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NASB | Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices, |
Bible Question:
Thank you Prayon and Lifer for your patients and perseverance. I love this forum. I think it’s a great place for iron to sharpen iron and for Christians to work on becoming of one mind on the things of the Lord. But let me press you a little bit further on this, if I may. I John 3:9, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”(NJKV) I know some translations soften this, but I won’t quibble. (Now follow me on this.) 1st point: Animals cannot sin. (Your comment on animals also implies this, I think.) Only persons can sin. 2nd point: So when sin is committed, it is committed by a person, not an animal or thing. 3rd point: A nature is a thing. It determines behavior, but it is a thing, not a person. 4th point: Our new man (or self) with its new nature, born of God, cannot sin. 5th point: We sin. 6th and finally: If only a person can sin, and our new man cannot sin, who’s sinning? Thanks again and peace in the Lamb. |
Bible Answer: Lionstrong, Please permit me to ramble on just a little bit more to (finally) answer your question. According to my previous explanation, the root of sinning (committing unrighteous acts) is unbelief in what God says. That is why it is SO important to have our mind renewed as Christians by God's Word. God's not crazy about our acts of sin (Jesus died for each one we commit or omit) but He really wants to get at the root of why we commit sins - our belief system. That is what He wants to change. If, through His Spirit and His wonderful Word, He changes our mind (renews) it to see things from His point of view (truth) THEN, and only then, will our actions change. Our actions will follow what we truly believe. If I don't believe that God can provide all my needs, I'll resort to stealing. If I don't believe God has provided me with one wife to enjoy life with, I'll resort to adultery. If I don't belief God has revealed His true self to me through Jesus Christ, I'll worship other gods. Sins are always related to wrong belief or doubting God. That being said, Paul describes the his old man, old nature in chapter 7 of Romans and the new man in chapter 8. Without going terribly indepth (I type slow), here's the situation. Paul used to be a Pharisee. He describes elsewhere his 'fleshly' credentials in keeping the law. At least outwardly. Inwardly, he says that he was the chief of sinners. Starting in Romans 7:14, Paul says that he knew the law was good and spiritual. He wanted to keep it. But he couldn't keep it. He tried, through his works, but the harder he tried, the more he failed. He knew, from studying the law, what God said and what God expected. And he sincerely wanted to obey God. But he had the old Adamic nature, the sin nature that caused his flesh to rebel and not keep God's law. His inner man vs.22 agreed with God's law but he found his body subjected to the law of sin, and wouldn't obey. The old nature held his body slave to sin. It was driving him nuts! He longed for deliverence. Then, he says in vs. 24, 'who will deliver me from this conflict?' And he answers it, thanks be to God THROUGH Jesus Christ we are delivered. God crucified our old nature, the sin nature, us without God, the old man with Christ on the cross. That master of our bodies is dead and gone. But, in the Christian, we still have 'flesh' - not a sin nature that says we MUST sin, but a fallen body with habits and a resource for us to get our needs met from within. But our flesh no longer has the old sin nature standing over it saying, 'Sin, sin, sin.' That was crucified with Christ. So, without a master, the flesh says, "What now? How do I act? Who is the master?" And here, brother, is where you have a choice as a Christian. You can either: A. 'Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.' Allow Christ to 'work out' through your body what He has 'worked in' to your spirit. This is walking in the Spirit, relying upon Christ to be your suffieciency for every situation. Or: B. Not submit your body to Christ, in which case it will rely and 'fall back' on the only thing it knows, what the sin nature trained it to do. That means relying upon yourself and your own resources to get your needs met. Your body, flesh will resort back to sinning. It knows nothing else. That is why Paul says to set your mind on things above. Only then will your body follow. That is why Paul says in Romans 6:16 - '16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.' So, Paul says to count yourselves (accept it as true) to sin but alive to God. So, when a Christian sins (commits a wrong act), it is because we are not believing what God says and relying on our old flesh, self-suffieciency to get what we want (remember Abraham with Isaac and Ismael?). We can do that as Christians. But we can also choose to submit ourselves to God and allow Him to be our all-in-all. Whew, I'm getting tired. (Stinking flesh, my spirit is willing, though) I hope this helps. Let me know. I'm still 'learning to believe.' God bless. |