This is a false dichotomy born of your sinless-perfection error. In fact, it is this either/or thinking rather than the biblical both/and state-of-affairs described in God's word that is at the core of your error. As Paul took pains to describe from his own life, the born-again person has two natures at war within them so that they "cannot do the things that you would." (
Galatians 5:17; Romans 7:18-24). Only so long as the born-again person walks daily under the control of the Holy Spirit, in conscious, regular submission to him yielding up their own will and way to his, does the Christ-nature of the Spirit overtake and transform those whom he has made his "temple" (
1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
And so, we read of the carnal "in-Christ" Christians of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians (
1 Corinthians 3, 5, 6, 11); we read of the Christians in the province of Galatia being drawn into fleshly law-keeping (
Galatians 3:1-3); we read of the Christians at Rome who were ignorant of their union with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection, acting hypocritically, careless of the sensitivities of their weaker brethren (
Romans 2, 6, 14), etc.; we read in John's Revelation of the seven churches of Asia Minor, only one of which escaped the severe criticism of God (
Revelation 2-3). And so on.
Yes, if my
practice each day, if the general tenor of my living, is to live a life of sin, especially in the complete absence of the life and work of the Holy Spirit within me, I cannot say I walk in the light. Obviously. But I can certainly be indwelt by the Holy Spirit and find myself at war within after the manner described in Scripture and sometimes collapsing into sin (
Galatians 5:17, Romans 7:18-24). And so, in recognition of this fact, the apostle John wrote:
1 John 1:8
8 If we (John included)
say that we have (present tense)
no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
and,
1 John 2:1
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we (John included)
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
Maybe it makes you feel better to think there are portions of Scripture about which I'm ignorant, but the truth is that I'm quite aware of what's in the Gospel of John. This knowledge doesn't alter my view at all, however, but actually
strengthens it.
John 8:32-36
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
What did Jesus mean, here? Was he talking about mere true
knowledge? No, as he goes on to say, "if
the Son will make you free, you will be free indeed" (
vs. 36) By "the truth" Jesus meant himself, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (
John 14:6). From what would he make his Jewish listeners free?
33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free'?"
34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
35 "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.
36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
In what way could Jesus make his Jewish audience free from sin? They had the God-given Law of Moses and its sacrificial system by which they identified, and atoned for, their sin. From what did they need, then, to be free? Well, from a number of things:
1.) The penalty of sin.
2.) The power of sin.
3.) The condemnation and death-bringing effect of the Law.
By trusting in Christ as their Savior and yielding to him as their Lord (
Romans 10:9-10), the Jews could interact with God under a "new and living way" (
Hebrews 10:19-20), grounded
in the Person of Christ, not in good works, in rule-keeping, or in self-effort. Free of futile, legalistic rule-keeping, of the condemnation of the Law which no one can keep perfectly, those "in Christ" find acceptance with God, they are declared fully justified by Him, because they have had the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to them. From such people the impossible burden of keeping God's Law perfectly (God will accept nothing less) has been lifted, their righteousness located now in a
Person, not in their
performance.
Galatians 3:23-27
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.
24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Romans 7:6
6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
Because the born-again person is accepted by God on the basis of their being "in Christ" and not on the basis of their good works, they are liberated from the legalistic demand of the sinless perfection under which you labor
Hopeful 2, and with which you want to burden others.
Anyway, it's within the context of these things that I understand Christ's words in
John 8. And so, I see them through a very different lens than the sinless-perfection lens that seems to color everything you read in Scripture.
But, you see, this is just a Strawman of the actual perspective that I hold. Your version of what I believe is reduced down to this silly cartoon of my view in order that you might easily knock it over and feel that you've won the argument. You haven't actually dealt with my view, however, only your odd and weak version of it.
Worse, though, is how, in thinking in your inflexible and unbiblical either/or way, you've not only blinded yourself to the truth but have revealed that you are one in whom the truth does not dwell.
1 John 1:8
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.