The way I see it, there are two camps here that are broken down as follows:
[TR]
[TD]I am not Holy but work to become Holy.[/TD]
[TD]I am already Holy because God sees Christ's holiness, and I can never work to become Holy myself.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]I do sin, but I am working to eventually stop sinning through the grace/power of God because through that power I can stop.[/TD]
[TD]I am a sinner who can never stop sinning. To even try is to deny the grace/power of God which covers them, placing me back into judgment.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]There is work for me to do after I am saved by God. Good works[/TD]
[TD]There is no work for me to do else I risk undoing my salvation.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]God expects us to eventually become perfect like Christ; the captain of our salvation & head of the body. Wherever the head goes the body follows.[/TD]
[TD]God doesn't expect us to be perfect because we can never be. Only Christ is perfect. It's why all sins (past, present, future) are covered by his life's blood.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Hopefully the items in both columns are fairly described for both groups...Of course there are more that can be added to both groups but I think for this thread on holiness what's listed is sufficient.
Now setting aside all arguments for a moment and just looking at both columns from a blank slate (not having to add any further explanation or apologetics to either group), if Christ freed us from bondage to sin, which column sounds like continued bondage to sin...and which column sounds like actual freedom from sin...simply from a basic reading of both lists?
["Bondage" means one is not set free from a person or thing, but is still a slave to continue to obey and do what that person or thing wants.]
Both groups are for believers living now, *prior* to Christ's coming...
[TABLE="class: grid, width: 500, align: center"][TR]
[TD]I am not Holy but work to become Holy.[/TD]
[TD]I am already Holy because God sees Christ's holiness, and I can never work to become Holy myself.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]I do sin, but I am working to eventually stop sinning through the grace/power of God because through that power I can stop.[/TD]
[TD]I am a sinner who can never stop sinning. To even try is to deny the grace/power of God which covers them, placing me back into judgment.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]There is work for me to do after I am saved by God. Good works[/TD]
[TD]There is no work for me to do else I risk undoing my salvation.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]God expects us to eventually become perfect like Christ; the captain of our salvation & head of the body. Wherever the head goes the body follows.[/TD]
[TD]God doesn't expect us to be perfect because we can never be. Only Christ is perfect. It's why all sins (past, present, future) are covered by his life's blood.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Hopefully the items in both columns are fairly described for both groups...Of course there are more that can be added to both groups but I think for this thread on holiness what's listed is sufficient.
Now setting aside all arguments for a moment and just looking at both columns from a blank slate (not having to add any further explanation or apologetics to either group), if Christ freed us from bondage to sin, which column sounds like continued bondage to sin...and which column sounds like actual freedom from sin...simply from a basic reading of both lists?
["Bondage" means one is not set free from a person or thing, but is still a slave to continue to obey and do what that person or thing wants.]