Can We Cease from Sinning While On Earth?

[Pard]

Can we stop all sinning while we still exist on earth? When we make it to Heaven we will be sinless, as God is sinless. However, on earth we are sinners and the way I see it, we shall always and forever be sinners. I have encountered some people who believe otherwise and I'd very much like to hear their argument, as well as arguments from the other-side.

Elijah and I came to an agreement on this topic a while back, but I cannot remember what we agreed about it! I'll look up that topic and post some stuff, because I know I said some real good things in it.

 

[ProphetMark]

If I've got the spirit of God living in me and still can't stop sinning, that doesn't say much for the power of the Holy spirit.
Yes, I think it's possible.

 

[Theofilus]

Didn't Jesus say "Go, and sin no more"? Would he tell people to do something that was impossible?

 

[Adullam]

Sin can be overcome through abiding in Christ. This is the normal way of a disciple. We allow the Spirit to put the body of sin to death. This is difficult of course and takes faith...but we are called to do this.

 

[elijah23]

Jesus said this:

You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matt 5:48 RSV

If we keep trying, I think we can overcome our desire to sin.

 

[Pard]

Jesus said this:

You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matt 5:48 RSV

If we keep trying, I think we can overcome our desire to sin.

I kind of always saw that as a hint to the fact that when we are called up we will become perfect, like the Father.

 

[elijah23]

Jesus said this:

You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matt 5:48 RSV

If we keep trying, I think we can overcome our desire to sin.

I kind of always saw that as a hint to the fact that when we are called up we will become perfect, like the Father.

It sort of sounds like he’s telling us we have to work at being perfect, doesn’t it?

 

[Pard]

Work, yes.

I'm just not so sure that we can become sinless,perfect beings while on Earth. I mean God could make us sinless, sure He could, but I just feel that He would not ever do such a thing.

Of course that's just my view and it could easily be changes, since I have no real commitment to it.

 

[Pard]

Let me post some scripture in my defense.

James 2:3-5

For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

It is only possible to become perfect if you can control your whole body, and yet we can never come to control even the smallest things, like our tongue.

1John 1:8-10 --- "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."

If we claim to be sinless we make God a liar.


Jesus did not "come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Luke 5:32). "As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one;’" (Romans 3:10).

To be saved doesn't mean to be sinless it. When we become saved in the name of Jesus Christ a battle begins within us, a battle between the new self and the old self. Paul even writes of this battle.

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin" (Romans 7:18-25).

 

[Ashua]

Theoretically yes.

If you can go 1 minute without sinning you can go 10. If you can go 10 you can go an hour if an hour a day if a day a week, month year, lifetime.

It is also impossible to please God without faith so even if you kept the letter perfectly (not like the pharisees but absolutely perfectly) it wouldn't matter if you didn't keep it in a submissive and pure heart. As Paul says in his epistle to the Romans: "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

That said, we are still sinners by nature. By Adam death came to all, even to Christ who was sinless. Even his sinlessness was counted for sin in the form of a human. (Though empirically, he had never sinned. Perhaps to officiate his life of sinlessness by sealing it?) So by this, the inverse is performed in that by Christ, the unrighteous are counted as righteousness through the canceling out of Adam by Christ.

The truth is, we have sinned in the past and time cannot forgive sin. That is sovereignly designated to Christ. Jeremiah proclaimed the New Covenant in which God would write his law on the hearts of his people and forgive their transgression. If we walk in the newness of spirit fulfilling the Law of Christ, we fulfill the law and are blameless if we continue in it. When Christ returns he will conquer both sin and death once and for all. Revelation says that no unclean thing will enter into the gates of the city. Sin still exists within each of our mortal members, but the day of total liberation will come.

 

[Mike]

That said, we are still sinners by nature. By Adam death came to all, even to Christ who was sinless. Even his sinlessness was counted for sin in the form of a human. (Though empirically, he had never sinned. Perhaps to officiate his life of sinlessness by sealing it?) So by this, the inverse is performed in that by Christ, the unrighteous are counted as righteousness through the canceling out of Adam by Christ.

:o Ashua, Jesus, born of the Holy Spirit, was sinless in every way. As it says in Luke 1:35 when Mary was questioning what Gabriel was revealing to her, "The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God."

The Holy Spirit abruptly stops the lineage provided in the beginning of the chapter which was provided to show the Jewish people Jesus' being in the line of David and fulfilling prophecy. Indeed, Jesus was without sin in every way! True!

And, I will not accept your premise that a person can turn one minute into a lifetime or even a day without sin. Too many subtle pitfalls lie in store: selfishness, pride, envy - even in their most simple forms. Pard had some good scripture to back up what I'm saying.

 

[Vic C.]

There's Biblical talking points and there's Biblical truth. There are some sins that aren't a physical manifestation. Jesus very clearly pointed out some sins are committed inwardly. Some thoughts qualify as sin. Can we possibly control our thoughts 24 hours a day and not let one single thought enter your mind?

Sin runs so deep in mankind, it took the blood sacrifice of the Son of God to cleanse us and it continues to cleanse. Sanctification is an ongoing process, not a one time deal. We will be purged of any possibility of sinning.

