It appears there has been some confusion about my comments where I have said we can live without sinning. Some have assumed that I’m claiming that I don’t sin anymore. But I never once in my entire life claimed or even hinted that I am without sin.
I have been saying what the word of God says, Jesus has made it possible for us to live without sinning, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God, 1 Peter 4:1–2.
We will always have sin dwelling in us. Some people call this a sinful nature, but the word of God calls it sin. But even though it is within our bodies of flesh, Jesus made a way to overcome it by sending the Holy Spirit to set us free from the law of sin and of death.
We are to learn obedience from the things which we suffer and walk in obedience to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This takes time for we cannot become an adult overnight. But our goal is to attain the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, thereby becoming a mature man, which is the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ…
As all children, we will slip, trip, and at times we might even downright rebel against the authority of God (I have seen many cars with Christian bumper stickers speeding along the highways and in cities, which is a sin against God). But the Father continues to discipline us until we either turn and run from Him, or we entirely submit to Him.
1 John 3:1-11,
1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
5 And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.
6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another…
Notice verses 5 and 6 above, And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
If we abide in Jesus we will not sin, for there is no sin in Him. This is why Paul exhorts us to walk by the Spirit, and why he said, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh, Galatians 5:16.
No one who abides in Jesus sins, and those who abide in Him receive whatever they ask in prayer, 1 John 3:6; John 15:7. (This is according to the apostle John and the Lord Jesus Christ).
So it’s a matter of growing from infancy to adulthood, learning to submit to the Father as He disciplines us. In doing this we carry out His purpose and shine as lights on a hill in the darkness of a lawless world.
In summation, I will use Paul’s words:
Philippians 2:12-15,
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
15 that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world…
Please weigh everything I say on the scales of the word of God.
Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
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