Don't try not to Sin!

[Cntrysner]

After the Spirit of Christ indwells us we should not again ask for forgiveness of sin for we are already forgiven all our sins if He truly is in us. If we sin it grieves the Spirit and because of our union with Him we will feel that grief, He is the Persuader that died for us and turns us from sin.

Eph 4:26  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 
Eph 4:27  Neither give place to the devil. 

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

[enoob57]

1 John 1:9 (KJV)

[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

[Cntrysner]

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 
2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 
2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 
2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 
2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

[AnOrangeCat]

17 hours ago, Cyoder said:

So how do we navigate this?  In my mind, you have to try.  If I just pray about it and take no action, I'm going to keep doing it.  I saw this with alcohol.  God freed me from this, but I had to do my part as well.  The need to drink was gone but I still thought about drinking.  I know God will not give us more than we can handle, but we still have to handle it.  Never giving up, failing, asking forgiveness and striving to do better.  Not out of obligation but to please God.  It's a feeling, not a conscious thought to try harder.

I'm 100% behind this. Imagine someone praying to God for a good wife, yet secluding himself away from the world.  Or in the case of an alcoholic or a drug addict they keep their addiction at their fingertips. Without some action that aligns with our prayers we're in a faith without works type situation. It might be a struggle full of failure and frustration along the way but it's a necessary struggle.

[Marathoner]

This is why we listen to the Lord. When the Lord instructed me to dispose of the tobacco I possessed and everything associated with it's use (lighters and ashtrays), I obeyed the Lord and did what He told me to do. Because I listened to His voice and obeyed His word, His promise to deliver me from addiction came true. I never suffered from withdrawals and I was a pack-a-day smoker for 30 years.

I remain free of that lethal addiction to this day. 

Trying to do good and praying according to rote or formulas accomplishes nothing; that's what Muslims and other religious devotees do. The Spirit of the Lord is the One we listen to and obey. When the Lord bids us to do something --- and we do what He tells us to do --- that is how we do those good works we were created in Jesus Christ to walk in. 

[BornAgain490]

"And we know that ALL THINGS work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. " Romans 8:28. 

"All things" includes the things God calls "sin."

We who love God, hate sin. We hate sin so much that we are convicted of it in our spirit, and we are overwhelmed to the point we beg God to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  I thank God that He is faithful and just to forgive u and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. 

Those who don't love God are not convicted of their sin, neither can be because they don't have God indwelling them.  They neither seek after God nor seek His forgiveness; they are content not knowing God, and content living ungodly and unrighteous lives. 

We who love God will turn from sin, because God hates sin, and we hate sin, because the One we love, Who first loved us, hates sin.  And by the power of God alone within us, are we led away from sin.

We who love God will hate sin so much that we will live every day of our lives confessing our sin and repenting of sin. We do not do so to be saved or to stay saved; we are already saved - we've been born again.  We do so because we are saved, and we love God because He first loved us.  When we love God, we turn from rebelling against the One who first loved us. 

"The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." Romans 1:18.  "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.", says Paul of the Christians at Corinth, after telling them that the ungodly and unrighteous "shall not inherit the kingdom of God."  1 Corinth. 6:9-11. 

We who love God are saved by God's grace. Accordingly, by God's grace we have a regenerated spirit, and we have the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us.  Though we will struggle with wickedness (sin is wickedness), God's grace and Christ's imputed righteousness has given us freedom not to live as we please, but to live as we ought. 

"What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?"  Romans 6:1.  Well?  Do you love God? 

Blessings. 

[Vine Abider]

On 10/6/2024 at 2:16 PM, TheBlade said:

I read one day something from a preacher all would know and might be a shock to some what they said but said "God expects us to sin".  I don't follow that belief.

In one sense that is true, as He left us with a flesh in which sin dwells (see Romans 7:17), so it's there.  But on the other hand, He made a complete provision in Christ.  That is, there is now zero condemnation and His spirit dwells in us!

