Of course, you are free to disagree about what I do post. but I ask you not to disagree/ debate about what I do not say.
I maintain that all have sinned... Romans 3:23, and not that any Christian is sinless by virtue of his office.
I posted in direct reply to Smaller's statement "That's also why it's pointless to judge any believer on the basis of sin, because none are sinless, post salvation, by any forms of ritual, practice or belief." and I posted "I have come to the point that it is wrong to condemn anyone unless you are an elder or pastor of a church, and you are attempting to glorify Jesus in the church as a group of godly men. We do not know all circumstances, but we try to judge with a holy result in mind."
IF we take Paul's lead in this matter, as I previously noted from the scriptures,
we should see his own deprecation of his flesh, of sin, and the temptations and lusts that he himself openly exposed as existing with himself.
THIS is where "a christian leader" is meant to stand.
Even though it may have appeared that Paul was holy in the extreme in the "external sense" he assuredly did not present himself that way internally.
By comparison then, EXTERNAL sin is even worse, imho, because it finalizes and shows the internal captivity, and a warrior has lost their battle, at least temporarily. I do not say this to condemn anyone. It's a warning not to lose our effectiveness and our stand in faith.
Believers can and do fall by the score on a number of counts. This does not mean any believer "loses" their "eternal salvation." But it does mean being sidelined when we fall deeper into these various traps and setups that originate on the fact of "internal deception."
When the writer of Hebrews notes in chapter 6, this:
7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8
But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
There is a Divine Principle that is in play in this matter, and that is THIS:
That where God's Word is sown, resistance to same does also grow in our own ground. It is the personal obligation of every believer to "tend" to their own weed bed, lest they be over run. The "weeds" need interception and the point of INCEPTION, which is internal.
This power of internal adversity is real. It's even testable by any believer. Paul shows us how, here. And it contains a warning about what happens, bolded below:
Romans 7:
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for
I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8 But
sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive without the law once: but
when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11 For
sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid.
But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
This is the same picture that is observed and noted in Hebrews 6 above.
There is a very certain "strength and power" that comes upon our own contrariness aka SIN in the flesh, when exposed to the Word of God. And yes, it is REAL.
1 Corinthians 15:56
The sting of death is sin; and
the strength of sin is the law.
Paul's self deprecations in this matter were meant to take us to the "killing ground" of our flesh, so that we would understand the principle and dynamic involved here.
And it is based on Mark 4:15, that Jesus taught.
Where the Word is sown, Satan DOES enter the heart to deceive. Any believer who considers that their "flesh" is exempt, has in fact already been stolen from and deceived, by Satan.
The "pastor" or "elder" who can not follow Paul's lead on this matter is no pastor or elder of mine. They are just another blind man, and very possibly a religious hypocrite, which is probably the absolute WORST place to land in, as a believer.
