(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

So the title of this morning's sermon is The Sin of Sinless Perfectionism. I want to preach against this doctrine that's out there. You may or may not have heard of it. It's not something that's very prevalent, but it has definitely had its day. But it is still out there. This idea that people can attain this state of sinlessness in the Christian life. They would even go so far as to say that if you are sinning at all in your life, then you're not truly saved. There will be people who go to the extreme that will say, hey, if you're really saved, you're going to reach a point in your life where you just completely stop sinning. Nothing can be further from the truth. Nothing can be more unbiblical than that. Having said that, several different verses have come to mind out there. We know that's not true because the Bible says this and the Bible says this. For example, Romans chapter 3, verse 23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We know that we're all sinners, but those that promote this false doctrine of sinless perfectionism, they would even maybe say, well, all have sinned, past tense, but those who are truly saved no longer sin. Yeah, it's true we all have sinned, but once we get saved, we all grow to this place if we're really saved where we stop sinning. They can't deny the fact that we are all sinners or at least have sinned. They would perhaps take an approach like that, but even then we could still reply with this similar semantics where we want to just overemphasize the meaning of a word to prove our point. We could go to Ecclesiastes chapter 7. I'll just read to you where it says that there is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not. There isn't one at any time, is what the Bible is saying there. He repeats that again in Romans 3, verse 10, as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh present tense after God. They are all gone out of the way, they're all together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. So if we want to just come down to semantics of, well, that's a past tense sin, well, let's get present tense about it then. Let's play that game. We could basically end the sermon right there. That right there is two admonitions to these heretics. Look, the Bible says there is none that doeth good, and it says that twice. So if you're going to tell me that you've reached this sinless perfection in your life where you just do good all the time, I'm going to call you a liar, and the Bible is going to call you a liar. We're going to look at some of their proof texts this morning and try to just pick these apart and get the true understanding and the true meaning behind these verses that they'll turn to in order to promote this idea that you can reach some kind of sinless perfection in the Christian life. So one of these proof texts, of course, is 1 John 3 where we were reading this morning. If you look there in verse 1, it says, 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. Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like unto him, for we shall see him as he is. Of course, the verse that they like to turn to, let me find it here in my notes, is verse 9 where it says, 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. So they'll turn you to a verse like this and several others that we'll look at and say, look, the Bible says right there, 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. And we have to always take these verses in context. And it's interesting when you listen to these people speak or make their arguments for their false doctrine, they'll turn to these passages and it just seems like, well, if you just read on either side of the context or the passage that you're reading, if you get it in context, it becomes very clear what the Bible is actually saying there. And there's a deeper truth there. There's a deeper meaning. When people can't understand that, when people turn to passages like 1 John 3 and they get hung up with verses like that and they come to these conclusions, sometimes that's a real strong indicator that that person isn't saved. Especially if they're one that's promoting this doctrine. If you're preaching this kind of a doctrine, you're not saved. No one gets up and preaches, hey, you have to reach a sinless state of perfection. That is another gospel because that's works. That's what that is. Now I will say this. I believe there are people that are saved that can get caught up in it. They can be confused by it. Maybe they don't know the scripture well enough. Maybe they haven't heard the preaching on it. They can get caught up in it and get confused and frustrated. But if someone takes the time to actually explain this and debunk this false doctrine and you're still struggling, you still can't figure it out, either you need more teaching or maybe you just don't have the spirit of truth dwelling in you that's going to lead you into all truth. The Bible says that. Maybe you can't hear the shepherd's voice because you're not of his sheep. And I don't want to go on and on about that. That's really a second sermon right there. But let's go to 1 John 3 and get verse 9 in context. What does it say? It says in verse 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. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it shall not appear what we shall be. So notice there, it says in verse 2, Now are we the sons of God. He's saying look, we are called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not. And that now the people he's speaking to, which is us by the way, these things are written for our admonitions. Now are we the sons of God. And it doth not yet appear what we shall be. And I preach a sermon about this recently about the new man, the new body, so on and so forth and everything that goes along with that. But what I want us to understand here is that as a Christian, you have two natures in you. You have two natures. We have a new nature. Now are we the sons of God? That's a new, we are a new creature in Christ. That is a second nature that you did not have before you were saved. When you got saved, you became the Son of God. His Spirit came into you. You have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. You have a new nature in Christ. And yet it says here, we do, did death not yet appear what we shall be. So even though we have this new nature, you know, we still are yet to be changed again. You know, and I went into that in that sermon about, you know, the new body, you know, where we're, it's going to be a literal physical change where this body is changed. And I want to re-preach that, but I'm just trying to get a point here, get across here. And this point is that you have a new nature in Christ. And just because you can't see it physically, you can't go to the mirror and look at it and see the new man. That doesn't mean it's not there. And just because the old man, the old nature is still acting out, still doing the things that it does, doesn't mean you're not saved. It just means that you have a dichotomy in your being. You have two things that are contrasted against one another. You have two natures in your, in this body, the new man and the old man. And keep something in first John, let's