sin defenders who believe in a magic provisional cloak which they think covers their ongoing wretchedness before God. You Vigilant are clearly one of them and I am trying to appeal to your reason.
I have been very specific in addressing all your points to demonsrtate that everything you contend for is infected with deadly error.
John says he is writing to that believers may not sin, but follows that with
" ... if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father ... " and He is Christ Jesus. So again, Skin, your "gospel" is sadly lacking in biblical truth. For it is obvious that Jesus Christ is
not an Advocate for the sinning unbeliever. He must be an Advocate, therefore, to the believing Christian who falters. Making you dead wrong.
Your issue here is that you make no distinction between "willful sin" (ie. rebellion) and "sins of ignorance." Thus you advocate that ALL SIN is covered by the magic provision you believe in (ie. past, present and future sin paid for). The Bible states that no sacrifice remains if we willfully sin after coming to a knowledge of the truth (cleansed and sanctified) but only a fearful expectation of judgement. You cannot engage in rebellion to God and not surely die, the rebellious will be destroyed and that is a certainty.
You have no response for this. I already know that. You will bluster, misquote or quote out of context, obfuscate, twist, even lie.
Jesus was a preacher of righteousness and he preached HEAR AND DO. You are not a preacher of righteousness and you do not preach HEAR AND DO. YOu contend for "confess, trust and recieve" and "sin you will and sin you must." That is not a misquote and that is not a lie, it is not obfuscation, it is not twisting, and it is not blustering. You use such terms, I suspect, as an attempt to pre-emptively negate any response I would perhaps make. Well that is on you.
But you have no response. Again, shake off the scales from your eyes! Awaken to the light!
Be saved!For at this moment, you are not.