There is a lot of debate over “sinless perfection” out on the Internet Superhighway. Some Christians claim that if you sin, you cannot be saved. Yet on the other hand there are those who claim that you can live anyway you want and still be a Christian.
The truth I believe is in the middle. We are not saved by works, but I believe there is a “sin-LESS progression” that we can only brag on Jesus for. God began a good work in those that are His and He doesn’t abandon his children. Those He loves He chastens, and I would think most of us learn the lessons as stubborn and ignorant as we can get.
Any good in me is of God. If it weren’t for Jesus Christ, I would be probably in hell, dead, voting for Hillary, and in jail, but likely not in that order!
What I find is the closer I get to God the more he reveals and the more layers that get removed.
The bible testifies that men who were in the presence of God were greatly aware of their sinfulness — Isaiah “Woe I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips”, Peter “Lord depart from me, for I am a sinful man”, and Paul “I am the chief of sinners”.
However, there is a difference between being aware of your refusing to die sinful nature (where you realize that “in your flesh dwelleth no good thing”) and where most are today –meaning they love their sin, defend their sin, and have no desire to walk away from their sin and yet they claim to be saved.
That is deception.
Yet on the other hand, good and evil are on the same tree. The pharisees had far better obedience externally to God’s laws than I ever can. Do you fast twice a week? Do you tithe perfectly? I know I haven’t come close to their level of obedience. Yet, Jesus said they were of their father the devil.
As Pastor Coulson said (the one from Canada) we need to walk IN the light, meaning it is WHERE I walk, not HOW I walk. And when I am realizing it is JESUS who gets any credit, and I am walking in the spirit, and yielding to Him, I will have a holy walk, I won’t dive into sin, I will have more charity and fruit, and I won’t have that haughty prideful religious attitude of those that are “living for God” yet have no love or compassion for the lost or saved alike.
I lose my cool fairly quickly (just see how I come unglued when I am already late for work and something else comes up I have to attend to) but I also see God gets me to rebound faster than I used to. I fall down, He picks me up, and I jump back on where I fall off. I cannot boast about that.
if we are walking with God we will have more love for people and will exhibit fruits of the spirit. I know me. when i see God doing it through me, I am in awe of Him, not impressed with myself.
Perhaps that is the right balance. To bring Him glory, not to boast of our goodness.