Pink Elephant

Everyone reading this, do not think of a Pink Elephant for 10 minutes. :D

As long as we are in these corruptible bodies and in this evil world, sin somehow will find a way to manifest itself.

 

[ORwarriOR]

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

 

[Ashua]

That said, we are still sinners by nature. By Adam death came to all, even to Christ who was sinless. Even his sinlessness was counted for sin in the form of a human. (Though empirically, he had never sinned. Perhaps to officiate his life of sinlessness by sealing it?) So by this, the inverse is performed in that by Christ, the unrighteous are counted as righteousness through the canceling out of Adam by Christ.

:o Ashua, Jesus, born of the Holy Spirit, was sinless in every way. As it says in Luke 1:35 when Mary was questioning what Gabriel was revealing to her, "The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God."

The Holy Spirit abruptly stops the lineage provided in the beginning of the chapter which was provided to show the Jewish people Jesus' being in the line of David and fulfilling prophecy. Indeed, Jesus was without sin in every way! True!

And, I will not accept your premise that a person can turn one minute into a lifetime or even a day without sin. Too many subtle pitfalls lie in store: selfishness, pride, envy - even in their most simple forms. Pard had some good scripture to back up what I'm saying.

He was sinless in every way. Nevertheless, sin was imputed on all men because of Adam. Death is the mark of Sin. Jesus died because of his flesh. Mortality is because of imputed sin. By Jesus ( who never sinned even though sin had claim to his mortality because he was a man) death is conquered. Christians have imputed righteousness. Jesus had the sins of the world imputed on him. He died because the wages of sin is death and our sins were counted to him. When he raised from the dead, the scriptures say his perfect righteousness is imputed on us, covering our sins. This is why in baptism we are crucified, buried, and raised in him.

Jesus never ever committed a single sin; however by one man death came to all (Adam) and by one man life everlasting (Christ).

The reason Christ was capable of dying is because Adam's sin was imputed to all flesh. Mortality is a testament to what I say.

My premise was theoretical. Any given minute can be spent sinless. Its a matter of connecting the dots. Its theoretically possible that I will write the next 10 best selling books. It is not going to happen, but doesnt mean it is "impossible", as it were.

Look at the numeric probability of any one man fulfilling the prophecies about the messiah. The number is astronomical. (And yet Christ did it) The odds of any one being sinless for the rest of their life (unless theyre dying now) is astronomically infinitesimally small, but 'technically' it "could happen" I dont say it ever will until Christ returns, quite the contrary. Im just saying theoretically it is.

 

[Danus]

There's Biblical talking points and there's Biblical truth. There are some sins that aren't a physical manifestation. Jesus very clearly pointed out some sins are committed inwardly. Some thoughts qualify as sin. Can we possibly control our thoughts 24 hours a day and not let one single thought enter your mind?

Sin runs so deep in mankind, it took the blood sacrifice of the Son of God to cleanse us and it continues to cleanse. Sanctification is an ongoing process, not a one time deal. We will be purged of any possibility of sinning.

Pink Elephant

Everyone reading this, do not think of a Pink Elephant for 10 minutes. :D

As long as we are in these corruptible bodies and in this evil world, sin somehow will find a way to manifest itself.

Yes ....very good.

 

[jasoncran]

question if we could become sinless then wouldnt we be able to judge others. after all that negates the parable on the judging of others as we can judge like jesus.

we should strive to reach that closest state we cant to jesus, let him take us there, some will be more like the lord then others.

cant loose that way.

be ye perfect because i am perfect is refering to having perfect love, not being sin free.

 

[ORwarriOR]

question if we could become sinless then wouldnt we be able to judge others. after all that negates the parable on the judging of others as we can judge like jesus.

we should strive to reach that closest state we cant to jesus, let him take us there, some will be more like the lord then others.

cant loose that way.

be ye perfect because i am perfect is refering to having perfect love, not being sin free.

Jesus said that with God anything is possible. Are you saying it's impossible to become sin free through God?

 

[Pard]

question if we could become sinless then wouldnt we be able to judge others. after all that negates the parable on the judging of others as we can judge like jesus.

we should strive to reach that closest state we cant to jesus, let him take us there, some will be more like the lord then others.

cant loose that way.

be ye perfect because i am perfect is refering to having perfect love, not being sin free.

Jesus said that with God anything is possible. Are you saying it's impossible to become sin free through God?

It's not impossible, it is HIGHLY unlikely. He has a reason for not granting us perfection here on earth. I think you know that, since I have told you that before (or someone else brought up the same question). It's a logic-problem that perfection-types bring up. I suggest avoiding that tactic, it's just circular.

 

[Danus]

Well, here are a few more questions to ponder. If you can become sinless do you still need Christ, and if so why?

To further qualify the question, if you can be sinless then you can also be righteous before God. That would be true.

 

[ORwarriOR]

Well, here are a few more questions to ponder. If you can become sinless do you still need Christ, and if so why?

To further qualify the question, if you can be sinless then you can also be righteous before God. That would be true.

We would need Christ because it would be Christ that makes us sinless. You can't be sinless without Christ.