go over to second Corinthians chapter five, second Corinthians chapter five. We're going to look at verse 14, and this is kind of a wordy portion of scripture. There's a lot going on here. I'm going to do my best to explain this, my understanding of it. And hopefully you can follow along and keep up with this this morning. But it says in verse 14, for the love of Christ constraineth us, because we just judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead. And that he died for all, they, not all, which should live, excuse me, and they, that they, which should live, which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto them which died for them and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have no Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. So what's this passage saying? Well, first of all, let's just ask this question. What, what is it, you know, what does it look like Paul is saying here? He's saying here in verse 16, wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yet though we have no Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth we know him no more. Is Paul saying here, we forgot who Jesus is? He's saying, well, you know who Jesus was, but henceforth we know him no more. That's not what he's saying. What he's saying here is that we don't know him after the flesh. Just like we don't know any man after the flesh, we no longer know Christ after the flesh. Why? Because there has been a change. He's referring again to this new nature that's in Christ. I mean, he comes out and says it in verse 17, the following, in the following verse. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. Okay. So again, he's alluding there in verse 16 to the fact that, you know, we used to know man after the flesh, the old man, the old nature, yet henceforth we know no man after the flesh. We've been changed. There's a new nature in us. And though we have known Christ after the flesh, before we were saved, we learned about Christ. We understood who he was. We got saved and yet henceforth know him no more. Not that we forgot who he is, but we don't know him after the flesh. We know him now after the new man, which is created in Christ Jesus. Now look at verse 14. It says there, it says, for the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead. And he goes on in verse 15 and says, and that he died for all they, okay, now we're all dead. Everyone's dead, right? Everyone is dead in trespasses and sins. And that he died for all that they, who's the they there? That's the saved. That's not everybody. Not everyone's going to get saved. That the they, not everyone, which should live, which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves. So we have those that are dead, everybody in verse 14, and those that should live, those that get saved, right? They get this how? By believing on his name. How do you become alive again? By believing on the name of Christ. And it says there that they should live unto him, right? That he died for all that they, not everyone, which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. Now, here's a real important word that people need to pay attention to when they're reading the Bible. This word should, okay? There's a big difference between the word should and the word must. Okay? Look, we that, we that live, that have been born again, that have believed on his name, that no longer no man after the flesh, that no longer no Christ after the flesh, but after the Spirit, we should not live unto ourselves. That's what he's teaching here. And here, you know, and that's one of the big criticisms of people that teach, you know, easy believism, which is a term I'll embrace any day of the week. Or people that preach, you know, obviously what the Bible says that salvation is by grace through faith. They'll say, well, you just, you're just teaching that people could live however they want and go to heaven. But that's what the Bible says, because it's not of works lest any man should boast. But did, but does that mean we sit here and preach that, yeah, you can do whatever you want and go to heaven, that you should go do whatever you want and go to heaven? Not at all. And anyone that's been, you know, coming to this church and hearing this preaching and others online, you know, they understand that this, you know, we preach against sin, we preach godliness, we preach righteous living, we preach the commandments of God, that just like Paul preaches throughout all the New Testament, that those salvation is by grace through faith and not of works, that even though we that live should not live henceforth unto themselves, but unto him which died for them. We should do those things, but must we in order to be saved? No. And that's where people get confused. They say, well, look, the Bible says we should live unto others. We have to live unto him. And if you're not living unto him, you must not be saved. No, that's something you should do, not something you must do. Look at verse 16. He says, we knew Christ after the flesh, right, before salvation, but being born again, you know, all were dead, some live. We know him not after the flesh, but after the spirit in the new man. So also know we all men. And why is that? Why is he saying, look, you should live unto him? Why is it that we know no man after the flesh? And he's saying, he's talking about behavior here, the way we behave ourselves towards another. It's because of verse one, it says, for the love of Christ constraineth us. What's the motive to desire to live a godly life and to live for him? Is it to impress others? Is it to try to earn some brownie points with God or something? I mean, obviously, God's going to give grace and be merciful unto the merciful. But the reason why we should do that, we should henceforth no live unto ourselves, but unto others and unto him, is because the love of Christ constraineth us. That word constrain, you know, just means, you know, being compelled to follow a course of action. You know, if I constrain somebody to do something and say, hey, I need you to do this for me. I need to do X, Y, and Z for me. It's real important to do. What am I doing? I'm constraining you. I'm compelling you to do something you might not otherwise do. And he's saying here, look, we should not live for ourselves. We should henceforth live unto him which died for them and for us and rose again. We're being constrained by what? By the love of Christ. You know, people that want to earn their way to heaven or want to say they reach some sinless perfection in their life, they're not doing that because of the love of Christ. They want to do that because they want to lift themselves up. They lift up with pride. And believe me, these people, they broadcast it. I'm sinless. I mean, we used to have, where I'm from in Traverse City, they had the Cherry Festival, you know, a million or so people come through this little town in one week. And it's this big festival and they shut down this bridge in the middle of downtown area. And I remember one year these guys came down to preaching this doctrine. I mean, they had the banners up on poles just standing there. You know, 1 John, they got 1 John 3 up there. And they're just telling everybody that if they're sinning, they're not