Join Michael Patton, Tim Kimberley, J.J. Seid and Sam Storms as they discuss if a Christian can sin.
Join Michael Patton, Tim Kimberley, J.J. Seid and Sam Storms as they discuss if a Christian can sin.
5 replies to "Can a Christian Sin?"
Haven’t been able to listen yet … will need to have webpage open later when I have speakers with me. First John makes clear that the Christian can sin, and Romans 7 points strongly in that direction. Some people interpret Romans 7 to be Paul speaking about before he became a Christian. In First John it’s almost impossible to argue that John is speaking of any other than Christians.
The precursors of the gnostics were apparently saying that the spirit is forever without sin and the flesh and physical world are nothing but sinful, which was the reason they denied Jesus ever came in the flesh. St. John seems to be telling us that the sinful acts we commit in the body really do affect our spirits and our relationship with God in a bad way, whereas the Spirit of God within us and His power over sin really does affect our behavior in the body in a good way. Both the physical and the spiritual are real, and what happens in one realm affects the other. Good things can be done in the physical, and bad things can happen in the spiritual, even for one who has the Spirit of God.
Why do we insist on complicating matters? Is it because we have this inner pride in us to prove that my theology is better or more correct than others?? Why make matters more confusing when there is absolutely no reason to??
God tells us to reason with Him and to reason among ourselves. When Jesus tells us to be “perfect as your heavenly Father is” and “sin no more”, Jesus is ONLY expecting the highest from us as any earthly father would. One has to use their God given brain and reasoning to understand that Jesus is not being absolute here. Nor is St. John in the verses that the panel discusses. As ANY earthly father expects and secretly hopes for in his child, God wants to us to strive to achieve the impossible. And if anyone truly loves Jesus, it should be a “delight and joy” to follow His commandments and not sin! But…as any Christian knows, we all falter from time to time. That’s why God has given us His grace for those times. He has also given us the promise to help us with the power to overcome.
The bible translators of old understood this and therefore, used the word “practice” in the verses the panel is talking about. They used their reasoning to understand that God did not mean for absolutes. That’s why the phrases “practice righteousness” and “the practice of sin” were used when describing what our lives should reflect.
I’m listening to the discussion and it launches into First John from the start.
good job,y’alll! thank you!
“Can Christians still sin?”
AND HOW!
I’m living proof. And so are you.
But the good news is…the really good news is (Romans 6)…that because of what Christ has done for us on the Cross…and to us in our Baptisms…that “we are to consider ourselves dead to sin”. We still sin…but is as if we hadn’t. “There is now no condemnation…”
Such a deal!!!