Do you think the inner man and the flesh are the same thing.....?..really?
no - maybe a poor choice - the inner man is being renewed ie it has to be renewed - sin nature/flesh
Do you think the inner man and the flesh are the same thing.....?..really?
Believing a person still has a sin nature is one of the most disempowering teachings today... It shames a person for sinning, but doesn't let them believe they are free from it. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
I know...this teaching that we are still sinful in the inner man is "denying our Lord "..denying His finished work on our behalf..
That is why we are trying to show you the whole Word of God Grace777x70, not just give you half the picture.....
In order to grow and mature you have to embrace the whole Word of God, and part of His Word comes with tough love scriptures that make us examine ourselves to make sure we are operating in the faith.
Paul's epistles were directed at other believers who:
a) were deceived away from the truth by false teaching.......................Galatians
b) thought they could live and do whatever they want..........1 and 2 Corinthians
c) Paul also explained the proper way we are to carry ourselves..........Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians
Well, i'd be quite concerned if you didn't know that Discipline of the Lord is to transform your character and conduct from what is wrong - If we are sinless perfectionists then why would there be Discipline - Especially Discipline is proof of God's love Hebrews 12
James 14:7
17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
1 John 3:4
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
Why would we need to examine ourselves if we are sinless perfectionists?
Some people treat Christianity as if it were not the reality of pressing on, failing, but continually pressing on towards the Goal - forgetting what is behind me - but not denying that it happened
I already explained why Paul said he was the chiefest of sinners, it was so people would know they could be saved. Thats why he pointed to what he did in the past. But people are mistakenly using it to point to what he did in the present. His example to believers was completely different which is we are dead to sin.
And I've already shown that Bible authors believed not sinning was possible. Today people teach it's impossible, but this is Anti Scriptural.
You're right though we do still have free will, but what I don't agree with is the thinking we still desire sin. Because the reason why we have a new heart is so we don't desire sin. Why? Because we are a new creation. That's the power of the cross.
Why did John say? If we "claim to have no sin" instead of if we "say we don't sin"?
Because if you read the previous verse he's talking about the power of Jesus to cleanse us. That's why later he says those who belong to God do not sin. But IF we do sin... this is right theology.
I agree with much of what you are saying, but where I don't agree is the thinking that believers still desire sin. I don't believe they do. Because I believe they are truly new creations. And as their minds are renewed to who they are - fruit comes naturally. Which is exactly what you quote in the post before this - good trees DON'T bear bad fruit.
Thanks for your reply
C.
That's what the gnostics thought. In fact, they thought Christians were lower lifeforms for thinking that way, and not possessing the special knowledge that they were incorruptible spiritual beings. Just like you teach.
They believed like you do. In fact, you admitted yesterday to believing like they do ("Guilty as charged"). They thought they were saved because they were spiritual, and what they did had no bearing on their salvation.
I just love how you continuously state false accusations.....
I believe that the new creation ..the inner man of the heart....the new man in Christ is incorruptible..we have told you this about 15 times now....it doesn't matter how many times we tell you what we believe.....it's irrelevant to you ....as you constantly twist what is being said......it is such a waste of time dealing with you.....God love ya'
That's what the gnostics thought. In fact, they thought Christians were lower lifeforms for thinking that way, and not possessing the special knowledge that they were incorruptible spiritual beings. Just like you teach.
I never said we desire to keep sinning...............
What I said is we do still sin in our live, it is not continuous habitual sin but we do still sin.
Apostle John uses the present (1 John 1:8) and the past (1 John 1:10) tense in speaking on sin here, he is not defending a sinless perfection doctrine.
Sinless perfection says we never sin again in our lives ever, and only those who reach this point get eternal life. That is a lie and not even Paul stated or taught he was without sin, he even told the Philippians (chapter 3) who thought he was perfect that he wasn't.
This was 30 years after his conversion and Paul still stated he had not reached perfection or maturity yet !!!
We don't change over night it is a process and some sinful behaviors are harder to put an end to then others, which is why John speaks of the struggling Christian in 1 John 5:16.
Where is the scripture?... I definitely agree that we can get deceived from the truth from false teaching....I see it being done every day......anyone can say something then allude to a book n the bible.....I have noticed that even when people do put up scripture....I need to go look at it because it is usually taken out of context..
context is king...if you take a scripture out of context..that "text" will "con" you..
But you only identify with the inner man. And that's exactly what the gnostics did. You do not recognize the sin nature, which effectively is saying that you don't have one. No different than what the gnostics thought. They thought they were saved regardless of how they lived because they were spiritual. No different than what you teach.
We are almost in agreement.
We don't have a sin nature, we have sin habits. As our mind is renewed this changes to who we really are in Christ.
I don't believe we need to be in sinless perfection to be saved. In fact, that thinking is broken and shows an unrenewed mind. It says we don't desire God's ways unless we fear for our eternal destiny. And that's 180 degrees opposite of what I am saying.
It's the goodness and kindness of God that causes repentance.
C.
But you only identify with the inner man. And that's exactly what the gnostics did. You do not recognize the sin nature, which effectively is saying that you don't have one. No different than what the gnostics thought. They thought they were saved regardless of how they lived because they were spiritual. No different than what you teach.
When someone says that a brother can't hate another brother, that's sinless perfectionism.
Who's context are you speaking of though, because I have seen you take scripture and apply the wrong context to it to because you have listened to other men on how to interpret it.
Just yesterday we had a discussion on Ephesians 4:17-32, where I mentioned how this passage was speaking how we can no longer walk in the sinful ways we previously walked. That the grieving the Holy Spirit is tied to these scriptures, and does not stand alone.
You called my understanding faulty when it is not because it is exactly what Paul is stating there............
I understand context and also know scripture can not be pulled and used to stand alone, scripture must be used to interpret scripture. Making scriptures stand alone will almost always lead to the wrong context !!!
What scripture are asking for specifically, because there is a number of passages that speak on believers getting drawn away and deceived by false teaching ????
There is not just one scripture that speaks on this................
Paul even says in Acts 20:28-31 that he warned these people day and night for 3 years in tears..........
Day and night for 3 years in tears warning these people, that sounds clearly more is at stake then just a loss of rewards !!!
Yes we don't have a sin nature, or in other terms we don't live as slaves to sin.......I can agree on that !!!
Because the bible says you can not serve both Him and sin in order to have eternal life, and if we are a slave to sin that means we are still serving our sin nature and not our new spirit nature.
The problem I have is that when some speak they talk as if that change is only done internally, and say externally we still remain the same sinful people we were before.
That is false teaching as the internal change will effect and thus change our actions externally !!!