James, the Bible is very clear about it - YES!!! Do you think Jesus is promising to empower us to sin less or to cease sinning altogether? What do you think the following promises are saying about it?

John
8:11 And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Romans
6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:
6:6 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.
6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
6:13 Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God.
6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
6:16 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?
6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Galatians
5:16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

1 Peter
2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord [is] gracious.
4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of [his] time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

1 John
3:1 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.
3:2 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.
3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
3:8 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.
3:9 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.
3:10 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.

The bible said that we could stop sinning, IF we continually living the live of faith, but, in this body, is it possible?

If we could stop sinning, why then this body needs a transformation?

I think, we are advise by the scripture and SOP to stop sinning, but, since the mind of Christ and a new heart of love resides in this sinful body, if in case we sinned by following the flesh tendencies, then there is still God's mercy and forgiveness (1 John 1:9).

This sinful body is the source of sinning that the people of God did from time to time, but when this body is transformed to a holy immortal body, the source of sinning is gone, then the people of God would have a perfect holy mind, heart and body that is fit for heaven and eternal li8fe.

So, why should we worry about "an advice" for stop sinning from the SOP or the bible?? As long we maintain a life of faith, having the mind of Christ and love to our neighbor in the heart, we are ready to be transformed, sinning in this sinful body is something we are advice to stop, but if not, God will transform us to a holy body where no more tendencies to sin would temp us.

In his love

James, good questions. Thank you for sharing. However, did you happen to notice that the promises in the Bible do not "advice" or "counsel" or "suggest" that we faithfully abide in Jesus and "go and sin no more"? Such promises are commandments. And, we know God does not command us to do anything He isn't also able to empower us to do. "As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings." (COL 333)

Jude
1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

Philippians
1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

1 Corinthians
10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

2 Corinthians
2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Also, nothing can make us choose to sin - not self, not sin, not Satan. Yes, we are born with sinful flesh; however, sinful flesh cannot sin. Nor can it force us to sin. It can only tempt us to sin, to be unlike Jesus. In the beginning, A&E were able to choose to sin in spite of the fact they had a sinless flesh nature.

So, as you can see, sinful flesh is not the reason why we choose to sin. The reason we sin is because take our eyes off Jesus, because we neglect to choose to abide in Him. We will not, yea, we cannot sin while we are actively and aggressively abiding in Jesus. "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. . . 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 3:6, 9)

True, the moment we choose not to abide in Jesus, or the instant we neglect to abide in Jesus, we dethrone the Holy Spirit and revert back to the mind of the old man, and then all we can do is sin. "All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin." (SC 59) The Holy Spirit does not abandon us. No way!

Instead, He influences us to receive and experience the gift of repentance, which empowers us to confess and forsake our sin. It also gives God the legal right to pardon us and to restore the relationship our sin severed. The Holy Spirit once again ascends the throne of our soul temple and resumes empowering us from within to be like Jesus. We pick up where we left off - growing in grace, maturing in the fruits of the Spirit, partaking of the divine nature, in short, being like Jesus.

i firmly believe God is able to bring us to the point where we no longer sin, but as some others have pointed out i dont believe that is where our focus should be.

i believe if our focus is on learning of Christ the changes start coming. the more we learn, and desire what we learn, then choose what we learn, we become more and more Christlike. but it is only by studying Christ and His will.

Rome 7 said that Paul's mind (the mind of Christ) is a slave to God's law, but his sinful nature is a slave to the law of sin (Rom. 7:25). This will say that eventhough having the mind of Christ, but since the body is a slave to sin, to cease sinning is not a guarantee. A&E was a perfect example, even in the holy nature, there is no guarantee that a man would not sin.



Having a sinful flesh is not the reason we choose to sin, never, but if we sinned, it is because we have this sinful body, we ara slave to sin in our sinful body. Can you see the difference?



Yes, but that is only in the mind, not in the body. The body is still the territory of sin, and no one can avoid to not sinning once in a time, and for that single sin he must die, therefore, we still need God's grace to save us.



