"The correct view, finally, after wandering through that sort of useless list, the correct view is based upon the tenses in the Greek. Present tenses, all of them, referring to continuous, habitual action. The Christian does not, cannot habitually and persistently sin. He will sin sometimes. He will sin willfully. But he will not sin habitually, persistently and relentlessly. If you have been saved, born again, regenerated, made new, the whole direction of your life is now toward God. The direction of your life is toward holiness. Your mind is set on the Spirit, Romans 8:6. Your mind is set on things above, Colossians 3:2. You are disconnected from earthly things, Philippians 3:19. And so we can say although the believer sometimes sins, yet the ruling principle of his life is opposition to sin so that he hates the sin that he sees in his own life."
I totally agree with that and this is what I have been saying. This is why these people who claim to "backslide are not really Christians. To make a point on this. You do not have to wait and look at the whole life of a person to discern this. Their daily walk will verify what is also their life walk.
"Is this some kind of perfection? No. But it is a direction THE direction of the life of a true believer."
Again I agree. It is about our habitual practice not perfection. I have been saying that also.
"To put it in the language of Romans chapter 6, sin does not reign in us any longer."
True, sin no longer rules us as a lifestyle. So we are now told to rid ourselves of all sin.
"Any unconverted person lives in a condition of lawlessness, rebellion against the Law of God. Don't ever underestimate sin and don't ever define sin only in bits and pieces. There are, of course, individual acts of sin but they only reflect a deeper, profounder, consuming, captivating, dominating, reigning presence of lawlessness that defines the very nature of the unredeemed heart. Lawlessness is open rebellion and defiance toward God. Active rebellion against God's will."
Again I totally agree with that. The person who is doing this is lost.I would also remind you that some people can look like a Christian for a season. Judas is a prime example. The other disciples evidently never suspected him.Some people play church and they have a form of godliness but they deny the power of oit. In other words they will go to a point of ridding themself of sin and bask in grace for the rest (pet sins) claiming no one is perfect.These too are those who practice sin and are lost.
"We know in verse 14 the Law is spiritual, he says. I also recognized that I am of flesh, I'm still human and I am sold into bondage to sin. And then he describes the struggle, "For that which I am doing I do not understand, I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I'm doing the very thing I hate." Therein is the issue, isn't it? I do things, sinful things, but they aren't what I want to do."
Here is where John and I part ways. I do not believe Romans 7 is speaking about a saved person. It says it is speaking to those who know the law and that would be Jews. I believe it is Jews who knows about Christ and are trying to hold onto the lawwhile claiming salvation and Paul puts himself into their shoes explaining what it is like trying to satisfy law through the flesh. He is saying come all the way to Christ who sets us free in the spirit.
"You don't have to be perfect to affirm the goodness of the Law, to affirm the holiness, the righteousness of the Law. You affirm it when you feel sorry over your violation of it.[SIZE=+0] I know, he says in verse 17, that I'm not even the one doing it, it's sin which still indwells me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh, for the wishing is present in me but the doing of the good is not. The good that I wish, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. He doesn't practice it habitually, using the same word that John uses, but in a different context and with a different meaning. He longs to do what is right but he finds himself falling into sin which is not what he wants to do, as evidenced by his penitence."[/SIZE]
Again John and I see this chapter differently. However even with John's understanding and him holding the person is saved he makes it clear sinning is not the practice (lifestyle) of the person. The person wants to get ALL sin out. Any sin for a believer is too much.
"Do Christians sin? Yes. Do Christians have to sin? No. We do sin, 1 John 1 verses 8 and 10, "If you say you don't sin, the truth isn't in you. If you say you haven't sinned, you make God a liar and His Word isn't in you." Yes we sin. Do we have to sin? No. Chapter 2 verses 1 and 2, "I'm writing to you these things that you may not sin. You don't have to sin. We do sin, we don't have to sin. "
Here again we mostly agree. I say mostly because i hold a little different view as to what is being said in 9. The rest I totally agree with. No believer has to sin. All sin is a choice. We know we do not have to sin because of this;
1 Cor 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].
God promises we will not be tempted above what we can handle. We just have to use the way of escape he provides. It is a choice to sin.
Lastly you stated this;
"-this last one is where I might disagree with jmac, depending on how he defines "have to sin." (he might even qualify these statements by his earlier statements referring to Paul's struggle with sin.) I would agree that Christ in our lives makes a dramatic difference, However, I don't see anyone in scripture that ever attained the kind of sin-free days that you are describing."
I assure you John means we do not have to sin. He is not speaking in code or some vague manner. Second as long as you hold that Paul is saying in Romans 7 he is struggling with sin then you will never be able to believe what I have been saying or what John has said. Paul was NOT struggling with sin as in sinning a lot. We know this because of chapter 6. Also because of the 3rd chapter of Phl. Paul says this about himself before he received the Lord Jesus.
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, [of] the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Paul is saying he kept the commandments (the law) before he was in Christ. If he was able to do that while under the law then he is not now struggling keeping the same commandments now that he is in Christ and under grace.
:laugh::laugh: