Do you believe that we can overcome sin in this life? Do you believe God is powerful enough to keep us from sinning? Do you believe that it's possible to keep the commandments of God while we have a fallen nature?
Most of Christendom doesn't. Most Adventists have come to believe what Desmond Ford believes...that we will never be fully sanctified until Jesus Christ returns and gives us unfallen natures. But what does the Bible say?
What does God call His followers to be?
1 Peter 1:15-16, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
God grants us to live how, all the days of our life?
Luke 1:74-75, "That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life."
Of what does God say that His followers will not serve, are reckoned dead to, that it shall not reign in their mortal body, that they shall not obey, that it shall not have dominion over them, and that they are free from?
Romans 6:2, 6, 7, 11-15, 22, "God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ... Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. ... Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. ... But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."
What are given by Christ to His followers that they may partake of the divine nature and escape corruption?
2 Peter 1:4, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
What does the Bible say about those who abide in Christ and who are born of God?
1 John 3:3, 6, 9, "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. ... Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. ... Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."
What effect do God's promises have on Christians?
2 Corinthians 7:1, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
What is it that will cause the heathen to know that Christ is Lord?
Ezekiel 36:23, 26, 27, "And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. ... A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."
How much does God sanctify His followers?
1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."
How does God describe His true church?
Ephesians 5:27, "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
What does God tell His children not to do?
1 John 2:1, "My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
What is it that enables us to live as Christ lived?
Philippians 2:5, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."
What does the Spirit of God do to those who follow Him?
1 Corinthians 6:7, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
What does faith in God do to His followers?
Acts 26:18, "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."
What type of person will followers of Christ become?
Ephesians 4:13, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."
What is God able to keep His followers from doing?
Jude 1:24, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."
How much can followers of Christ do?
Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
What does the Lord know how to do?
2 Peter 2:9, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations."
What does God make sure comes with every temptation?
1 Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
We are to follow Christ's example...how did He walk?
1 Peter 2:21, 22, "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth."
Who does Christ grant to sit with Him on His throne?
Revelation 3:21, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."
What should be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ?
2 Corinthians 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
What will not be fulfilled by those who walk in the Spirit?
Galatians 5:16, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
How do the 144,000 stand before the throne of God?
Revelation 7:2-4, 14:1, 5, "And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed, and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. ... And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. ... And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God."
What do the remnant keep?
Revelation 12:17, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
The Bible is crystal clear that it is possible to keep the commandments of God, and that those who follow Christ will do just that. It's a question of God's power. Either God is more powerful than sin, or sin is more powerful than God. So, how powerful is your God?
Amen bro! We shall have the victory and CAN keep His commandments, for they are not burdensome, as scripture says. Our light shines when we live as He has shown us to live. Rob
ReplyDeleteTo have total victory in this life would be amazing but does "total victory" mean we are to be as Jesus was when He was on earth? Is that what "total victory" means? That we became exactly like Jesus? Or is "total victory" because we have accepted Christ into our lives and He stands in our place and then it becomes as if we have not sinned even though we do? Did Enoch have "total victory"? Did Elijah have "total victory"? Did the person who died and is now in the grave have "total victory" before dying? Does total victory mean PERFECT as Jesus was when He was in the world but not of the world? Where and when does "total victory" over self stop being filled with, Oh I still have this in my life and I am afraid that it will separate me from Christ and being in His kingdom? When does the need to have "total victory" become guilt free and not sorrowful and burdensome? Why do we see and hear people, people who love God agonise over this little sin and that little sin and it leaves them feeling not good enough? Where in the Bible does it say that God wants us to feel not good enough or needs us to feel so unhappy in our walk with Him that it leaves people struggling and not at peace? I say this because there is so many of Gods people who feel like this and to have total victory is not burdensome and should NOT be burdensome, so why do people feel burdened down with heavy hearts? Why is this issue not addressed in the true light to these people so that they know that it is not by their power but ONLY by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to overcome anything and everything and NOT a single thought, deed or action can save you or give you peace or give you "total victory". ONLY by the power of Gods mighty Holy Spirit are we able to have total victory but people do not understand what it means, what it means to allow the Holy Spirit to do it all for you. They do not understand that we have to just give it all up to God and this includes the agonising of over each and every little sin that we struggle with for there is nothing we can do in our self to overcome them. It is when we fully comprehend the working and the power of Gods Holy Spirit in our lives that we humbly come and fall at the foot of the cross and fully and totally surrender our ALL to Him that we at last come to the point where "total victory" by the power of God's mighty Holy Spirit becomes ours and not before.