No! I disagree! When we follow the sinful nature desire once in a time and sinned, we still have the mind of Christ and the love of God in our heart. We are still the children of God. One single sin would not and could not dethrone the Holy Spirit and back in the old man condition. It is a lie! Having a sinful nature, being a slave to sin in the sinful nature is something we could not avoid, we just wait the time we will get our holy body at transformation, during that time, there is no guarantee that we could cease to sin.

1 Tim. 1:15 - The saying is sure and true and worthy of full and universal acceptance, that Christ Jesus (the Messiah) came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost.

Even Paul admit that he still sinned (from time to time), but it doesn't stop him to be still a child of God with the mind of Christ and love in him.

In His love

Are you saying we sin "because we have this sinful body" but "having a sinful flesh is not the reason we choose to sin"? Or, are you saying we sin because we are "a slave to [the] sin" that resides in our sinful body?


I take it you strongly disagree with the idea that we dethrone the Holy Spirit and revert back to the mind of the old man the moment we sin. I take it you also disagree with the idea that repentance gives the Holy Spirit the right to ascend the throne of our soul temple and resume empowering us from within to use our faculties of mind and body to be like Jesus.

Do you believe the thief on the cross "attained" unto the experience, before he died, which everyone "must have" to be saved? Do you think the following inspired insights describe his experience? Or, do you think such a state can be attained only after years of hard work?


How can we reach the perfection specified by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ--our Great Teacher? Can we meet His requirement and attain to so lofty a standard? We can, else Christ would not have enjoined us to do so. He is our righteousness. In His humanity He has gone before us and wrought out for us perfection of character. We are to have the faith in Him that works by love and purifies the soul. Perfection of character is based upon that which Christ is to us. If we have constant dependence on the merits of our Saviour, and walk in His footsteps, we shall be like Him, pure and undefiled. {TMK 130.3}

Our Saviour does not require impossibilities of any soul. He expects nothing of His disciples that He is not willing to give them grace and strength to perform. He would not call upon them to be perfect if He had not at His command every perfection of grace to bestow on the ones upon whom He would confer so high and holy a privilege. He has assured us that He is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him than parents are to give good gifts to their children. {TMK 130.4}

Our work is to strive to attain in our sphere of action the perfection that Christ in His life on the earth attained in every phase of character. He is our example. In all things we are to strive to honor God in character. In falling day by day so far short of the divine requirements, we are endangering our soul's salvation. We need to understand and appreciate the privilege with which Christ invests us, and to show our determination to reach the highest standard. We are to be wholly dependent on the power that He has promised to give us. {TMK 130.5}

To Jesus in His agony on the cross there came one gleam of comfort. It was the prayer of the penitent thief. Both the men who were crucified with Jesus had at first railed upon Him; and one under his suffering only became more desperate and defiant. But not so with his companion. This man was not a hardened criminal; he had been led astray by evil associations, but he was less guilty than many of those who stood beside the cross reviling the Saviour. He had seen and heard Jesus, and had been convicted by His teaching, but he had been turned away from Him by the priests and rulers. Seeking to stifle conviction, he had plunged deeper and deeper into sin, until he was arrested, tried as a criminal, and condemned to die on the cross. In the judgment hall and on the way to Calvary he had been in company with Jesus. He had heard Pilate declare, "I find no fault in Him." John 19:4. He had marked His godlike bearing, and His pitying forgiveness of His tormentors. On the cross he sees the many great religionists shoot out the tongue with scorn, and ridicule the Lord Jesus. He sees the wagging heads. He hears the upbraiding speeches taken up by his companion in guilt: "If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us." Among the passers-by he hears many defending Jesus. He hears them repeat His words, and tell of His works. The conviction comes back to him that this is the Christ. Turning to his fellow criminal he says, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?" The dying thieves have no longer anything to fear from man. But upon one of them presses the conviction that there is a God to fear, a future to cause him to tremble. And now, all sin-polluted as it is, his life history is about to close. "And we indeed justly," he moans; "for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss." {DA 749.3}

