Am I sinless?

[*Light*]

One of the Baptist RSS Auto Feeds had an article discussing sin -- and how no one is sinless. We are ALL still in a body made of flesh and bones (Grk. "sarx"). It is ONLY at *Glorification* that we BECOME sinless when we are given a spiritual body incapable of committing sin.

So can we be sinless? Sadly, there were some Puritans who believed that we can attain sinless perfection. For very good reason, scripture never puts things this way -- as if not sinning might be something equivalent to dieting or training for a race. We are NOT to sin . . . period. But we do sin, and when we do, we are to confess our sins (Lev. 5:5; Ps. 32:5; 38:18; 66:18; Prov. 28:13; cf. Matt. 3:6; Rom. 10:9-10; Jas. 5:16; 1 Jn. 1:9; 2:1). No one will sin less by "trying not to sin today"; such a thing will probably only lead to more sin. That is addressing things by means of the flesh, not by the Spirit, and Paul's description in Romans chapter seven tells us that this is futile (Rom. 7:14-25). On the other hand, if we are walking in the Spirit, we will not be fulfilling the lusts of the flesh (Gal.5:16ff.). I am sure that it is possible to go a day and not commit an act of lying, e.g. Indeed, any Christian who is walking in Christ is accomplishing that every day (one hopes). And it may be possible to go a day and not commit a sin of action (if one stays home with the phone off of the hook and the shades drawn) -- but doubtful if a person has to commute in traffic. James tells us that controlling the tongue is impossible (cf. Ps.39:1-6; 64:3-4; Jas. 1:19,26; 3:1-12) it might be possible to go a day without uttering a single careless word and only words that are edifying (Prov. 10:11, 20-21; 12:13-14; 13:3; 15:2; 16:21; 18:21; 21:23; 25:11-12; Isa. 50:4; Matt. 15:10-20; Eph. 4:29; Col.4:6;), but just as with action, there are things that we should do as well as those we should not do.

Can we perfectly navigate a day and say everything we should while avoiding everything we should not say? I have my doubts. Most of our sins are sins of ignorance -- which is why most of the sacrifices of the Law were for sins of ignorance (cf. Lev. 4:2; 5:17,18; Hos. 4:6; Acts 17:30; Rom. 10:3; 1 Cor. 15:34; 1 Tim. 1:13; Eph. 4:18; 1 Pet. 1:14; execution was the standard for sins of arrogance -- but if it has been rigorously carried out the population would have soon disappeared). So it might be possible to go a day without doing or saying (or failing to do or say) anything by the commission or omission of which was sinful . . . AS FAR AS THE SINNER KNEW. But that is significantly different from not sinning in action and word. And that is why we are directed to ask for forgiveness every single time we pray (Ps. 32:1; 103:3; Prov. 28:13; 1 Jn. 1:9).

When it comes to sins of the heart (Gen. 6:5; cf. Job 36:13; Ps. 10:3; 41:6; 55:21; Prov. 6:18; Matt. 9:4; 15:18-19) that is a whole different subject. The heart is "desperately wicked" and incapable of even being comprehended (Jer. 17:9). The sin catalogs in the New Testament are "sins of the heart" heavy, and it was covetousness, the one mental sin, that doomed the apostle Paul in Romans chapter seven. Can we really go even a day without a prideful thought? Without a jealous thought? Without getting upset, frustrated, angry? Without expressing the slightest doubt or fear or anxiety? One could go on at great length. And even if we THOUGHT we had done so, in truth no doubt we would only be expressing arrogance (cf. Prov. 8:13; Jer. 9:23-24; Rom. 11:20) in respect to the sins of ignorance we had committed.

Can a person go a day without a mental sin? Maybe if in a coma. In any case, this is the WRONG way entirely to think about things and to go about things. This is like playing chess by trying not to lose pieces, or like fighting a war but never going on the offense and expecting to win. The Christian way of life is both defensive and offensive; they complement each other (cf. Eph. 4:27; 6:12; 2 Cor. 10:4; 2 Tim. 2:3-4; 1 Thess. 5:22; 1 Jn. 4:1), but the purpose of defense is not to be perfect (which is impossible) but to make it possible to gain momentum in spiritual growth, progress and production -- something which being embroiled in sinful behavior -- especially sinful actions which are arrogant rather than ignorant. The latter is the first place Christians need to clean up their act and press forward with sanctification (Jn. 17:17; Rom. 8:5-14; 13:13; cf. 1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Cor. 7:1; Gal. 2:20; 1 Tim. 6:11-12; 2 Thess. 2:13; Tit. 3:4-7; 1 Pet. 1:1-2; 2:2-3; 5:8-9; 1 Jn. 2:15-17) in all other areas too. But this life is a fight to the end, and we are still in the flesh which make being perfect impossible.

War is messy. So is our warfare . . . unless and until we get our priorities straight. What is our attitude toward sin? Don't do it. What if we do? Confess it. What if we are not sure? There is prayer for confession in the Lord's prayer we pray daily or more often . . .  and that ought to tell us something. Is this Christian life about sin? Not at all. It is about responding to the forgiveness of sin we have through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior. What does that mean? Doing what Jesus wants us to do. What does Jesus want us to do? He wants us to grow, progress and produce. He doesn't want us to sin -- obviously -- but His purpose for is to glorify Him through earning eternal rewards; putting sin aside is a necessary part of that goal but it is not the objective itself, and if a person focuses on that as the objective, he/she will fail in the mission.

God Bless!