saved. You know, and I had recently gotten saved and I'm confused. You know, I had gotten to church, I hadn't read the Bible, I was a baby Christian. And I'm sitting there talking to these guys and they go, I sin. And they are not saved. You know, but why were those guys out there broadcasting to everybody that they've retained some sinless salvation or some state of sinlessness? Because they just loved everybody so much they want them to get saved? No, it's because they want everyone to know how sinless they are. That they've achieved some level. You know, it's like a video game score. You know, remember I used to go to the arcade. If you got the high score, you could put your initials in and then everybody else that came along could see it and go, oh, wow, who's CJR? Nobody knows, right? Unless I was there to tell you it's me. But these guys, they want everyone, they want that high score with God and everyone to know, hey, I got the sinless, sinless perfection level. You know, I've unlocked that, that achievement or something like that, right? That's why they're not out there. They're not out there because the love of Christ is constraining them. And notice here, he says there that we henceforth, no man, no after the flesh. We don't know men after the flesh anymore. Let me just say that that's optional. That's an option for us. Is it possible for a Christian to know somebody after the flesh? I mean to like, hey, I'm going to get in the flesh with this guy and not act like a Christian, not be constrained by the love of Christ to treat them the way I should? Absolutely. You know, and that's what I wanted. I thought about what would be a good way to, just to debunk these guys, they want to, and that's a bold statement to say, I no longer sin. I mean, I think the next time I run to a guy like this, when I hear those words come in his mouth, I'm just going to immediately kick him in the shins and see what comes out of his mouth and see what, you know, and just see what, how he reacts. I guarantee, you know, he's probably going to sin. Maybe not. Maybe, maybe it's because, is it possible for an unsafe person to keep it in, to not express it? I mean, it's even possible for a person to, an unsafe person to behave in a godly way, but it's not coming from the same place. It's not coming from the same motive. It's not coming from the love of Christ that constrains them to do that. Go over to, go over to Romans chapter 8. So you can, hopefully, you know, it's kind of a different passage to turn to, to try and understand this doctrine, but hopefully it helps us better understand 1 John 3 by at least showing us another example in Scripture that the Christian has two natures. That we used to know man after the flesh, but now we henceforth know him no more. Why? Because the love of Christ constraineth us. Not because we've reached some sinless state of perfection. That Paul is actually admonishing us to behave towards the lost and all men in a certain way, you know, with love, compassion, so on and so forth. And other passages teach the same. Look at Romans chapter 8 verse 1. It says, there is therefore no condemnation to them which were in Christ Jesus, who walked not after the flesh, but after the spirit. And I know every time I turn to this verse, I tell that same story, but I can't help it. It's because of the fact that there's people out there that are preaching this doctrine that, hey, there's no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. And I like to put a period right there. That's where I like to stop reading that verse. And I've met people that say, hey, it's okay that I'm in fornication with my girlfriend because I wouldn't talk to my pastor. And he said, Romans 8 teaches that there's no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. That I can just do whatever I want. And it's like I don't even sin at all. And there is a grain of truth to that. And there is no condemnation, we know, for the Christian who gets into sin in the sense that they're not going to go to hell. But he said he chasteneth every son who receiveth. And then if you be without chastisement, then you're bastards and not sons. That's what Hebrews 12 teaches. So the condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, it's not there for those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Meaning the inverse is also true. That if you as a Christian, which are in Christ Jesus, walk after the flesh, there is condemnation. Not hell, but judgment. God's chastening. That's another sermon right there. But again, this is a great passage that shows us that there are two natures in the Christian. You have options as a Christian. You can walk in the flesh or you can walk in the Spirit. And if you walk in the flesh, guess what, you're not going to be sinless. And guess what, even if you walk in the Spirit as best you can, you know what you're never going to be? Sinless. It says, this is what it's teaching us here in this passage, you walk in the flesh and the flesh will condemn you. Because the flesh is already condemned and will always be condemned. And it's always there. We have that struggle every day. Look at verse 2. He said, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made. You want to go back to those semantics earlier? Hath made. The Spirit of life of Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Look, in Christ we're free from the law of sin and death. It's already happened. We've already been released from that bondage. Our sins are paid for. They're under the blood. We've been justified by his grace. We're going to really pay attention to what he's saying. For that which I do, I allow not. For that which I would, that I do not. But what I hate, that I do. You got to really think about what he's saying here, right? That which I hate, for that which I do, I allow not. He's saying, look, the things that I do, I'd rather not do. Because I'm carnal, sold under sin. Sometimes I find myself doing things going, why am I doing this? This is not what I want to do. I would not do this. I prefer not to do this. For what I would, that I do not. Man, I want to live for Christ. I want to get the victory over sin. I want to live a godly life, but I don't do it. Because I'm carnal. I'm sold under sin. But what I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law, that it is good. Now then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. See the two natures there again? He's saying, look, it's not me doing it. I'm the new man creating Christ Jesus. That's the old man. That is sin that's still dwelling in the sin that's literally in this flesh. This body of sin that my spirit is still indwelling, that I'm still bound to until death or the return of Christ. You know, that's who's doing that. This dead man that I have to drag around. It's the sin that dwelleth in me. He goes on in verse 18, for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. But is there something good that dwells in us? Yes, the spirit of Christ. That's why he makes that very clear there. I know that in me, that is in my flesh. He's referring strictly to the body, dwelleth no good thing. For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. See, look, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. I want to do it, but I can't find out how. For the good that I do not, but the evil that I would not, that I do. Now if I do that, I would not. It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. Not evil. It used to be with me. It's there all the time. