This made me get into the Bible and take a closer look. I hate questions that I don't have an intelligent answer to. I might be off base, but I'd rather educate myself and at least try to make sense. As I say all the time, I'm nowhere near being an expert on any of this, but I also have said that this blog is a a set of notes on MY journey.
So here goes......
The question was raised- Can we be In Christ and still sin?
That bothers me and I am constantly have to go back to God's word for reassurance that I'm on track (hmm..something He would want me to do?). I have to read the Word and then I go back and look for "key" words (reflecting on His word?). Then I will surely look at who wrote it and who it was specifically written too. (looking at His word as living history and knowing about the world and people around it at that time?)
Now the question (and it was a question, not an argument that's why I'm writing here and not where I saw it), that I heard asked, in my mind at least, centered around 1 John 3:3-10 Linked here-
and was used as an example that we could not (or may not) be In Christ and still go on sinning.
A quick glance at the "foreword" of the book in my study Bible yielded some interesting things right on the surface. For one, this book was written to believers, which kinda threw me. I thought it might have been to those who did NOT yet know Christ. Still, we do not know how long the church had been established or even which church it was meant for. (Many people much smarter than me think it was a circular letter sent out to many churches in Asia at the time). Regardless, I find this even more beautiful BECAUSE it was written to people who already know of and trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior! Essentially proving (in my mind) that Christians fail! And we probably fail ourselves far more than we fail others. There would be no need to write 1 John if Christians were perfect! And anyone in Christ based recovery would certainly not consider themselves perfect!
Are we In Christ when we sin? In my mind: No. Do we stop trusting in the work of the Cross when we sin? In that moment or in that area of our lives, perhaps. Have I lost my salvation? No. I do not believe that. If I come back to God with a repentant heart and confess what I did and ask for His forgiveness and help, does He ignore me? NO! I could do nothing to EARN my salvation in the first place, so how could I ever RE earn it??
More observation:
"Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure."
1 John3:3
I heard a Christian author say recently, There is no hope once we get to Heaven because hope will become reality (paraphrase). So having hope in Christ is for this life. I'll stand beside the living God in the next. When I hear about the unconditional love of God and His mercy and grace, I am reminded that this is what I am told to hold onto in this life, because for the time being, He is unseen.
I read that John was known for his contrasts when writing; i.e. dark vs. light, good vs. evil, sin vs. purity. Sounds like he had some of that black and white thinking going on that got me into recovery in the 1st place! Am I making fun of a Bible writer? No! A recurring theme in the Bible is how God used and still uses the imperfect and "unclean" for His work and His glory. His writing style doesn't leave a gray area and some may see me as "Luke warm" if I ask for one. I say that we live in a fallen world and anyone who thinks they will never sin again is the same as a person who denies he ever did. What does God say about that person? See here:
Still more:
Moses loved God but didn't think much of His idea to have Moses lead the slaves out of Egypt. He disagreed? Blasphemy! Apparently not something the Lord held against Moses though, He still used him.
David and his sins? God called David a man after His own heart?
Paul (Saul) hunted down and killed Christians. But even though he came to believe and wrote tons of the New Testament, did he not still struggle with pride and anger?
No. We are a work in progress and we fight our sinFUL nature all of our lives. To not believe that is to "think you are standing firm..." and not considering that "...you (may) fall".
Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
In my mind and heart I cannot look at myself as having "arrived". I am "no longer a sinner"? Baloney. I am a sinner saved by grace. His grace. Not yours and not mine. I do not disagree with anything the Bible says, but I do have to look at context. If I think that I have it all figured out, then I am full of pride and that means sin. We believers, We followers of Christ have to FIGHT sin, not be absolved from it. If we were, we would have no need for what God seeks most: A relationship with each of us. To live in and remain in sin, is to not let Christ and His sanctification process into that area of my life. Period. But if I have no hope in Christ in this life, my present and future, why would I not go on sinning? The work of the Holy Spirit will convict me of sin, but not condemn me for it. He will continue to "will and to act according to his good purpose". Philippians 2:13
Prayers
Thanks for writing this....
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