two verses destroys both your and your friends notions,
Romans 8:10
If Christ
is in you, though the
body is dead because of sin, yet the
spirit is alive because of righteousness.
How can the body be dead due to sin, if we are sinless as you claim we can be? while at the same time, our spirit be alive because of Christ?
then lets not forget 1 John 1: 8, If we say we have no sin (we are or can be sinless) we deceive ourselves and there is no truth in us.
Who are the decieved, but those who claim one can be sinless.
Again you take one verse and use it to explain away a plethora of scripture.
What are you denying? That those in Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires? Are you denying that?
Or are you denying that those who suffer with Christ cease from sin? Is that the one you are saying is wrong?
Or how about not yielding your members to sin? Is that the verse above you think is incorrect?
What are you actually denying? You say "you are wrong" then post a single verse as if that undoes everything else the Bible says.
So let's look at what you posted...
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Rom 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
The body is indeed dead because of sin. Flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The wages of sin is death. The Spirit is life because of righteousness indeed.
Righteousness leads to holiness which leads to eternal life.
Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that y
e were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin,
ye became the servants of righteousness.
Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now
yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Rom 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Rom 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God,
ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
All achieved through the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
We "walk" after the Spirit not yielding to the flesh because our mortal bodies have been quickened.. Yielding to the flesh is death. Christ is in us if we have been raised up by the Spirit through the baptism of repentance where the old man is crucified and the body of sin is destroyed (Rom 6:4-7).
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
I think your objection comes down to the fact that you believe you can keep sinning and not surely die. You believe that you do not have to crucify your old man in repentance. You want a salvation message where you do not have to do that.
Salvation to you is an abstract concept which is not connected to how you live. Salvation to me is an actual present reality of living in the presence of Jesus Christ within me.
I guess Peter was deceived because he claimed that you can cease from sin.
1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh
hath ceased from sin;
I suppose John was deceived because he wrote that those who are born of God do not sin.
1Jn 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
1Joh 1:8 is a verse about repentance. You cannot walk in the light unless you confess your sin before God. If you confess your sin then He will cleanse you from all unrigheousness.
John wrote those things so that you don't sin.
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
He then said IF you sin that you have an advocate. He did not say WHEN you sin.
All you have are snippets of scripture which you rip out of context to support your abstract salvation message.