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, 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. Oh, wretched man that I was. Oh, wretched man that I am. It's a wretched, you know, I mean, I'm not saying I have to walk around with a frown and a cloud over our heads, but it's a wretched state that we're in. I mean, you really think about it. To have this war going on, I mean, we would rather just be free from all of it. I mean, I'm sitting here the other day thinking, I got to start buying these, the Apple watch and every new piece of technology to try to promote the antichrist. I want to roll, I'm trying to get the microchip going. I'm done here. I'm finished. I'm tired of this flesh. I'm tired of this world. Let's get good. Even so, come Lord Jesus, what can I do to usher in the antichrist a little faster? Who do you want to win an election? Whoever's going to get the antichrist here quicker. When Paul's saying, oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death. I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord, that I have reached a sinless state of perfection. And I've delivered myself from this wretchedness, from this body of death. I've done it all on my own through true will. And, and of course I prayed to help you here and there too. No, I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. He is the one that has made me free in him. So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin is the dichotomy that is within us as Christians. These two natures that are contrasting one another, the law, the mind that wants to serve the law of God and the flesh that wants to serve the law of sin. It's always there. It's always present with us. I don't know how anybody can walk away from Romans 7 and not see that and not understand it other than they're not saved. That's the only way. I mean, the Bible says that the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit for they're spiritually discerned. Neither can you know them. Unsafe people pick up the Bible and they think they understand what it's saying. They cannot understand it. They can turn to passages and that's why they get all confused and come up with strange, weird doctrines and promote it to other unsafe people who will believe it. That's, I keep going back to that. It's another sermon. Go back to 1 John 3. I think I've established through the Scripture that we have two natures in us. I don't know what else to tell you this morning if you can't see that. With that understanding of seeing that we have these two natures in us, that even Paul himself is expressing his angst over this war that's in his members and his mind, this inward battle, the struggle that the apostle Paul is going through. You want to talk to somebody about a great Christian. I mean, it's the apostle Paul. I mean, my opinion is there's never been a greater Christian that's ever lived. I think that's a safe assumption. But even him, because he's a man of like passions, had these same struggles that we do. So there's these two natures. Now let's go back to 1 John 3 and some of these other proof texts that they like to use with that in mind. It says in verse 3, and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. What's that hope? That when we see him, we shall be as he is. That's what it said in verse 2. It does not appear what we shall be. We know that there's the blessed hope in Christ that we return, that we're going to be changed, we're going to be transformed in a moment in twinkling of an eye. And that every man that hath that hope, that one day we're going to be released from this body of death, keepeth this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure. We say, hey, that's the direction I'm headed. Righteousness, perfection, sinlessness, godliness, that's the direction I'm being naturally pulled to. That's where I'm going to end up one day, whether I like it or not, I might as well just start the process now. Not that I'm ever going to attain that. Until Christ comes, I'm going to have this struggle every day. But I might as well just start trying to live like I'm already there and purify with myself even as he is pure. Look at verse 4, though. He says, whosoever commiteth sin transgresseth also the law, for the 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. So let me ask this question. Did Jesus take away our sins or not? He did, absolutely. That's what it's saying. He was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. So either Jesus, when he died and paid for my sins, or he didn't. And let me just tell you, he took away all of them. He died for all our trespasses. So if we are in him, we are without sin. Verse 6, whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. Is it because he never commits sin? Is it saying there that whoever is in him just stops sinning? No, it's saying that whoever abides in him sinneth not. Why? Because he has taken away our sins. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither know him. So he's saying here that if we abide in him, we sinneth not. So what does that mean to abide in Christ? Does it mean that we just wake up like, I'm abiding in Christ today, and I'm not going to sin? And that if I sin today, then I didn't abide in Christ? No, like the song says, constantly abiding. If you're saved, you're always abiding in Christ. He said, Jesus said in John 12, I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. How do you abide in Christ? By believing on him. When you believe on him, you no longer abide in darkness, you abide in him. So he's saying here, whosoever abideth, you know, let me paraphrase, whosoever is saved in him is sinneth not. You know, that's what it means like to be justified in Christ, just as if, justification, just as if I never sinned. So even though we commit sin down here, God looks down and he sees the blood of Christ, sees us abiding in Christ, and he just sees the blood. And it's as if we never even sinned at all. It's not saying we stopped sinning. We still sin. But God looks down and he sees the blood of his son because we abide in him through belief, through faith. And he's like, I don't know what sin you're talking about. That's why, you know, when the Satan comes before God's throne, the accuser of our brethren who accused us day before God day and night, he's telling God things that God's like, I don't know what you're talking about. Oh, I saw this one who claims to be your child down there doing this and that and whatever, and just telling them all our sins and accusing us before God day and night, accusing the brethren. And God just says, he doesn't sin. I don't know what you're talking about. Is it because we stopped sinning or is it because we abide in the righteousness of Christ by faith? That's what it's saying here. And you say, well, I'm not sure I fully understand that. It's a hard thing. It's a abstract concept. You have to have the spirit and think about and actually kind of dwell on it for a minute. And people just want to turn that and