I've heard that when, at the end of this mortal plane when we're sailing upward, we will look at our flesh falling away and say something like, "Thank you flesh!  For without you I wouldn't have known the surpassing power of Christ within me to overcome you!"

[Vine Abider]

On 10/6/2024 at 10:55 PM, Ausie 52 said:

I must humbly disagree with your major premise. Scripture is replete with exhortations to put sin to death, deny one self, to reckon one self dead to sin, cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and to put off various sins etc.

While we cannot do this without God's enabling, He will not do it without our working.

The devil will confuse us on this issue , either self effort or being passive and waiting for God to do it.

We are called to be co-workers with God in dealing with the sin issue.

peace

Jeffrey

Indeed!  When we get into these discussions, it's often seemingly difficult to precisely disseminate exactly what is our part and what is God's but it's actually pretty simple.  Yes, we do have a choice in the matter, that is, whether to let His power operate in us or not.  The verse that always comes to mind is Philippians 2:12:  "Work out you own salvation . . . for it is God Who operates in you both the willing and the working."  If we lay hold of just the first part of that verse, then it would seem it's so much about us.  And then there's Romans 8:13, which says,  "If by the spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live." It doesn't say simply, "put to death the practices of the body," but some might erroneously truncate the verse and take it that way.  The whole premise there is that for the operation to happen, it occurs when the putting to death is done by the Spirit.

I've heard it likened to a nuclear power plant.  There is an untold amount of energy flowing out constantly, right into our house.  But unless we plug in a tool or appliance, nothing happens.  Plugging in is a very small thing indeed, when compared to the power being plugged into.  Yet, we still must make the connection for the power to operate.

At one point in my life I was way too far in the "it's all about God's power" camp, and often wondered why He didn't operate more in and through me.  Now days I'm seeing more and more that there is enormous power and favored supply (grace) constantly coming to me in Christ, but I still have one small thing to do in this whole scheme: let Him operate in me.

[AnOrangeCat]

1 hour ago, Vine Abider said:

  The verse that always comes to mind is Philippians 2:12:  "Work out you own salvation . . . for it is God Who operates in you both the willing and the working."  If we lay hold of just the first part of that verse, then it would seem it's so much about us. 

I see a little of a verse we both like in the process, Philippians 1:6: "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

As I see it the process begins when the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and we come to accept Christ, and then day by day God guides us toward improvement. The operative word there is guides. He doesn't drag us kicking and screaming (though sometimes I half wish He did). Every day we can crucify the flesh or not. But so long as we haven't walked away from God then overall even when we fail we're still moving toward the goal of becoming more Christlike. Psalm 37:24 is another verse that reinforces the idea that it's an ongoing process where we make mistakes but God is still with us: "Though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand."

[Marathoner]

You touched upon something that is hard to relate to others, @AnOrangeCat. I refer to "kicking and screaming."

I will say that for the sake of one who knows not --- there are as many reasons behind our ignorance as there are men and women under the sun --- this can take place if it pleases the Lord. It all has to do with His purpose and will. Being moved by and dealt with by the Lord without our awareness can indeed happen, and it happened to me. 

This ignorance was out of my control. I can write about this as the Lord revealed those things to me when my ignorance was over, how He set my path being intended to fulfill His purpose in a certain place and at a certain time. There is a time for every matter under heaven.

Many of us have discussed how being chosen by the Lord has everything to do with serving His will (chosen for service), and that being chosen is not a matter of pride or exclusion. God does whatever He pleases. The man born blind from John 9 didn't know that He was chosen until the time arrived for the Lord to display His power in him. 

I was chosen for the same purpose as that man. Ah, but when that purpose was fulfilled my ignorance was over. From that day forward, I engaged with the Lord willingly and gladly, for His purpose where I'm concerned is known. Do I miss those days of ignorance?

I don't. But I understand the sentiment, that we don't have to do a single thing because the Lord MAKES us do it. Where there is understanding, we join ourselves to His will and purpose. I hope this post makes sense!

Edited October 10, 2024 by Marathoner