Letter (Part 2)

II. The Presence of Sin Continues Even After Salvation Until Glorified in Resurrected Bodies.

The next issue is that of sin after salvation in Christ. From the sound of it you made it sound as if we must be absolutely perfect in this life because of verses such as Matthew 5:48. Which Jesus knows man cannot do in this sinful flesh, and yet we must hold fast to the commandments of Christ, and strive to be perfect like our Father in heaven is perfect.

Unrepentant Heart

An unrepentant heart is one in which never died to sin and so continues to live and walk in darkness never understanding their sin and never placing that sin on the cross to die. 1 John 1:6, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” This is to say that one continues to walk in darkness, never declaring that sin before God and then repenting and turning from that sin. This person never relies on the forgiveness of God and never confesses that sin to God, and so they continue to walk in that darkness and the ways of the world. But Micah 7:7-9 shows the repentant heart, “Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him, until He plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.” There is the difference between a Godly repentance and the “fake” or non-existent one. The difference between relying on Christ to cover that sin and continuing in your sin as if it never happened and God will never even care.

Reign of Sin is Over

The reign of sin is over in Christ. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (vv.12). “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (vv.14). In this mortal bodies sin will remain but it will no longer have dominion over you. Christ has dominion over us now, for we were once slaves to sin now we are slaves to righteousness.

Sin Remains

This mortal body cannot be perfect though, because the flesh wars against the Spirit until the day we die. You are right in saying that we are no longer salves to sin. Important, though, to understand Romans 7:20 when it says, “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” The sin still remains in his fleshly body. In his humanness there is still a sin within him, obviously his mind is taken captive by Christ, “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” We know this is speaking of Paul as a believer and of all believers because he says in verse 15, “for that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not: but what I hate, that do I.” Unbelievers would never say they hate what they do (cf. 19 and 21). We obviously have not received this perfection yet, until our resurrected bodies are given. 1 Cor 15:50 says, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” What does that last portion mean then? What corruption? I thought we were perfect in this life. It is not possibly for this body to enter the Kingdom of God, because it is corrupted and infected with sin. It must be shed and given a new resurrected body. Why does the Bible say, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a lead; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). Obviously even our best efforts and tainted with something. Finally, on this point 1 John 1:7-9 says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and his word is not in us.” To argue out of that would take a butchering of the word.

Sanctification in this Life

The conforming to the image of the Son by the power of the Spirit, “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:16-19). In your case you do not believe in sanctification, but if sin continues in the body then you will be conformed more and more into the image of the son (Romans 8:29).

No Excuse to Sin

Does this leave us with an excuse to sin? No. Of course not. Romans 6 makes that clear as well as 1 John 1:6. This by no means leaves us with the excuse to remain in our known sin. Repentance is continual, and a turning from all known sin so that you do not allow sin to reign but you keep your mind on Christ and run the race to obtain the prize (1 Cor. 9:24). And also in asking for Christ’s forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Confessing your sins always, as David did throughout the psalms. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2) You must reckon yourself dead to it, dead to the slavery of it, and alive to Christ and the slavery of righteousness. Sin is still present in your body, but it give you no excuse to do it and then say, “Oh well, I’m still saved.” For Paul says in 2 Cor. 13:5, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” This is by no means an examination to see how good you are doing, but whether or not your faith is in Christ as your salvation and your atonement for your sin. Sin must be hated, and our joy must be found in Christ and not in the fleeting pleasures of this world. One who does not react as David react when confronted with his great sin is no believer. [The point is who would want to go on living in sin if they were now living for Christ. Who would want to do the very thing God hates.]*

Conclusion of Point II

Born a sinner, die one. The question is, is Christ your atonement for those sins? Because if He isn’t you will be eternally condemned.

*Not in original letter