John wrote: > If you regard sins of character as legitimate aspects > of the biblical view if "sin," as I do, are you a sinner > and sinning at this time. Is there no degree of selfish > within you? No degree of the lazy's, no pride > whatsoever, no conceit, an anger, no arrogance. > Whatever?
We apparently are working with different definitions and a different model of man's makeup. I will break down your questions and try to answer each question briefly. You should keep in mind that I perceive a dual nature to man's makeup, as per Romans 7. There is the physical body, the flesh, which is the source of the sin within man, and then there is the spirit, which is connected to God in the Spirit-filled man. I perceive that Jesus also had this sin nature within his flesh. In other words, he had a source of pride, laziness, conceit, anger, arrogance, etc. within his flesh, his physical body. However, he never sinned because he did not yield unto these temptations of his flesh. Therefore, I look to Jesus as the perfect example of how we may walk when we abide in him. 1. Am I a sinner? Yes, in the sense that I have sinned in the past. I am a sinner who has been washed in the blood and sanctified by the Spirit of grace. 2. Am I sinning at this time? No. 3. Is there any degree of selfishness within me? Yes. The flesh is selfish and is a source of temptation for me to be selfish. 4. Is there any degree of laziness, pride, conceit, anger, and arrogance within me? Yes. Within my flesh, a sin principle resides that is a source of temptation in these areas. Nevertheless, because of the work of the Spirit in my life, I find my flesh is dead, and so I do not incline myself toward the appetites of my flesh. The spirit works contrary to the flesh and leads me into paths of righteousness. I trust the Lord will always provide a way for me to escape yielding to the sinful desires of the flesh. I do not sin daily in thought, word, and deed. I live in Romans 8, not Romans 7. I could say some more about when evil thoughts become sin, but I will keep this post short for now. Peace be with you. David Miller. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
