With respect to sin, what all of GODS elect saints must remember is Romans chapter 7.
“So this is the principle I have discovered; when I want to do good, evil is present with me. For in my inner being I delight in GODS law. But I see another law at work in my body warring against the law of my mind (human spirit) and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.” Romans 7:21-23
All of GODS elect saints have a strong will and desire to do good which is governed by our thoughts. If we think good we do good but if we think evil we do evil. What Paul is saying here is that we go against our own will and think and do the evil because of the desires of the flesh, the body of death. Verse 24 continues;
“What a wretched man I am ! Who will save me from this BODY OF DEATH ?”
The answer to this question is verse 25;
“Thanks be to GOD through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Willful sin is when a person is in agreement with the body of death to have their thoughts in agreement with their words and deeds. The other side of this is a person who truly desires to do good but because of the body of death our thoughts are not always pure thus having the opportunity to lead us into words and or deeds that are evil. The conclusion of this condition is given in the last part of verse 25;
“So then, with my mind (human spirit) I fulfill the law of GOD but with my flesh (the body of death) I serve the law of sin.
The elect are yet sinners but under grace that allows for repentance and forgiveness of sin. This is what Paul is explaining here. We need not live in fear of sin but rather as conquerors of it because of GOD and Christ.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HIM who loved us.” Romans 8:37
Romans7:4-6. “Therefore my brothers, you died to the law through the body of Christ that you might belong to another, to him who raised Christ from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to GOD. For when we lived according to the flesh the sinful passions (evil thoughts an desires) aroused by the law were at work in our bodies bearing fruit for death. But now, HAVING DIED TO WHAT BOUND US WE HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE LAW SO THAT WE SERVE IN THE NEW WAY OF THE SPIRIT AND NOT THE OLD WAY OF THE WRITTEN CODE (the Ten Commandments).”
This is not a license to sin because if we died to sin and now live in Christ how can we any longer live in sin.
The elect saints are not under the law because the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ has purchased us out of the old covenant and brought us into the new covenant. We have PASSED-OVER. We are dead to the law so that we may live in Christ.
Galatians 2:19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to GOD.”
Romans 6:11 “So you too must count yourselves dead to sin but alive to GOD in Christ Jesus.”
As GODS elect saints we know that we still sin but because of what GOD did through Jesus these sins are forgiven upon sincere repentance. This body of death is going to be replaced with a body of life, a spirit body, and we live even now in this hope.
“We have been sacrificed with Christ and no longer live but Christ lives in us.” Galatians 2:20
That deserves a repeat.
“The life we now live in the body, we live by faith in the son of GOD who loved us and gave himself for us.” Galatians 2:20
As long as we do not commit the unpardonable sin this amazing grace is always there for us; so then, in the matter of sin and how this grace applies we have no worries, no fear. If GOD through Christ forgives then we are confident and secure in this to the end.
Excess worry over sin is against the confidence that we have in Christ. The message of the gospel is this very thing. We must always rely on the grace provided in the gospel message and we believe that GOD forgives us. We are the clay in the potters hands and are being reshaped to be in the image of Christ. This good news should make us joyful and happy not sad and gloomy. Its not taking advantage of GODS grace if GOD is the one who invented grace to give us. “
“What shall we say in response to these things . If GOD be for us who can be against us ?” Romans 8:31
There are times that we can be our own worst enemy when we fail to remember that the sin condition has been solved no matter if conscious or unconscious. To doubt is to come close to calling GOD a liar.
It requires spiritual balance to properly view sin and forgiveness. We should be concerned about our sins but not to where it cripples us in the grace given to us. We should always repent and ask forgiveness and then accept that forgiveness and move forward with a clear and clean conscience. This process can be repeated millions or billions of times. GOD knows we are weak;
“HIS spirit was sown in our weakness but if we obey the gospel we will be raised in power.” 1 Corinthians 15:43
I am fully aware that I sin and I have lost many battles in this warfare but Christ has won the victory because alone by myself I cannot.
“But thanks be to GOD ! HE gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57
This is faith that leads to imputed righteousness. GOD wants us all to believe HIM. We were not like the messiah when first converted but are to grow to eventually be an exact duplicate of him in love and righteousness. We are mortal flesh and still weak so we need changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.
How many of GODS elect saints want to fail, want to perish forever, want to live a life dedicated to Satan and sin continually ? How many want to willfully and deliberately desire to be evil ? How many will refuse to repent or ask for forgiveness ? Are you one like this ? Of the elect that I personally know and fellowship with none of them. If anything we tend to worry to much about sin and forgetting that Jesus conquered sin in the flesh. As I said before, it requires spiritual balance to deal with the concepts of sin and grace.
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