For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Tim MacPhee
James tells us that sin is to him that knows to do good and does it not, to him it is sin. Romans the 6th chapter, What shall we continue in sin that grace may abound, God forbid. How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer there in?
So yes it is possible through God. Walk in the Spirit. Be filled with His Spirit, Acts 2:38
Sandra Harry
Quite revealing
Rev. Calvin Banks
Tim, I could not agree with you more... It is impossible for me to discern the level of righteousness in another man, especially one that I do not know. Romans 6 is not a impossibility for someone who has been matured through his faith and experiences granted by the Holy Spirit. That is what "growing in the Spirit" is all about. There are millions of Christians that have reached a point in life who have confessed that "we have come too far to turn around".
Thank God for the few faithful, for through the evidence of their faith, I have gained the courage to overcome my weakness.
juanita Flennory
I am sad to say that everyday we do sinful acts, but the good news of the gospel is that the old sin nature we inherited from our first Adam has been taken away by the last Adam, Jesus Christ. Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world!
He not only died for our sins (the believers) but also for the sins of the whole world. He became sin who knew no sin the we might be made the righteousness of God. The good news of the gospel is that we are righteous through no part of our own, only by believing on Jesus who is the Word of God. We inherit being righteous the same way our father of faith Abraham did. All you have to do is believe in Jesus, and the more you read and study the Word of God it's an effortless change. You automatically bring forth fruit unto holiness and righteousness. The question is, how righteous do you want to be in your actions?
The less you read the bible, the less you change; the more you get in your Word , the more you change, and the change comes without notice. Others will notice probably before you. However, whether in the word a lot or every so often or none at all, your sinless nature stands sure regardless of your shortcomings or sinful actions. Even better there is nothing you can do to change your status. The same way we were all born into sin through no action of our own is the same way you're born again. We're not born in sin this time, but in righteousness. God only sees us through the finished work of the cross of Jesus.
juanita Flennory
God doesn't see your flesh, that's why there was a circumcision of the flesh. God cut away that part from you and now He only sees you in the spirit. Remember we are three part beings spirit, soul (mind) and body. This is why Jesus could so easily forgive the woman caught in the act of adultery. While the self righteous [not God righteous] called for stoning, when they themselves should have been stoning each other for their own sins because no man is perfect like God. That's the standard we have to go by, not our own. He told them they judge after the flesh and he judged no man after the flesh. He said his judgment was true and righteous.
Jesus told the woman at the well now is the time when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. This is why Jesus was able to give grace to sinners, forgive their sins, and heal them. He knew he would do away with sin and conquer the thing that was making your sin nature too powerful to overcome the law itself.
Only love could have conquered the law because love is the fulfilling of the law. And all the curses or punishments that came from breaking the law was poured out on Jesus at the cross because he had taken the sin nature from every man on this earth and put it in his own body. So the wrath of God was poured out on him instead of ourselves. The innocent condemned for the guilty.
juanita Flennory
God sees you in a perfected state through the finished work of the cross of His Son. You are perfect in the spirit. He doesn't see your actions of sins in the flesh, they're not held against you. All He sees is the work of Jesus. His blood has cleansed you from all sin and unrighteousness and has given you His righteousness. There was an exchange at the cross now you're a new creation in Christ Jesus. Thank God for Jesus, or else we could never make into the kingdom of God because we could never fulfill the law.
Your flesh, however, is not changed. It won't be changed until the man of sin is revealed and the last (7th) trump is blown. That's when all the dead in Christ rise and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up in the air to meet him in the clouds and we are changed in the moment in the twinkling of an eye. We will receive our new bodies. This old body keeps us from living a perfect life in the flesh. So to get your actions under control study the word to renew your mind and you won't be conformed to this world. We have to take ourselves from under the law which is based on self efforts and self works which produces self righteousness. We must trust that just believing in Jesus alone saves us completely. Ro 5:13, jn 1:29, 1 jn 1:7, 1 jn 2:1-22,Co 5:21, Ro 4:1-5; 2 Ti 2:15; Ro 12-1-2, Ro 2:25-29, 2 Th 5:23, Jn3:4-6, Jn 4:23-24, Jn 6:63, Jn 8:1-16, Ro 10:1-15, Gal 3:10-13, Deut 21:22, Is 53, 1 Th 5:9, Heb 12:23, Ro 7, Ro 8:1-4, 1 Co 15:43-7, Ro 8:23, Ro 3:20, Gal 2, Gal 3, Gal 4; Ro 9:31-32, Ro 10:4-5, Jas 1:25, 2 Co 3, Col 2