Sinful flesh can only tempt us to sin. It is not a sin to be tempted. Sinful flesh is not a sentient being. It cannot sin. It cannot incur guilt. "All have sinned." No one is sinless. We sin and incur guilt when cherish or act out the cravings of sinful flesh.

My father doesn't sin. It's his flesh that does it. And while his flesh is doing bad things, he hates every second of it. Or so he says.

And the bad thoughts that led to the bad actions? That's his flesh too, not him.

And since his flesh does not incur any guilt, he is completely blameless.

So how does anyone ever manage to sin?

BTW, sin is a matter of the heart and mind, not flesh and blood. This is one of our well-documented disagreements.

I didn't understand Mountain Man to be trying to say what you're making it say, here. Perhaps I'm wrong, but to me it seems more like he's refuting the concept put forward by APL and others that sin is "in the DNA." In that, I agree with him. Sin is not "in our flesh." I agree with you that sin is a choice--it is in the mind and will. I think both of you are actually agreeing on this more than disagreeing.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

I believe sinful flesh tempts us from within to sin. I believe Jesus' sinful flesh tempted Him from within to sin in the same way it tempts us from within to sin. I believe the new heart, new spirit, new mind is separate. It is not sinful flesh. Sinful flesh is not the mind or heart or character. Like Jesus, we can be tempted from within without incurring guilt, contamination, or condemnation.

Arnold, what is the difference between sinful flesh nature and the new man (new mind, new heart, new spirit)?

Does God hold us accountable for the unholy desires of sinful flesh nature?

If we refuse to cherish or act out the unholy desires of sinful flesh nature are we guilty of sin?

Bump.

The sins that were practised before conversion, are to be put off, with the old man. With the new man, Christ Jesus, are to be put on "kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering." {SD 300.3}

You must put away the old man with his errors and take the new man, Christ Jesus. Adopt His life as your guide then your talents and intellect will be devoted to God's service. {4T 92.1}

The natural man must die, and the new man, Christ Jesus, take possession of the soul, so that the follower of Jesus may say in verity and truth: "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20). {AG 39.3}


The Old Man is the natural man - what we are by nature - with its sinful passions and fleshly lusts. The New Man is Jesus, who gives us a whole new set of passions and desires. The will, the controlling power in the nature of man, decides which passions to follow.


Yes. We are children of wrath by nature. That's just how we start out because Adam sold us into slavery. The only way to escape is to let Jesus wash us. This comes by confession and repentance.

That's why it's so dangerous to believe that our fleshly lusts are not ours. We can't confess and repent for anything that is not our problem.


We won't be guilty of sinning, but we are guilty of sin. We won't have a problem with the sinfulness of our actions (if we don't do it), but we must confess the sinfulness of our nature.

There is a scriptural figure in which the soul is represented as being delivered from sin to receive the fashion of the new man, Christ Jesus. Those who are "born again" are to live for God, and all that they do and say is to represent His holiness. Constantly they must receive power from Him. This is necessary, in order that the new life in Christ may be lived. No part of the diseased life of sin is to remain. Christ diffuses sanctified activity through all parts of the being, and there is developed unselfishness in the service of God. {ST, March 11, 1903 par. 3}

Amen and AMEN. How is this done? CLICK HERE

Arnold, thank you for answering my questions. It's nice to know Jesus doesn't hold us accountable of sinning when sinful flesh nature clamors for sinful expression. It's nice to know we are not cultivating sinful traits of character just because our fallen flesh nature clamors for sinful expression.