just, you know, read it real quick, gloss over and say, oh, him that abideth and sineth not. Meaning if you sin, you're not abiding in him. You're not saved. That's not what it's saying at all. You have to have the full context of scripture and understanding that we have two natures and that we abide in him through faith. And then when we abide in him, we have the righteousness of Christ. It's as if we don't even sin, even when we sin. Whosoever sin hath not seen him, neither know him. We abide in him through faith. Just think of 1 John 3, 6 in reverse. Those that know him do not sin, right? He said, that's what he says there. Whosoever abideth in him, sineth not. Whosoever sin hath not seen him, neither known him. He's saying, look, if you know him, you don't sin. And those that do not sin do what? They abide in him. We conclude that to know him is to abide in him. Right? That's what it means to know him, to abide in him. And therefore knowing him means we abide in him, which means we don't sin. Does that make sense? It's kind of, you know, if you take the word abideth and this idea of knowing him and kind of understand that's the same thing, abiding in him, knowing him, being saved, right? Whosoever sin hath not seen him, neither known him. Meaning those that are, you know, that God is going to hold accountable for sin are those that don't know him. Does that make sense? Hope this is making sense. Meaning if we do know him, if we do abide in him, we don't sin in him. Look at verse nine. This is the, you know, this is their, their kill shot. Verse nine, whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. You know, and that's where they would like to end that verse right there. There you go. But that's not where it ends. For his seed explains why, explains this concept. Any Christian is going to read that. And if that's how they're going to interpret that verse, they're going to, they're going to walk away thinking I'm not saved. If you just take it as that face value and believe what they're preaching, hey, whosoever is born of God did not commit sin. You know how many, you just condemned every Christian there is. Because every honest Christians know that they sin. You know, well, it's, well, they don't do this or that or the other thing. Yeah. But the thought of foolishness is sin. To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, it is sin. I mean, have you read the Bible? There's just all these rules and commandments in here. There's all these things that we're not supposed to do. And Jesus even goes beyond the letter of the law. He said, well, I've never committed adultery. Yeah, but if you've looked upon a woman to lust, you've committed adultery with her already in your heart. Well, I've never killed anybody. You know? Yeah, but you've even hated your brother in your heart. You've already, you've already committed murder in your heart, Jesus said. So he's saying here, whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. Why? For his seed, whose seed? The seed of God, the word of God, remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God. And he's talking about the fact that, you know, we are not sinless by the force of our will. We don't just live this austere God leverage. It's like, I no longer sin. That's not what he's saying here, but we're sinless due to the fact that we have his seed remaining in us. That even when we do bad things, God does not take away salvation from us. And that we are born of God, that we are a new creature in Christ. Just like I explained for the first half of the sermon. Now, if you would, go over to, go over to Ephesians chapter five. Again, keep something in first John. And then there's these other verses that we could turn to. I'll just read them very quickly for the sake of time. He said in Philippians one, being confident this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. You know, tying that back into this idea that his seed remaineth in him. You know, what God has started, he's going to finish regardless of you. You know, when we see him, we shall be as he is. That day's coming, whether we like it or not. It's like when you got saved, it's like God put a tractor beam on you. You know, like the ship, the alien ship comes down, you know, and sucks you up. There's no getting out of that beam, right? That's the direction you're headed. He's, he's got his tractor beam on you. He's sucking you in. Nothing's going to stop that. His, your, his seed remains in you. It's done. You're born of God. You're his child. You're coming home one way or another. Being confident, you know, that gives us confidence. We're confident of this very thing that he which hath, hath begun a good work will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. And that's why it says in Ephesians four, grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. We're sealed unto the day of redemption. He said in first John chapter three, I'll just read to you. I already had you turn to elsewhere, but he said in verse 10, in this, the children of God are manifested and the children of the devil whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. He's saying in this, the children of God are manifested. How are the children of God manifested in this, in the fact that his seed remains in them and that they are born of God and that they cannot sin? They're not manifested by a sinless life and say, Oh, this guy must be a child of God because he's quit sinning. They're not manifested by a sinless life, but by the fact that they still have his seed remaining in him. Look, here's the fact. I don't know that anyone in this room, other than myself, is saved. And you know what? You could say the same thing. How do you know that anybody is really saved because they told you so? I mean, we get to know people. We have, we could say, I'm 90, I'm almost a hundred percent sure this guy's saved. And we can see things that would make us believe. Yeah, I really do believe he's saved. But look, I believe you're saved by faith. You know, it could turn out that the end, you weren't saved. It was all just a big show. It was just a big fake. I don't go around wondering who that might be. It might not be anybody. Chances are everybody is. If I got to heaven and every last one of the person in this room was in heaven, wouldn't surprise me. I wouldn't be like, didn't expect to see you here. I mean, I know you were in church and you know, you played the part and everything, but the whole time I was just like, it's him. He's not saved. Right? But in this is the children of God manifest. That one day we are going to see him as he is. We're going to be like him. His seed is going to remain in us. And then we're going to be manifested as his children. Not because we lived a sinless life, but because we ended up in heaven. There's going to be no question in heaven who's, who's a child of God and who isn't. Because the only people that are going to be there are the children of God. In this, the fact that his seed remains in us, that we are born of God. In this, the children of God are manifest. And the children of the devil. Look at, are you in Ephesians? Have you go there? Ephesians chapter three. This is another one of the, the, the text verses that they like. They're proof, quote