There is no question now. There are no doubts, no reproaches. When condemned for his crime, the thief had become hopeless and despairing; but strange, tender thoughts now spring up. He calls to mind all he has heard of Jesus, how He has healed the sick and pardoned sin. He has heard the words of those who believed in Jesus and followed Him weeping. He has seen and read the title above the Saviour's head. He has heard the passers-by repeat it, some with grieved, quivering lips, others with jesting and mockery. The Holy Spirit illuminates his mind, and little by little the chain of evidence is joined together. In Jesus, bruised, mocked, and hanging upon the cross, he sees the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. Hope is mingled with anguish in his voice as the helpless, dying soul casts himself upon a dying Saviour. "Lord, remember me," he cries, "when Thou comest into Thy kingdom." {DA 750.1}

Quickly the answer came. Soft and melodious the tone, full of love, compassion, and power the words: Verily I say unto thee today, Thou shalt be with Me in paradise. {DA 750.2}

For long hours of agony, reviling and mockery have fallen upon the ears of Jesus. As He hangs upon the cross, there floats up to Him still the sound of jeers and curses. With longing heart He has listened for some expression of faith from His disciples. He has heard only the mournful words, "We trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel." How grateful then to the Saviour was the utterance of faith and love from the dying thief! While the leading Jews deny Him, and even the disciples doubt His divinity, the poor thief, upon the brink of eternity, calls Jesus Lord. Many were ready to call Him Lord when He wrought miracles, and after He had risen from the grave; but none acknowledged Him as He hung dying upon the cross save the penitent thief who was saved at the eleventh hour. {DA 750.3}

The bystanders caught the words as the thief called Jesus Lord. The tone of the repentant man arrested their attention. Those who at the foot of the cross had been quarreling over Christ's garments, and casting lots upon His vesture, stopped to listen. Their angry tones were hushed. With bated breath they looked upon Christ, and waited for the response from those dying lips. {DA 751.1}

As He spoke the words of promise, the dark cloud that seemed to enshroud the cross was pierced by a bright and living light. To the penitent thief came the perfect peace of acceptance with God. Christ in His humiliation was glorified. He who in all other eyes appeared to be conquered was a Conqueror. He was acknowledged as the Sin Bearer. Men may exercise power over His human body. They may pierce the holy temples with the crown of thorns. They may strip from Him His raiment, and quarrel over its division. But they cannot rob Him of His power to forgive sins. In dying He bears testimony to His own divinity and to the glory of the Father. His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear, neither His arm shortened that it cannot save. It is His royal right to save unto the uttermost all who come unto God by Him. {DA 751.2}
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The relative estimate which the Pharisee and the publican place upon themselves is as false as that which others place upon them. Both resort to the temple at the hour of public prayer, professedly to worship God; but what a contrast there is in the motives that actuate them, and in their feelings, as expressed in their prayers! {ST, February 19, 1885 par. 3}

The Pharisee went, not because he felt his great need of God, but because he wanted to be thought a very pious and excellent man. He was perfectly self-satisfied, and thought that others looked upon him with the same complacency with which he regarded himself. He did not present the offering of a broken and contrite heart. He did not come with confession of sins, and with love flowing out in words of gratitude for the great mercy of a covenant-keeping God. He came not to present his needs. He made no supplication; he expressed no want. Standing in the temple of God, he dared to boast of his own goodness, and to measure himself with other men, and claim superiority. He began his self-worship: "God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." He then proceeded to enumerate some of his own good deeds: "I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess" {ST, February 19, 1885 par. 4}

The Pharisee went down to his house destitute of the divine blessing; but his self-love and vanity were fed. He was terribly self-deceived. He judged himself according to a human standard, exalted self, and covered his sins from his own sight. But God abhorred him. The publican thought himself a very wicked man, and others looked upon him in the same light; but there was nothing in his life so offensive to Heaven as the self-complacency expressed in the boastful, self-righteous prayer of the Pharisee. {ST, February 19, 1885 par. 5}

