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Serious And Deadly Quarterly Error (Study on July 15)
In the quarterly on July 15 is a statement regarding 1 John 2:1. "They must renounce sin completely. By doing this, he is not suggesting that a completely sinless existence is possible, but he is pleading that Christians stay away from any definite act of sin." On the same page is also the statement "At the same time, John doesn't want to give the idea that we can be perfectly sinless." And also "This is a clear acknowledgment of the reality of sin in the lives of Christians."
The quarterly does correctly state that, "Even consecrated and sincere Christians may commit sins." And also "They need someone to help them resist temptation, but they also need someone who intervenes for them after they have sinned."
The first statements are basically telling us that we will have sin in our lives until Jesus comes, which, as one reader points out, is straight from the pits of hell. In that context, the second set of statements are then taken incorrectly putting them in the same light.
Let us address the proper understanding of the second set of statements before tackling the more challenging ones.
It is true that the potential of sinning exists every single moment. It is not expected that when one is baptized that you shall never sin again. And if you do sin that there is no hope. That also is from the pits of hell. But to teach that you can never be without sin has just confirmed a sin allowance life of a Christian.
Here is John's statement, "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."
This verse is meant to give us hope. When one is baptized, they have chosen to live the sinless life. But if they sin just once, they do not lose heaven. There is still hope. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). The opposite reality is that if we do not confess that one sin, we lose heaven. We do not have an automatic Advocate that accepts our little sins here and there without confession, which is easily implied by the quarterly.
Much confusion is brought in when we leave the doctrine of perfection. How much sin is permitted. Is stealing pencils and pens from the office allowed because they are cheap but dare not rob a bank? Is looking at images in a magazine or on the Internet fine today, especially when conservative outlets seem to contradictorily promote that it is OK, while outright adultery physically is wrong? Is a cranky attitude permitted while anger with foul words not?
And then we get to the counting game with this perverted concept of allowing sin called habitual sin. We may say that as long as it is not dwelling in us, we are alright. So occasionally does not count. Being angry once a week is permitted but if one is angry every day then that is sinful. So what if it is twice a week or three times? Are we approaching the fine line between sin and not sin?
Brothers and sisters, it is all deadly sin. Now "there is a sin not unto death" (1 John 5:17) but that is sin at "the times of this ignorance" (Acts 17:30). "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins" (Hebrews 10:26). Every act knowingly committed and not confessed is lethal to salvation.
And if sin remains in our lives periodically, who really won? We are called to be witnesses. For who? "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16). If we sin, we witness that Jesus cannot grant victory over sin, and His death is meaningless. But if we walk perfectly by the power of His grace, we witness that God has gained us the victory and His death had meaning and power.
Yes, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:10), and yes, "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). But these verses acknowledge the past. But what are we to do with our old lives? "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 us look at the call to perfection.
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Wholly and all sides of the body means there is no allowance.
"That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:27). A church with a person losing their temper once a week is a blemish. It will not be.
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). In our sphere, we are called to be perfect. There is a clarification because God the Father is perfect in "His sphere" - heaven. But in "our sphere", earth, does not mean we get to live in known sin. No! In "our sphere", since we do not stand in the presence of God, we may sin in ignorance because we do not have all the knowledge of right and wrong. But to what light we have, we are to be perfect.
"For he that is dead is freed from sin" (Romans 6:7). "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness" (Romans 6:18). "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness" (Romans 6:20). "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life" (Romans 6:22). If one sin remains in our lives, even on occasion, we are not free.
"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 3:9). Where is the loophole? If we are truly born of God, one would rather die than commit sin. The part of "cannot sin" is not a force preventing us from sinning when we want to but rather is a decision by the power of grace that we cannot be living a life with occasional sin.
These are but a few examples of what the Bible has to say on the subject. But if you want reality, here are the cold hard facts.
If one is still occasionally sinning, it is not the sin that is the problem. God is not the problem. It must be the feeding.
Still going to the movies? Oh, just the good ones. No nudity. No foul language. Even G rated moves have cartoons with tight fitting clothing.
Still have a television? Have to have 3ABN and watch educational programs such as Jeopardy? Justification does not make it right. As one preacher said, "If your spiritual feeding comes from listening most of the time, you are becoming spiritually gluttonous." Personal and group Bible studies should be the proper method. Not listening only. For take note of the first part of the blessing. "Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [is] at hand" (Revelation 1:3). We personally must "[give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope" (1 Peter 3:15).
What music do you listen to during the day? Who do you spend a lot of time with? Unconverted friends that do not want to hear of religion? Do not use the excuse that you are trying to witness to them? They are influencing you.
The short of it is, what we feed ourselves influences the life. The more the world is shutout, even in the little matters, the easier overcoming sin is.
And seeing that "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7) so that "ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God" (Colossians 4:12), it takes care of the little and the big ones, the occasional and the habitual, etc.
Now that the promise of God perfecting our lives is well established in the Bible, let us see what Ellen White was told.
"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The conditions of obtaining mercy from God are simple and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order to gain forgiveness. We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of heaven or to expiate our transgression. He that "confesseth and forsaketh" his sin "shall have mercy." Proverbs 28:13. {Acts of the Apostles, page 552}
"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 [transgressed the law], we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 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." We need an advocate with the Father, because it is the Father's law which we have broken, and we need to repent of our transgression, and return to our allegiance to God. "Whoso committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 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," not the royal law that points out what is sin. "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God." "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." "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world [overcomers do not unite with the world in transgression of the law of God]; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." {RH, August 28, 1894 par. 9}
Jesus gave Himself up to die upon the cross in order that He might cleanse and keep us from all sin and pollution by the influence of the Holy Spirit. {Adventist Home, page 117}
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