Points of Fact:
1. Peter teaches that Christians have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2Pet 1:3-4).
2. Paul teaches that Christian’s have crucified their flesh with the passions and desires (Gal 5:24).
3. James teaches that men are drawn into sin by the lusts of their flesh (Jam 1:14-15)
4. Peter teaches that those who suffer with Christ have ceased from sin and that they no longer walk according to the lusts of men (1Pet 4:1-2)
5. Paul teaches that if we walk after flesh we will die but if we, through the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the body then we will live (Rom 8:13).
Question.
How is it possible for a Christian to claim that he is saved and yet at the same time yield to the lusts of their flesh in an unlawful manner?
A professing Christian who engages in such behaviour is obviously violating all the above mentioned points which pertain to the actual walk of a Christian.
Jesus did clearly state that if you sin you are a slave to sin (Joh 8:34). Jesus did also say that He came to set people free indeed (Joh 8:36).
Can one be free indeed if they are still yielding to the lusts of their flesh and sinning. Not according to Jesus for if they are still engaging in that behavior they are still slaves (Joh 8:34).
Paul was in perfect agreement with Jesus on this matter for he taught that we are slaves to whom we obey whether sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness (Rom 6:16). There was no third option where the two mix.
Paul then stated that obedience from the heart (Rom 6:17) was the method by which people had been set free from serving sin and had instead becomes slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:18).
There are many who will read the above and deny it because of the implications it brings in regards to their own theology. Instead of addressing the specific points made they will brush it off with rhetoric and appeal to isolated portions of scripture in an attempt to dismiss what the Bible plainly teaches.
It would not surprise me if some attempted to portray the specific points I have made in a differing light by implying that somehow it translates to “saving yourself.” The fallacy here is that the dynamic of yielding to God is no more saving oneself than Noah was saving himself when he yielded to God’s instructions to build the ark.
There are many today who sincerely believe that God “makes” you do everything and that to imply that YOU actually have to do something infringes on the sovereignty and glory of God. That is pure nonsense. Was Noah glorying in himself by yielding to God through the action of building the ark? Of course not, and neither is a Christian who willingly walks after the Spirit in humble obedience to their Creator.
A vast system of error has overtaken what is nominally called Christianity in the world today.
The plain and simple teachings of Jesus have been supplanted by a vast system of theology which removes all human responsibility along with the fear of judgment.
The doctrine of Christ is according to godliness (1Ti6:3) and whoever sins and does not abide in this doctrine does not have God (2 Joh 1:9). One must abide in this doctrine to have the Father and the Son (2Joh 1:9) and this is why Jesus would teach the following…
[FONT="]Joh 15:3[/FONT][FONT="] Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:4[/FONT][FONT="] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:5[/FONT][FONT="] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:6[/FONT][FONT="] If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:7[/FONT][FONT="] If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:8[/FONT][FONT="] Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:9[/FONT][FONT="] As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:10[/FONT][FONT="] If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:11[/FONT][FONT="] These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:12[/FONT][FONT="] This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.[/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:3[/FONT][FONT="] And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:4[/FONT][FONT="] He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:5[/FONT][FONT="] But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:6[/FONT][FONT="] He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:7[/FONT][FONT="] Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:8[/FONT][FONT="] Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:9[/FONT][FONT="] He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:10[/FONT][FONT="] He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. [/FONT]
God Bless.
1. Peter teaches that Christians have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2Pet 1:3-4).
2. Paul teaches that Christian’s have crucified their flesh with the passions and desires (Gal 5:24).
3. James teaches that men are drawn into sin by the lusts of their flesh (Jam 1:14-15)
4. Peter teaches that those who suffer with Christ have ceased from sin and that they no longer walk according to the lusts of men (1Pet 4:1-2)
5. Paul teaches that if we walk after flesh we will die but if we, through the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the body then we will live (Rom 8:13).
Question.
How is it possible for a Christian to claim that he is saved and yet at the same time yield to the lusts of their flesh in an unlawful manner?
A professing Christian who engages in such behaviour is obviously violating all the above mentioned points which pertain to the actual walk of a Christian.
Jesus did clearly state that if you sin you are a slave to sin (Joh 8:34). Jesus did also say that He came to set people free indeed (Joh 8:36).
Can one be free indeed if they are still yielding to the lusts of their flesh and sinning. Not according to Jesus for if they are still engaging in that behavior they are still slaves (Joh 8:34).
Paul was in perfect agreement with Jesus on this matter for he taught that we are slaves to whom we obey whether sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness (Rom 6:16). There was no third option where the two mix.
Paul then stated that obedience from the heart (Rom 6:17) was the method by which people had been set free from serving sin and had instead becomes slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:18).
There are many who will read the above and deny it because of the implications it brings in regards to their own theology. Instead of addressing the specific points made they will brush it off with rhetoric and appeal to isolated portions of scripture in an attempt to dismiss what the Bible plainly teaches.
It would not surprise me if some attempted to portray the specific points I have made in a differing light by implying that somehow it translates to “saving yourself.” The fallacy here is that the dynamic of yielding to God is no more saving oneself than Noah was saving himself when he yielded to God’s instructions to build the ark.
There are many today who sincerely believe that God “makes” you do everything and that to imply that YOU actually have to do something infringes on the sovereignty and glory of God. That is pure nonsense. Was Noah glorying in himself by yielding to God through the action of building the ark? Of course not, and neither is a Christian who willingly walks after the Spirit in humble obedience to their Creator.
A vast system of error has overtaken what is nominally called Christianity in the world today.
The plain and simple teachings of Jesus have been supplanted by a vast system of theology which removes all human responsibility along with the fear of judgment.
The doctrine of Christ is according to godliness (1Ti6:3) and whoever sins and does not abide in this doctrine does not have God (2 Joh 1:9). One must abide in this doctrine to have the Father and the Son (2Joh 1:9) and this is why Jesus would teach the following…
[FONT="]Joh 15:3[/FONT][FONT="] Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:4[/FONT][FONT="] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:5[/FONT][FONT="] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:6[/FONT][FONT="] If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:7[/FONT][FONT="] If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:8[/FONT][FONT="] Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:9[/FONT][FONT="] As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:10[/FONT][FONT="] If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:11[/FONT][FONT="] These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Joh 15:12[/FONT][FONT="] This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.[/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:3[/FONT][FONT="] And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:4[/FONT][FONT="] He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:5[/FONT][FONT="] But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:6[/FONT][FONT="] He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:7[/FONT][FONT="] Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:8[/FONT][FONT="] Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:9[/FONT][FONT="] He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. [/FONT]
[FONT="]1Jn 2:10[/FONT][FONT="] He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. [/FONT]
God Bless.