The publican went up to the temple with other worshipers; but he soon separated himself from them, as unworthy to mingle with them in their devotions. Standing afar off, he "would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast" in bitter anguish and self-abhorrence. He thus expressed his sense of his distance from God, and of his unworthiness to come into his presence. He felt that he had offended God, that he was sinful and polluted before him. He could not expect help from those around him; for they looked upon him with undisguised contempt. Feeling that he had no claim on the mercy of God, he looked forward with terrible dread to the Judgment, when every case will be decided. In his great need, he finds voice to cry out earnestly, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." {ST, February 19, 1885 par. 6}

The course taken by the publican is the only one that will secure pardon and peace with God. He did not compare his sins with those of others who were worse than himself. He came before God with his own burden of guilt and shame, as a transgressor of God's law, a sinner in thought, in word, and in act. He acknowledged that should he receive punishment for his sins, it would be just and right. Mercy, mercy, was his only plea. Oh, for the assurance of pardon, giving peace and rest to the sin-sick soul! {ST, February 19, 1885 par. 7}

The self-abasement manifested by the publican is wholly acceptable to God. To know ourselves is to be humble. Self-knowledge will take away all disposition to entertain the Most High with a recital of our own excellent qualities. Realizing our sins and imperfections, we shall come to the feet of Jesus with earnest supplication, and our petitions will not be passed by unheard. Ezra had the true spirit of prayer. Presenting his petition before God for Israel, when they had sinned grievously in the face of great light and privileges, he exclaimed, "I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens." Ezra remembered the goodness of God in again giving his people a foothold in their native land, and he was overwhelmed with indignation and grief at the thought of their ingratitude in return for the divine favor. His language is that of true humiliation of soul, the contrition that prevails with God in prayer. Only the prayer of the humble enters into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. "Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly; but the proud he knoweth afar off." "To this man will I look," saith the Lord, "even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." {ST, February 19, 1885 par. 8}

The Pharisee expressed his self-commendation in the form of thanksgiving. "God, I thank thee," he says, "that I am not as other men are." But there was no real gratitude in his heart. His self-love had excluded every such generous principle. He neither loved God supremely nor his neighbor as himself; yet before God and men he could boast loudly of his own goodness. Thus he insulted God, while he deceived men in regard to his true character. {ST, February 19, 1885 par. 9}

There are many now who entertain the same feeling of self-congratulation that the Pharisee had. Does this feeling rise in your heart in any degree, dear reader? If so, you may be assured that while you commend yourself, the condemnation of God rests upon you. You may be thought excellent in character. Your name may be registered on the church-book; but it is not written in the Lamb's book of life. If a special work has been done for any of us, it is through the grace of God alone. Man is to take no credit to himself; for he has nothing which he has not received. {ST, February 19, 1885 par. 10}

Let us examine ourselves, and see how many vain thoughts dwell within our hearts, how much we love praise, how selfishness is shown in our manners, how often we misjudge the character and motives of others, or feel contempt for them because their appearance is not prepossessing. Let us think how our words sound in the ears of God, how our selfish thoughts look in his sight, when we judge and condemn others, who may be better in heart and purpose than ourselves. {ST, February 19, 1885 par. 11}

From the parable of the Pharisee and the publican we learn that to profess excellence which we do not possess, will exclude us from the grace which alone can make us of value in the sight of God. The teachings of Christ give no countenance to a spirit of self-righteousness which would exalt self over others. Vanity is never the result of virtue and true piety. "Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
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Teresa, great quotes. Thank you. But I'm not sure what you believe. Do you believe the thief on the cross "attained" unto the experience, before he died, which everyone "must have" to be saved?

Do you think the following inspired insights [quoted above] describe his experience?

Or, do you think such a state can be attained only after years of hard work?