Answer: No!
As long as there is temptation there will be the possibility of sin. Until we leave this world of sin we will be subject to temptation and there will be a continual battle. To say that we will never lose a battle is to be presumptuous. However, with the Holy Ghost of God living inside us sin shall not have dominion over us. We are no longer slaves to our lusts and the pressure of a sinful world. “Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
The GREATEST difference that sets true Christianity apart from ALL the other religions of the world is the deliverance from sin and its guilt. None of the eastern religions offer true forgiveness or deliverance from sin. Islam certainly does not offer deliverance from sin. None of the pagan religions even seriously consider the matter of sin. ONLY Jesus Christ, through repentance and faith in Him offers genuine forgiveness and deliverance from sin. It is a mystery to me why people who claim to be true Christians would want to give up the major thing that testifies to the truth of our gospel? When you remove true deliverance from sin in THIS PRESENT WORLD from your system of beliefs you are left with nothing more than all the other religions offer.
You may say, “Jesus rose from the dead, and that is what sets Christianity apart.” Yes, He rose from the dead, but if He isn’t risen in your heart and reigning in your life those are empty words to an unbelieving world. The PROOF that He is risen is the new creature you become when you are born again and have the resurrected Lord living in your heart. Otherwise, his resurrection is of no consequence or value as far as you are concerned.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. – 2 Cor. 5:17
We are not teaching sinless perfection, and those who continually make this accusation against us are simply being dishonest. But anyone who would consider living without sin to be somehow wicked is off their rocker, in my opinion, and in light of the Bible. Certainly their thinking is twisted and affected by some ideas that are plainly contrary to the overall teaching of the Word of God. Living without sin should be the desire of every person who is truly born again.
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. – Prov. 4:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. – 2 Cor. 3:18
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; – Phil. 2:15
This is the point of contention that should shock at least some people to their senses about this matter. The doctrine of original sin has so warped their thinking that I have heard some say with a smirk, “Well, according to what you believe it would be possible for someone to be born, live a life without sin, and not need to be saved!” That is simply a straw man argument because the Bible is clear that ALL have sinned – there is NONE righteous, no not one. The only one who ever was born on this earth and lived a sinless life was the Lord Jesus Christ. We are standing on the Word of God here and people who make statements like that are just in a mental merry-go-round and can’t seem to get out. Their thinking is not sound because it is so affected by the deception of the doctrine of original sin.
Stop for just a moment and consider what they are really saying! Do they really think that NOT SINNING would be the most wicked thing that anyone could do? Do they really think that God would be DISPLEASED with someone for NOT sinning? They certainly have a distorted idea of the way God views sin! Sin has wrecked God’s creation and He HATES it! God did not create man to sin! In spite of this fact the people who believe in the doctrine of original sin have concluded that we MUST sin so that grace may abound, and they are fully convinced that they have ascended to a higher level of spirituality because they believe this way. In order for God to be glorified they MUST sin. The more we sin, the more grace abounds, and the more God is glorified when He forgives us. Is it any wonder then that the churches are filled with all types of sin and immorality where this doctrine is sown? You can’t teach people that sin is natural, unavoidable, and something that God expects from you, and then expect them to live pure, holy, separated lives!
All that Jesus did was designed to deliver us from our sins. Teachings like original sin and all its offspring doctrines work to have exactly the opposite effect. Therefore, you are working against God and the Holy Ghost when you teach such unbiblical heresy as the doctrine of original sin! How can anyone imagine that teachings and doctrines which encourage sin are of God? Any teaching that lessens the load of guilt and sin while you continue to live in it is a lie! Any doctrine that gives you an excuse to sin, or allows you to blame your sin on something or someone else is a lie from the devil! Sin is YOUR fault and if you will find forgiveness you must be convinced of that. How many souls are being deceived and led into a false hope by this damnable teaching from hell?
“Oh, so you think you can live without sin?” We hear this accusation often. They go so far as to say that if you say you can live without sin for one moment you are totally deceived. They really appear to believe that we live in continual sin and are unable to do any better even after being washed in the blood of Christ and filled with the Holy Ghost. My, what a powerful gospel they have! People can do better than that without God! There are drunks who give up their drinking, smokers who give up their tobacco, drug addicts who quit taking drugs, and others that overcome any sin you care to name – WITHOUT GOD or his help. They simply decide to quit and they quit – with no Holy Spirit living in them and without any influence from the Word of God. I’m saying sinners can and do quit particular sins simply because they decide to do so, and get victory over the bondage that they were held in by that sin. They do it because they have some selfish interest in abandoning their sin. They want to live longer, or they see it is destroying their family and they forsake that particular sin in order to avoid that trouble in their life. They do not get forgiveness from God because they quit a certain sin, and they do not rid themselves of the guilt for the damage their sin has caused. There is no saving power in overcoming their addictions, but they do it anyway. Then along comes someone who says they have been born again of the Spirit of God and made a new creature in Christ and they say they can’t live a moment without sin. To claim to have victory over sin – even for one moment, would be the ultimate wickedness they can imagine. How can you get any further off base than that?
I have known many people who teach these loose doctrines of sin but do not live according to them. They are simply being hypocrites! They have quit sinning in some areas of THEIR lives. If you were to ask them what their sin was most of them could not tell you because their conscience is clean. They make allowance for sin in the lives of others, but not for themselves in their own life. They will defend some fornicator and say he is saved because he made a profession of faith, but they could NEVER allow such sin in their lives and they know it
If you can never be free from sin then how can you ever have a pure heart? How can you ever lift up holy hands? How could you possibly be greeted in heaven with “Well done, thou good and faithful servant?” Are you saying that Jesus is going to say that to people who lived in continual, habitual sin? Ridiculous! Those who hear the Lord say that to them will have purified their hearts, cleansed their hands, and lived and walked in holiness.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. – Psa. 24:3-5
The old doctrine of the Wesleyans and Nazarenes known as “sinless perfection” speaks of a second work of grace whereby you are freed from the possibility of sinning ever again. That is so preposterous I don’t understand how anyone could believe it. As long as we are in a world of sin, we are subject to temptation. As long as we are subject to temptation there is the possibility of sinning. We do not teach “sinless perfection” and those who make that accusation know we do not. They are trying to deceive others about what we believe. They know very well how “sinless perfection” is understood and they know what people assume when they tell them that we are teaching that doctrine.
We do not teach or believe that a second work of grace fixes things so you cannot ever sin again. But we do believe that you are not obligated to sin. We do not believe that you HAVE to sin. Every time you sin it is because you choose to! It is not caused by some “nature” you have that you cannot resist.
Why would you be against someone who preaches against sin? Wake up and realize how far off base you are when you are defending sinners and their sin and attacking someone who is preaching holiness! You may think you are more spiritual, but the Word of God doesn’t agree with you.
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? – 1 Cor. 5:6
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.2For men shall be …despisers of those that are good, – 2 Tim. 3:1-3
Jesus said about the Holy Ghost:
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: John 16:8
The first work of the Holy Spirit is to reprove the world of sin. If what you are preaching and teaching has the opposite effect you are working against God! How can you expect God to work on sinners while the message you are preaching is contradicting what the Holy Spirit is saying to him? You should be doing all you can to discourage men from sinning. Of course, when you do that others will say you are preaching “sinless perfection.”
Next part: Romans 7
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