GOD SAVES AND CLEANSES FROM ALL SIN.
Years ago I was listening to the radio with great interest because the preacher was preaching about God's call to a holy heart and a holy life. This was interesting for two reasons:
Years ago I was listening to the radio with great interest because the preacher was preaching about God's call to a holy heart and a holy life. This was interesting for two reasons:
1- It is seldom preached anymore,
2- The preacher was John MacArthur, a well known champion of Calvinism. I was amazed at the clarity with which he presented the truth.
But then it happened.
At the end of the program he said that these things were Biblical truths, but they are not attainable in this life. Most of the program he had clearly and accurately proclaimed God's word, then in a few short sentences of man made religion he denied everything.
God Says and Man Says
God says, be pure even as Christ is pure; man made religion says we cannot be.
God says, be perfect (in love) as our Father in heaven is perfect; man made religion says we cannot be.
God says, Jesus saves His people from their sins; man made religion says He does not.
God says, be holy as God is holy; man made religion says we cannot be.
God says, behave righteously; man made religion says we cannot.
God says, His children are conformed to the image of Jesus; man made religion says we are not.
God says, sin not; man made religion says we must sin.
God says, we are not to live in the flesh (carnally minded); man made religions says we must.
God says, obey Him, keep His commandments and do that which is pleasing in His sight; man made religion says we cannot.
God says, be entirely sanctified; man made religion says we cannot be.
Remember, we succeed as Christians because we trust and submit to God, not because we are superior people.
We either trust and obey God or we are misled by man made religion.
God Says and Man Says
God says, be pure even as Christ is pure; man made religion says we cannot be.
God says, be perfect (in love) as our Father in heaven is perfect; man made religion says we cannot be.
God says, Jesus saves His people from their sins; man made religion says He does not.
God says, be holy as God is holy; man made religion says we cannot be.
God says, behave righteously; man made religion says we cannot.
God says, His children are conformed to the image of Jesus; man made religion says we are not.
God says, sin not; man made religion says we must sin.
God says, we are not to live in the flesh (carnally minded); man made religions says we must.
God says, obey Him, keep His commandments and do that which is pleasing in His sight; man made religion says we cannot.
God says, be entirely sanctified; man made religion says we cannot be.
Remember, we succeed as Christians because we trust and submit to God, not because we are superior people.
We either trust and obey God or we are misled by man made religion.
Before someone mentions 1 John 1:8 out of context, let me encourage you to read these verses in 1 John... I have posted each verse separately because each verse can stand alone as well as in context. Obviously each verse needs to be understood in its proper context, but each verse individually also refutes the idea that God does not save us from all sin in this present evil world.
1 John 1:6
(6) If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1 John 1:7
(7) 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.
1 John 1:9
(9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 2:1
(1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1 John 2:3
(3) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1 John 2:4
(4) He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1 John 2:5
(5) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
1 John 2:6
(6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1 John 2:10
(10) He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
1 John 2:13
(13) I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
1 John 2:14
(14) I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
1 John 2:15
(15) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:16
(16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:17
(17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
1 John 2:24
(24) Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
1 John 2:29
(29) If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
1 John 3:1
(1) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1 John 3:2
(2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1 John 3:3
(3) And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
1 John 3:4
(4) Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
1 John 3:5
(5) And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
1 John 3:6
(6) Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
1 John 3:7
(7) Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
1 John 3:8
(8) He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:9
(9) Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
1 John 3:10
(10) In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
1 John 3:22
(22) And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
1 John 3:24
(24) And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
1 John 4:4
(4) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1 John 4:12
(12) No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4:17
(17) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1 John 4:17
(17) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1 John 5:2
(2) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1 John 5:3
(3) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1 John 5:4
(4) For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1 John 5:5
(5) Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:18
(18) We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
So, 1:8 cannot mean that God does not deliver believers from sinning, from all sin, in this present evil world.
In fact, 1:8 addresses the Gnostic problem (of that day), which was infiltrating the early Church. It was the teaching that the human flesh was sinful and therefore the Gnostics claimed that they had moved to the realm of KNOWING (thus their name) and that they were spirit beings rather than fleshly creatures, therefore they did not need the salvation of Christ.
Notice, verse 10 states that we have all sinned and verse 8 is addressing the Gnostic error, which said that Gnosticism made them sinless. John is saying that all men need salvation, because all men have been conceived in sin and all men have sinned. Higher knowledge (Gnosticism) does not save anyone.
Gnostics made the mistake of equating physical flesh with sin, which is an error found in Calvinistic and Reformed theology as well.
The New Testament recognizes that the word, "flesh," is sometimes in reference to the physical man and sometimes in reference to the "Old Man," or the sinful nature. Sin does not reside in the physical flesh, otherwise Jesus would have been sinful. The "carnal mind" is the spiritual inclination to the natural world rather than the spiritual realm. The human body is not sin, but it is ravaged by sin and will be replaced with new body. When we equate the physical flesh with sin we fail to understand the Bible message of salvation.
Flee from man made religion and trust God.
Man's wisdom seeks to rob God of His glory and rob Christians of their victory over sinning and deliverance from the sinful nature.
Man's wisdom seeks to rob God of His glory and rob Christians of their victory over sinning and deliverance from the sinful nature.
