Then I would ask if when you sin are you doing it accidently or on purpose.
Because as a Christian I am aware of good and evil I no longer think I am the one sinning. It is a battle!
Rm 7:20 ... I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me
(I believe I quoted that verse above. So I am not sure why you are asking the question. Perhaps you missed the fact that we are no longer the one doing it?)
The problem with the thread is that it fails to take into account the battle. It shows a lack of understanding of the battle with powers and principalities.
We ask how do we know we are born of God and completely forget about what Jesus said.
Jn 3:7,8 Do not be amazed that I said to you, "You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
If you are born again (or from above as some have it) you start hearing with your spiritual hears. With that you start becoming aware of both good and evil. Paul had become aware of it, that is why he knew that sin was messing with him. You don't get it all figured out right away, but with practice you get better at discerning between good and evil.
Heb 5:11 , 14 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing... but solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Of course if you become aware of good and evil you know not to go about following evil. It might slip up and get tricked sometimes, but that just the learning from practice as I just discussed. As a result you should be learning to talk to the Lord more, and pay more attention with your spiritual ears. The strange part about listening more is that the Lord reproves those He loves. So the more you listen the more you are aware of how you fall short, and more aware of the battle going on in the spirit realm around you.
Paul was more aware of the spirit realm and of his battle than you and I!!
Rm 7:23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind
and that awareness causes him to write,
"Wretched man that I am!"(Rm 7:24)
But then again, the hearing and following the Lord also enabled Him to see the victory in Jesus Christ
Rm 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So being born from above (again) means an awareness of the spirit realm around us. We are aware of good and evil. Thus we try to set or mind on the Spirit, but there is still a battle. And those born from above are aware of that!! That awareness makes us better, not worse, but it also makes us understand our short comings better which should make us more understanding with others!!
The problem with many of these type of threads is that they come on as condemning people instead of encouraging them. They tend to come across as "You sinners, you don't know God", instead of getting people to honestly consider their relationship with God![/QUOTE]