ReplyDeleteHi Thanks for the post; I'm just wondering how many months it is, (or could it even be years) since you last sinned? It would be great encouragement for those of us who are still struggling with sin to know just how long it is that you have been able to live a victorious life.
ReplyDeleteCourtenay you really have missed the point.
ReplyDeleteIt is not you that overcomes, it is the Holy Spirit who does the overcoming in you for you. Do you when you come to Christ stop sinning completely? No. Do you notice that over time you do change from the old you to the new you? Yes of cause you do and that is the Holy Spirit doing the work for you in you, NOT you doing the changing but He alone. If you were to sit and take a look at your own life up on the screen you would see the change happening and that is the Holy Spirit doing the change not you and that is how victory over this or that happens ~ by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you day after day working in you unto Christ returns to take you home with Him.
The Bible says that the work He begins in you He shall finish NOT you, but He SHALL finish it. There is NOTHING you can do, not a single thing but He the Holy Spirit can and does do it all for you.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
So I've missed the point; the opening lines of the post say "Do you believe that we can overcome sin in this life? Do you believe God is powerful enough to keep us from sinning?"
ReplyDeleteIf there is no one here who can claim to have live this victorious life, even with the help of Christ, for the past week, month, year, then what is it that makes you believe that next week, month, year, will be any different?
I know that when you come to Christ things change and would never dispute that, but that is worlds away to claiming to having overcome sin; or even to having overcome with the aid of the Holy Spirit.
Courtenay,
ReplyDeletein answer to your first question (which answer you already imply with all the subtlety of a freight train)...not years, months or even days. I have my own battles as you do...I'm not claiming anything else. But what I'm sharing is what I have so recently discovered and that is simply that we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us...that if we'll let Him, He will actually MAKE us righteous, and not just COUNT us as righteous.
The Bible is so clear that when we are born again we are Justified and Sanctified together. Yet this wonderful truth of righteousness by faith has been forgotten and twisted by Christendom today. Now we hear that we are justified immediately when we surrender to Christ, and that sanctification is the work of a lifetime and we'll never be fully done until Christ comes.
I believed that until a very short time ago...when I found out that the Bible doesn't teach that anymore than it teaches Sunday sacredness. I was amazed.
I heard Morris Venden once compare it to balancing a broomstick in the palm of your hand...as long as you look at the top of the broomstick you can do it! But, the moment you look down at your palm it will fall. It is impossible to balance it unless your eyes are firmly locked on the top. In the same exact way, the ONLY way to have this righteousness is to keep our eyes fixed on Christ, our wonderful Saviour.
The moment we look at ourselves, start to examine ourselves, start to ask whether we are "there yet"...we fail.
So it turns out that we will never know if we have attained, and it doesn't really matter, because the point is to keep our eyes on Christ and let Him live in us, right?
Can you imagine living a life where you don't get stressed out and angry at those you love? Where you never yell needlessly? Where you never speak a harsh or unkind word to those you meet in your daily life? Can you imagine a life where all you do all day long is focus on Christ, and His love runs through you like a river, overflowing and spilling out onto everyone around you? Oh isn't that our mission here? Isn't that the reason for our very existence? To manifest God's love to a dying world?
Can you imagine? I can. And I want it...I want it more than anything else in the world. I know that...well nevermind I've gone on long enough.
All those verses up there from God's word seem so clear. I want what He's promised.
Anonymous, Rob, God bless you guys!
-Todd