unquote, texts that they like to turn to. It says, but fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as become a saints. Neither filthiness nor foolish talking or jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving a thanks. For this you know, that no homonger nor unclean person or covetous man who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of God and of God. Kingdom of Christ and of God, excuse me. So he's saying there, look, no homonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience, be you not therefore partakers with them. And you know what? That's true, isn't it? It's true that no homonger, unclean person, covetous man, or idolater is going to go to heaven. Because, because sinner, you cannot have sin going to heaven. You cannot have sin and go to heaven. That's what I'm trying to say. In fact, even if you were none of those things, no person such as that or even a liar only having told one lie will go to heaven. You know, we bring that up at the door of soul winning, and we use that example of lying. And I often say, but if we are being honest, we've said, done, or at least thought worse things than lying in most people. But the point I'm making here is that, look, yeah, it's true, no unclean person, so on and so forth, all these wicked people are going to make it. But even a person who's told one lie won't make it. So if sinless perfection is what's going to get you, if you can attain that, and that's how you know you're saved, you're going to go to heaven because of that, you can't even tell one lie. One little tiny, I mean, think about how hard it would be. Think about just actually endeavoring to try and not ever sin again for the rest of your life. I mean, I'd rather try to climb Mount Everest or maybe Mount Lemmon or maybe A Mountain. You know what I mean? Even that, for me, would be a challenge. This Bible says in Revelation 21, there shall no wise enter anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie. So here's the thing, none of us can achieve the standard of perfection required to go to heaven. It's impossible. Like it says, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, which makes Christ's atonement necessary. And in Galatians 2, he says, verse 20, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Right? There's that dual nature again. I am crucified with Christ. Like I'm dead. Who died? The old man. The flesh. He was crucified with Christ. Yet, nevertheless, I live in the Spirit. I'm set at liberty. I'm free. Yet not I, but Christ that liveth in me. It's the Spirit. It's Christ that's living in me. That's who you see now in this dead flesh walking around. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Look, if you could attain some sinless perfection, that's what's going to get you to heaven. Then Christ didn't need to die. He died for nothing. But we cannot attain a state of sinlessness. He says in Galatians, are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect in the flesh? Go over to 2 Peter chapter 1. It's a foolish thing to say, well, I know we got saved. I was born in the Spirit. I began in the Spirit, but now I'm made perfect in the flesh. But now I no longer sin. He says that's a foolish thing to think. You know what another word for foolish is? Stupid. That's stupid. And it's a dumb thing to sit there and say, any rational person, anyone who has even just a shred of honesty, the least bit of integrity, is going to hear somebody say something like that and think that's really stupid. To think that you could, anyone who's being honest, say you can't be sinless. Nobody can. Who can do that? No one. There is none that doeth good. Nobody. Look at 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 2. He said, grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of the God and Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Look, any godly thing you do, any godly living you do, it's all going to be done because of his divine power and not your own willpower. It says there, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped, past tense, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Look, when you became a partaker of the divine nature, you escaped the corruption that is in this world through lust. God, you see it again, where God is, the old man is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of Christ. That when we became partakers of the nature, we escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And he goes on and beside all this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue, and so on and so forth. He said, look at verse 10, wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. Look, it won't take the time to read it, but if you did all those things versus five through what, nine there, you know, five through eight, let's just read it. Beside all this, giving all diligence, verse five, add to your faith, virtue, and virtue, knowledge, and knowledge, temperance, and temperance, patience, and the patience, godliness, and the godliness, brotherly kindness, and the brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they may she they shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see far off. And he said in verse 10, that if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. Right? So if you were able to do all those things all the time and always behave that way, you'll never fall. But what's that word there? If. Those two little letters that they pack so much behind it, don't they? If. Not when you do these things, you shall never fall. It's if, meaning it's optional. It's possible to not do these things. And in fact, that's the option everybody takes at least at some point in their life. Some more frequently than others. Look, if we sin, we are still going to heaven this morning. Why? Because we have two natures. We have the fallen nature of sinful flesh, right? And the divine nature that was given unto us through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. So this knowledge, this acknowledging, is the differentiating factor between what makes us a child of God and a child of disobedience. Because a child of disobedience is one who has not obeyed the gospel. And I don't think I read that verse to you guys. That's probably why it's not making any sense here. But let me just move on in my notes. And people will say, you know, you know, oh, that's where it was. Yeah. Ephesians. They have it in there. Yeah. Okay. I did read it. Yeah. Verse six. Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not therefore partakers with them. So they'll say things like, you know, if you do any of these things, the wrath of God is going to come upon you. And you're a child of disobedience. You know, you're unsaved, right? But what makes a person obedient is that they stop sinning. I mean, we understand that we should obey that, but it's to obey the gospel, right? Go over to First Thessalonians chapter one. I know I'm having you go to a lot of places, okay? But, you know, sometimes it's good to just kind of dig deep in the scripture. I'm not as good to come to church on a Sunday morning and learn something. Or be reminded of something. Maybe it's something you already know. And I know I'm taking a little longer, but, you know, we got all afternoon. So you're not going anywhere, are you? Sunday, you got the day off, right? He's saying, look, the children of disobedience, you know, the wrath of God comes upon them. And they'll say things like, you know, if you're unclean, if you're covetous, you do these sins, you're a child of disobedience, you're not really saved, you haven't attained sinless perfection, and the wrath of God is going to come upon you, not salvation. You're not going to go to heaven. That's what they'll preach. But Jesus said, this is the work of God. You know, so to obey is to do God's work, right? This is the work of God. You know, you got to do works to get to heaven. Oh, I believe that if you mean this, that this is the work of God that you believe on him whom he has sent. That's what Jesus said in John six. This is the work of God. That you believe on him whom he has sent. That's the work that God wants people to do in order to go to heaven. That's the obedience that he's looking for. That you would believe on him whom I sent, his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And look, the wrath of God is coming upon the children of disobedience. But who are the disobedient? Those who have not believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the disobedience that he's talking about there. Those that have believed and those that have not. Those that have believed have obeyed the gospel. Those that have not believed are the children of disobedience. They have not obeyed the gospel. And the wrath of God, as we'll see here in a second, is definitely coming upon these people. The Bible says in first Peter four, I'll read to you, you're in second Thessalonians one. For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it begin at us, if it first begin at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? He's saying, look, the time has come. Judgment's going to begin in the house of God. With who? With the saved. With the children of God. God's going to judge us. He's going to chasten us. But he's going on saying, look, if it begin at us, if it first begin at us, if even we're subject to God's judgment being his children, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel? He's saying it's going to be so much worse for them, right? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Look, if the only reason we're getting to heaven is because of God's grace, and that is the only reason any of us is going to heaven, what's the end of them that obey not the gospel? What is them that, what did he say there? Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? You know, it's going to be so much worse for them. That's what he's saying. And it is. And we read that in 2 Thessalonians, right? In chapter 1, verse 7, and to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the children of disobedience. That's who he's referring to, referring to back in Ephesians. Those are the people that are, that are going to, you know, have to take the, are going to have vengeance and wrath poured out upon them. Those that know not God. Not those, those that are guilty of sin. Those that, you know, all those people that commit all those sins, they're going to get all that punishment. No, the punishment is because they know not God, because they don't have his seed in him. They're not abiding in him. They don't know him. They're not sons of God. They're not born of God. They're the children, not of God. They're the children of disobedience. Those that have rejected the gospel, that don't believe the gospel, that obey the gospel. They are going to be punished, it says there, verse 9, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. I mean, think about that term, everlasting destruction. You know, when you think about destroying something, you think about it coming to an end. Like, I destroyed that thing. It doesn't exist anymore. Can you imagine being destroyed forever? Just a constant state of just everlasting destruction, just burning in hell. That's what he's referring to. Just constantly being consumed. You know, so don't believe this thing about, well, you can't, if you go to hell, you know, if you don't burn in hell because you just burn up, you'd vanish. No, it's an everlasting destruction. Well, how can that be? We're talking about God here. We're talking about the supernatural. We're talking about, like, another dimension or something, you know. I don't know how it works, but the Bible says that's how it is. They shall be destroyed with an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. We have to understand something if we're going to stand for passages like 1 John 3 and Ephesians and Galatians and elsewhere that our people attempt to twist to teach this perverse doctrine of sinless perfection. You have to understand that it is not our old nature that enters into heaven. It's the new nature. That's what he said in Ephesians 5, right? Isn't that not where I had you go earlier? Ephesians chapter 5. That was their proof text, you know, verses 3 through 7, that no one, no son of these people have an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, these people that do these things. But he goes on and says in that same chapter, and that's the irony of it, just keep reading, verse 8, for ye sometimes were darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. You seem like you used to be all those things. Look, you know that no unclean person or covetous person or all these other things or is going to enter into the kingdom of heaven. You know that, and you used to be that, but now are ye children of light. Walk as children of light. If you're saved, you might as well live like it. That's what he's saying again. You were sometimes, but now you're children of light. You've been changed. He's saying, look, you know that your flesh isn't going to go to heaven. Your flesh can't go there because it's guilty of all those things. But the Spirit, which is made in Christ Jesus, can because it's a new creature. It's light. The saved, people are going to go to heaven, are justified by Christ's blood and not their own good works. And I know I'm going long, and I think I've made the point here. Let's go back to 1 John chapter 1. Let me just end by saying this, that if we could attain some sinless perfection, what's the point of Paul's testimony? That flies in the face of Romans 7. But also, Paul's own testimony of Philippians chapter 3, where he talks about how he was pressing toward the mark while keeping his body under. I'll read it to you. First, Philippians chapter 3 verse 13. He says, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. I haven't gotten to where I need to be. But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth under those things which were before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the calling of God in Christ Jesus. The idea of pressing against something, it's like, I'm exerting effort. I'm putting effort into this. I'm trying to do this. He's saying, I'm pressing toward the mark. That's the mark, the finish line, what's waiting for me, the end, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Where the tractor beam ends, that's where I'm pressing towards, because that's the direction I'm going. I'm pressing toward that mark. Let us therefore, as