Do you observe the Sabbath?

Are you sure about that?

1 John 3:9
No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God.

Your accusing the brethren of sinning.

See those words, "practices" and "continually"? The are critical to correct understanding of the passage. They don't say "People never commit any sin once they become Christians".

Edit: I just read VARob's post. He thunk it before I thunk it.

Look at the wording. "practices sin," and "sin continually." Other translations have "make a practice of sinning."

Paul knew he still sinned. Read Romans 7. And if Christians don't sin, what are 1 John 1:8-10 for? Throwaway scriptures?


I'm not accusing anyone of sinning. I know for a fact, from the Bible, that everyone sins. The VAST majority of Christians KNOW they still sin.

Nobody, including the writers of the Bible, seems to have gotten that memo except for you.

A few years ago I went to church on a Saturday to please a friend. The service was much like the service in the Pentecostal church of my youth, apart from a couple of noticeable differences. The thing that initially struck me was, it was continuously stated ‘’You must obey the ten commandments’ ‘’ Though I had obviously heard this stated previously, never to such an extent as I heard it in this church. The second week I was there, I was literally stunned to see people laughing and joking as they took the Lords name in vain, apparently unaware they were breaking the Ten Commandments in doing so. I had never, in over forty years of going to various churches come across such a thing before. It wasn’t just on one occasion I witnessed the Lord’s name being taken in vain but on multiple occasions. One woman was dressed immaculately on a Saturday, with her bible tucked under her arm. She too insisted the ten commandments must be obeyed. And, during the sermon, if the minister said something she approved of she gave out a hearty ‘’Amen’’ Within a few weeks, I found out this woman was having multiple affairs, some overlapping. I said to her one day ‘’How can you do that, you’re breaking the ten commandments?’’ She shrugged her shoulders and responded: ‘’All sin is equal and no ones perfect’’ That woman was far from being the only person in the church having sex outside of marriage. It seemed strange to me, in a church that constantly repeated ‘’you must obey the ten commandments’’ I witnessed more flagrant breaking of the ten commandments than in any other church I had ever been to.

While you neglect drunkenness, factions, selfish ambition, witchcraft, etc.

Which one of the ten warns you against drunkenness?

Which one of the ten warns you against causing factions?

These are deeds of the flesh, and there are many more of these deeds.

Galatians 5:21
Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The ten commandments are useless in restraining the deeds of the flesh.

I know that you cannot understand what Paul is talking about in Galatians.

Sounds as if your reading from the SDA handbook.

Consider:


The very nature of the alcohol is described by that verse (and many others - https://archive.org/details/drink-up-these-are-not-drunken-as-ye-suppose_202301 ) and part of that nature is deception (or lying).

The 9th commandment deals with truth, and not lying.


In Isaiah 28, the alcohol stole the priest's heart away from God, and the 8th Commandment deals with theft:


In so partaking of the alcohol, the priests committed adultery and idolatry, mocked at the things of God and his prophets, etc, breaking all of the commandments.


The commandments (10 C) cover all things.

Paul disagrees as he said it again here:

Ephesians 5
3But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Sin is spoken of in two different ways in scripture, ie: 1John1:8&1John3:5-9. So you have to take that into account when quoting verses on the subject. I think it also depends where you set the bar as to what is sin. Is it sin not to obey Jesus literal commands in the gospels? If it is, everyone sins, for I have never met any christian who even tried to obey each and every literal command of Christ. Paul states to born again christians, the letter of the ten commandments kills, it is the ministry of death and condemnation. Who claims to perfectly obey the law relating to the inner man, the law no one but you and God need know you break? You must fully obey that law not to transgress the ten commandments. But do we all hold the law to the pristene level it is set at?

I've never been to a SDA church or read their material. The book I read from is something called the Bible. Try it sometime.

Your theology is identical.

See those words, "practices" and "continually"? The are critical to correct understanding of the passage. They don't say "People never commit any sin once they become Christians".

Edit: I just read VARob's post. He thunk it before I thunk it.

Most accept you are saved by grace through faith, you have done nothing to earn or deserve being placed in a saved state. However, in order to attain to Heaven, biblical law must be obeyed. No one gets a licence to sin, and, in order to show you love God you will obey him by obedience to his laws. What many term the legalistic law can be faultlessly obeyed. The Pharisees of Jesus day, who according to Jesus did not know his Father could fully obey this law. Paul stated as a Pharisee he was blameless concerning this law(Phil3:6) though he could not obey the Ten Commandments/moral law(Rom ch7) So, great emphasis is put on obeying what is often termed legalistic law, if people believe obedience to it is required. It makes them feel good about themselves, they are doing what God requires to prove they love Him, and succeeding. But what is termed the moral law is a bit more tricky. How can this be approached by a person who believes obedience to the written law is needed to attain to Heaven? Most tend to ignore the fact they do not even try and obey each and every command of Christ in the gospels. No peace in concentrating on those commands. The wording of the Ten Commandments is much easier to cope with. So they take priority. And, most who seek to obey the law so they might enter heaven, concentrate on things like, do not commit adultery, do not commit murder, do not steal, don’t build literal graven images. Honour you parents. And if you are in line with things such as these, you cannot be having any gods before your father in Heaven. You are showing your love for God by obeying His laws, so you are secure with him. You can add to that don’t get drunk or smoke, and you then feel all is well.
Unfortunately, the Pharisees of Jesus day, who Jesus said did not even know his Father would have passed all those tests easily. Its watering down the law of God from the pristine level it is set at, to a level you believe you are obeying it. Paul stated the ten commandments are the letter that kills, the ministry of death and condemnation. He obviously was not watering the law down from the pristine level it is set at. He gave an example in Rom ch7:7-11 as to why he had to die to righteousness of obeying the law. The example he gave was ‘’Thou shalt not covet’’ He could not obey that commandment, for to do so requires obedience to the law relating to the inner man, the law no one but you and God need know you break. I do wonder, if those who do not preach obedience to the written law once saved as a requirement to enter heaven, do so in many cases for they know they will always be guilty under it, for they hold it to the pristine level it is set at. Whereas, many who do insist on obedience to the written law to enter heaven, are, in most cases watering down the law from the pristine level it is set at in order to feel they are obeying well enough to prove their entitlement to enter heaven. Just my thoughts

Look at the wording. "practices sin," and "sin continually." Other translations have "make a practice of sinning."

Paul knew he still sinned. Read Romans 7. And if Christians don't sin, what are 1 John 1:8-10 for? Throwaway scriptures?


I'm not accusing anyone of sinning. I know for a fact, from the Bible, that everyone sins. The VAST majority of Christians KNOW they still sin.

Whereas, many who do insist on obedience to the written law to enter heaven, are, in most cases watering down the law from the pristine level it is set at in order to feel they are obeying well enough to prove their entitlement to enter heaven. Just my thoughts