From: "Lance Muir":
Fair enough, Perry. Consider yourself asked.
Okay, Lance, here we go.
I believe that we were sinners prior to our being forgiven, and that we
are sinners still. That did not change. What DID change is that when we
placed our faith in Christ, our sins, past, present, and future, no longer
count against us. We are clothed in Christ's righteousness. We are made
righteous in God's eyes by our faith in the Blood of Christ.
I also believe, however, that this does not give us a free ticket to sin.
When we believe, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit gives us the desire to
not sin, and when faced with sin we are always given a way out...but
sometimes we do not choose it. I believe that a process begins whereby we
begin to be refined. Some quickly some slowly, but in people who have truly
placed their faith in Christ, this process begins and continues.
If we DO sin, (and I believe that we all will and DO) as soon as we are
convicted of it (realize we have sinned), we need to ask for forgiveness,
and He is faithful to forgive us. This is part of the process of refinement
I speak of.
With respect to David Miller's position, I need to know more. I feel
there is a semantic difference in the way he uses the words "sinless" and
"do not sin" than the way I use them. In a recent post David stated, "I have
never claimed to be sinless", yet claims to not sin. To me this is a
contradiction that is explainable only by the semantics David is using. I
would love to understand what he is saying so I, too, can say I do not sin,
but so far I do not understand it well enough to make that statement, for I
believe that I still sin.
I think that the reason that several rail against David's statement that
he does not sin is that none of us (that oppose, and maybe others)
understand what he is talking about! That simple. If he could describe it in
a way that we understood the semantics of his statements (and maybe he has
but I just did not "get" it), that we all could discuss his semantics and we
would all come to an understanding, perhaps some agreeing and some
disagreeing, but come to an understanding of why David claims he does not
sin. I am not willing to say he does or does not sin until I understand
this!
David, am I right? Do I not understand the semantics of your statements?
Is there some way you can resolve "I never claim to be sinless", and "I do
not sin" that I can understand? I, too, would like to not sin, but so far
have been unsuccessful in achieving that, and have not found a semantic
construct that will allow me to say that!
Perry
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"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
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