many as be thus minded, be perfect, be thus minded. Now, what does He mean by those that be perfect? I mean, those that never sin? No, those, because the word perfect means whole, complete. Like He says in James, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing, meaning you're not lacking anything. You're a perfect person. Now, who's perfect today? Nobody is perfect in the sense that we use the word. No one's, everyone sins. But those that are saved are perfect in the sense that they've been made whole in Christ. We're not just dead in sin. We've been revived. We're a new creature. We have a spirit dwelling in us. We don't have a dead spirit. Does that make sense? We're revived in Him. We're made whole. We're made new. Let as many as be perfect be thus minded. Think the same way I am, that we're pressing toward the mark, that we're trying to attain under the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. We want that prize, and we're working for it. We're on our way there, but we're pressing that way, meaning we still have conflict in our flesh. There's things we have to push past. He says in verse 16, Nevertheless, whereunto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. You know, Paul said, Paul said, I die daily. He said, I keep my body under and bring it into subjection, lest by any means that I have preached to other, I myself should be a castaway. That's that pressing towards the mark. It's a daily struggle that he had to get up and say, I die daily. I die daily. I die daily. And sometimes he did the things that he didn't want to do. And sometimes he didn't do the things that he did want to do. And he's like us. He's thus minded. He's like us. We all have that conflict that those two natures, you know, we all have the promises of eternal security and that God will forgive us presently. Okay. Look at first John chapter one, verse eight. He says this. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. I mean, turn to that passage. O thou sinless perfectionist, hypocrite, liar. That's what the Bible says. Calls him a liar. If we say that we have no sin, not if we say that we never had sin or that we, we, we didn't used to have sin. Does that make that's grammatically correct, right? He's saying, look, if we say that we have no sin in present tense, meaning if we say, Hey, I've, I've reached some sinless state of perfection. I don't sin anymore. I don't have sin in my life. We deceive ourselves. Interesting who the, who it is we're fooling ourselves because anybody else hears that and goes, you're an idiot. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Anyone who was, you know, a few scraps of, of, of, of scripture knows that's not true. Anyone who just knows human nature. Any Christian who's been saved for any length of time would hear that and say, the only person you're fooling with that nonsense is yourself. We deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. There's no truth in it. 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. So let me just end by saying this, that the, you know, cause these guys that, that, that preach this sinless perfectionism, they want to come across as these holier than thou, just super spiritual types that we should all just, you know, sit at their feet and let us, let them just teach us the way to, to attain this, right? They're puffed up with pride. The truly spiritual person though, it's not the one who boasts himself of a false gift like these people, but they, it's the one that recognizes that it's Christ that gives us the victory. That the only reason I'm going to heaven, the only reason that God can look down and it's as if I don't sin is because his seed abideth in me because I'm his child. And this idea of attaining sinlessness, and I'll say this, it's a noble goal. I'll at least give him that. At least I'm not going to the other end and just saying, Hey, I know I'm saved. I'm just gonna see how much sin I can fit in. Right? They're saying, Hey, I'm going to try to stop sinning. I'll give them that. It's a noble goal. Okay. But it's impossible. It's impossible. And I'll say this, those that preach it, they're heretics and false prophets. And, you know, I was reading up on one of these guys, these people that have come out of this cult. I can't remember the guy's name right now, but these people came out of it and then they're like, Oh yeah, he's a pedophile. And he got exposed as a pedophile apparently in these reprobate. If you're preaching this, it's a damnable heresy. But those that, you know, maybe get caught up in it and they attempt to live it, you know, if you attempt to live a sinless life, you're in for a frustrating life. Now I'll say this, you know, David prayed, Lord, keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins. We shouldn't have this attitude. Well, his seed abideth in me, so I'm just going to go ahead and sin. That's presumptuous sin. Him that knoweth to do good and doeth not to him it is sin. Well, that's not the one I was trying to quote. He was saying, he that knoweth his Lord's will and did it not shall be, shall be beaten with many stripes. You know, this idea in scripture that Jesus taught that the more you know, the more you're accountable for. So if you know today that, hey, you can sin and still go to heaven, that doesn't give you just this card to go out and just live a wicked life and expect that you're going to get away with it. Well, I will say this, that, you know, if your expectation is life, though it's noble, is to read a state of sinlessness, you're in for a frustrating life. The Christian life is not going to be a very pleasant one for you. We should definitely strive to live godly in Christ Jesus. We should, you know, and I'm going to talk more about that tonight in Psalms, about separating from the world and living a godly life and so on and so forth and getting the sin out, but do yourself a favor tonight, or this morning and just understand that we all stumble. We all fall. That's why 1 John 1 is there. That's like my life verse. If we sin, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Look, the guy that says I'm sinless, he doesn't need that verse, but anyone who's honest with themselves and says, look, I'm never going to be sinless, praise God for 1 John 1. Thank God for the love of Christ. You know, that love should constrain us. The fact that God forgives us of our sins and then later when we sin, He forgives us again and He'll forgive us again and He'll forgive us again and forgive us again. That's the love of Christ and that should constrain and say, well, I'm going to try my best. I'm going to do as best, the best that I can do for the Lord. That's the best you could ever hope for, but understand you're going to fall short. The Bible says a just man falls seven times and rises up again. He still falls though, doesn't he? He falls and he gets up and he falls and he gets up. And those that say that they obtained this sinless state of perfection, they are liars, which is a sin in and of itself. So once you say that, that I've reached this, you know, the sinless state of perfectionism, you just lied and you just broke it. You know, that is the sin of sinless perfection. That in and of itself is a lie, is a sin. Let's go ahead and pray.