Stop Sinning?

[Guest shiloh357]

When you quoted those three verses in your origional post, all you did was quote the verses. There is no nickname to denote that someone else used them. Then below those verses you explain what the verses mean. So it looked like you alone quoted the scripture and explaind them. If this is incorrect, then i am sorry.

I understand. tsth was the one who cited them in post #52 in response to my remark that the Bible does not teach that we as Christians are expected to walk in sinless perfection.

After you quote the scripture your paragraph explains what the scripture talks about. How is this not exegesis?

Exegesis is far more involved and complicated than what I presented. If I wanted to launch out into an exegetical treatment, I would have discussed the historical/cultural context as well as peformed a linguistical/syntactical analysis on each of the three verses she cited, neither of which I did. I simply stated that the verses in light of their audience and in light of the object the author had in view, does not support any notion that we are to live in sinless perfection or that such a status is attainable this side of eternity.

I simply responded in way that simply addressed the Scriptures in the light of the issue at hand. A complete exegetical treatment would not only be quite burdensome and time consuming at this point, but would be complete unnecessary given the subject matter at hand.

[tsth]

Hopefully these verses can be examined WITHOUT argument or oneupmanship???

Romans 6

1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Are these things possible to accomplish, or is the above a lie?)

I choose to believe that they ARE possible, and rather than focus on the sin condition and walking in the flesh, I personally choose to focus on these. I also consider this to be a part of the walk of faith!

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Willow99]

Many ask. How can .."I"...stop sinning? That seems to be the problem. We in ourselves cannot stop. Paul in Romans ch 6 asks the question. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?(grace the power that puts us over sin) His next question is ..How shall we who are dead to sin(the sin nature) live any longer there in? It is obvious here that Paul is talking about something much deeper than just the evidence of the fruit of sin. Its the very nature of the sin in us, which is evidenced by its fruit of actions in our everyday lives if we do not understand how Faith in Christ and what He did on the cross......makes us dead to our sin nature, which in turn brings forth its fruit. The fact that one is trying to overcome sin (Romans ch 7) as Paul did through his own efforts shows the wrong object of ones faith in deliverance from the sin nature. Paul finally came to the end of himself and asked who shall deliver me from tbis body of death? Then finally he readjusted his belief system, and at the end of Romans ch 7 He realized the power of faith in Christ sets us free from the sin nature. Paul then continues in the next chapter, Romans ch 8 For the law of the Spirit of Life IN Christ Jesus .....has made me free from the law of sin and death. Keeping ones faith simply in what Christ did on the cross for us seems to be the biggest challenge. In a performance world we want control. Maybe its time we rethink how we believe.

Barry

I couldn't agree with you more. Fine interpretation of scriptures.

Willow99

[Willow99]

Titus 2

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

In His Love,

Suzanne

Amen, sister!

Willow99

[traveller]

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

This is the very thing in question, right here. Do not let sin REIGN in your mortal body. When something reigns in your life, it is in control of you. As born again Christians, we are to have nothing be in control of us, except our Lord. Christians are to allow the Lord to be Master in all that we do. ALL. And, as we grow and mature in our walk of faith, we grow apart from the world and its enticements. Howrver, that does not mean that we won't face temptations, and potential failures. That said, even if we fail that does not mean that our Father won't help us back up, and back on track.

Is it possible to attain a sinfree life? I know of no one aside from Christ who has done so. Does that mean it's ok to sin? No. It means we have a continual struggle.

[Willow99]

This side of Heaven we can never stop sinning. It's just not a human thing to be able to do. But, thank God, we have Jesus and His blood. We can try, but of ourselves we fail. Christ's blood covers us even when we fail.

<>< ><>

Nathele

The Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome sin in this life. I agree we all still sin - perhaps it's an unkind thought towards another or failing to have a proper prayer life, etc. But, habitual continual sin in the breaking of the commands of God is another matter. Jesus said, with every temptation I will make a way of escape. We have to be overcomers and endure until the end.

God Bless,

Willow99

[tsth]

Hallelujah!!!!

Now we're rollin on the right track!!!

This IS encouragement!

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Emily~Anne]

[Guest shiloh357]

Is it possible to attain a sinfree life? I know of no one aside from Christ who has done so. Does that mean it's ok to sin? No. It means we have a continual struggle.

Precisely.

[jehovah Nissi]

Or, actually put what we believe into action.

t.

Amen brother. Faith is acting on what we belive in.

All of this comes down to understanding spirit, soul, and body (1 thes. 5:23 - "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.")

---We are spirit

--In Gen. 1:26-27, God created man in His own likeness and image...so what is God?

--in John 4:24, it says that "God is spirit"

--conclusion - we are spirit

---We have a soul

--mind, will, and emotions

--Romans 12:2 - "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and

acceptable and perfect will of God." We take this with 2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have

passed away; behold, all things have become new." So how can all things be new if there needs to be renewing?

--conclusion - our spirit is created new when we come to Jesus, but our soul still needs to be transformed by the renewing of our mind by God's Word

That makes us (our spirit or inner man) new and our soul needing transformation to God's Word.

---We live in a body

--I like to see this body that we have as an "earth suit." Our inner man needs this earth suit to oporate in this natural realm.

--Romans 12:1 - "I beseech you therefore, bretheren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,

which is your reasonable service." So to have to present our bodies holy and acceptable to God tells me that our bodies are not perfected yet

---conclusion - One third of us has been perfected (the real us, our spirit man), two thirds of us have not yet been perfected (our soul and body) So why is

there so much sin in the Body of Christ today...because of unrenewed minds to the Holy Word of God.

Wow...this subject is vital to understand and I just scratched the surface. There is a good teaching on it at http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1027 it goes into much, much more detail and goes more in depth.

Walking in Victory,

J