netchaplain
Member
There are believers who think that when a Christian sins it’s intentional or willful. Isn’t the primary difference in one reborn the fact that one will never want to sin (Heb 10:26)? Though we know that one cannot live without sinning, it is strongly against the desire of the Christian to sin (Psa 97:10; Pro 8:13; Jude 1:23)! What one must know is that those reborn still possess the sin nature (old man - 1Jo 1:8), and the sin that is now committed is from the old man and not from the new man (Ro 7:17, 20). The main difference between the natural man and the saved man is that there is no desire to sin in our new man!
Paul declared the dichotomy of the Christian’s two natures in Romans 7:14-25 (only Christians have both natures, as Christ had only a divine nature and unbelievers have only the sin nature). “For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate (not want to do), that I do.” Here Paul is admitting he still sins
and it’s evident he does not desire to sin! Also notice the usage of the word “captive” in v 23. This is used by Paul to describe something that is against his will and desire, as one who is in a prison.
The main theme is that, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mat 6:21). What one has in the heart is what determines their good or evil, as “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Mat 12:35). There is only evil or good within the heart—never both. God will not allow admixture! What the believer ultimately intends in the heart is what God uses to determine everything!
The heart represents what one is ultimately. There will be evil in the life of a believer but not intentionally, because ultimately the believer wants what God wants (Phl 2:13). Conversely, unbelievers have only evil in their heart (Tit 1:15), being “dominated” by the “old man” (Ro 6:14); and sin’s dominion is its ability to cause you to want to sin. It’s not that we sin it’s, “do we want to sin”? With the new nature we do not desire sin, but with the old nature we sin, but never intentionally (e.g. doing something out of anger or wrath in not what a Christian wants to do - Jas 1:20). We may impulsively sin out of anger, jealousy, envy, etc., i.e. sins that aren’t on purpose or with planning and intentional knowledge, which are not the same as “willful” sins that are “presumptuous” (Num 15:30).
Though the old man is a part of the believer, the believer has no part with the old man in his new nature, for God has separated believers in position with Christ from the sin nature (Ro 8:9). Therefore, regardless of the believer’s “condition” (impulsive sinning, temporary discouragement, etc.), the believers “position” is incapable of ever being affected, as faith and salvation are permanent (Rom 11:29). How does God know for certain that one reborn will never apostatize?—by “Working in you to both desire and do of His good pleasure!” If one apostatizes it manifests there was no rebirth (1Jo 2:19); hence the phrase “unto the end,” as only the saved will do, to manifest themselves reborn.
After glorifying Himself, everything God does is for our “sakes” (2Co 4:15), and in my opinion, the most needed thing for the saved is encouraging one another in the Scriptures. We have everything that pertains to “life and godliness” (2Pe 1:3), and thus merely requiring the continuous “exhortation” of one another (Heb 10:25) in the “love” of Christ (Jhn 15:12).
NC
Paul declared the dichotomy of the Christian’s two natures in Romans 7:14-25 (only Christians have both natures, as Christ had only a divine nature and unbelievers have only the sin nature). “For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate (not want to do), that I do.” Here Paul is admitting he still sins
and it’s evident he does not desire to sin! Also notice the usage of the word “captive” in v 23. This is used by Paul to describe something that is against his will and desire, as one who is in a prison.
The main theme is that, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mat 6:21). What one has in the heart is what determines their good or evil, as “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Mat 12:35). There is only evil or good within the heart—never both. God will not allow admixture! What the believer ultimately intends in the heart is what God uses to determine everything!
The heart represents what one is ultimately. There will be evil in the life of a believer but not intentionally, because ultimately the believer wants what God wants (Phl 2:13). Conversely, unbelievers have only evil in their heart (Tit 1:15), being “dominated” by the “old man” (Ro 6:14); and sin’s dominion is its ability to cause you to want to sin. It’s not that we sin it’s, “do we want to sin”? With the new nature we do not desire sin, but with the old nature we sin, but never intentionally (e.g. doing something out of anger or wrath in not what a Christian wants to do - Jas 1:20). We may impulsively sin out of anger, jealousy, envy, etc., i.e. sins that aren’t on purpose or with planning and intentional knowledge, which are not the same as “willful” sins that are “presumptuous” (Num 15:30).
Though the old man is a part of the believer, the believer has no part with the old man in his new nature, for God has separated believers in position with Christ from the sin nature (Ro 8:9). Therefore, regardless of the believer’s “condition” (impulsive sinning, temporary discouragement, etc.), the believers “position” is incapable of ever being affected, as faith and salvation are permanent (Rom 11:29). How does God know for certain that one reborn will never apostatize?—by “Working in you to both desire and do of His good pleasure!” If one apostatizes it manifests there was no rebirth (1Jo 2:19); hence the phrase “unto the end,” as only the saved will do, to manifest themselves reborn.
After glorifying Himself, everything God does is for our “sakes” (2Co 4:15), and in my opinion, the most needed thing for the saved is encouraging one another in the Scriptures. We have everything that pertains to “life and godliness” (2Pe 1:3), and thus merely requiring the continuous “exhortation” of one another (Heb 10:25) in the “love” of Christ (Jhn 15:12).
NC