Christian Living

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Can We Be Sinless?
By Rick L. King
Jan 21, 2011

Can we be sinless? This is a question that I am sure will raise an eyebrow or two. The Lord kept me awake much of last night talking to me on this issue.

First of all we need to know what the word sin is. Sin according to God’s Word in the Greek text means to miss the mark or wander from the law of God. This is based on the Strong’s number 264 in the Greek, as used in Hebrews 10:26.

When is something considered by God to be sin?

James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

God convicts us of sin. Man condemns us for things that he thinks are sin. There is a big difference here

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are (in) Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
If we are (in) Christ Jesus we are walking after the Spirit.

Secondly, the scripture in Ecclesiastes 7:20 says; For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. So man does sin. Next look at Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. It says the word “have sinned”. It is obvious that we all have sinned. The word “have” is past tense. We have sinned in the past. It does not say that we sin now or in the future. I know, bear with me on this one, as you will maybe see something new here.

Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

In looking at the above scripture if the meaning were about belonging to Christ, then none of us would belong as how many can say that their flesh is totally crucified? The scripture does not mean ownership. The word “Christ’s” in the Greek text means “Anointed One”. If we look again with that in mind, the scripture is telling us that they who are anointed have crucified the flesh. Under the anointing we do not sin. Under his power we do not battle our flesh. We become one with Him and He is leading, directing and empowering us. It is He walking in and through us. It is no longer I that liveth, but he that liveth in me.

The Word tells us that in Galatians5: 18; But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. What was the purpose of the law? Galatians 3:24 says Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. The law brought us to Christ. After we met Christ then something started happening, or at least it should have. We became like the Apostle Paul, and started dying daily. 1Corinthians 15:31, I protest by your rejoicing, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. What was dying? He was dying to his flesh or his carnal nature.

In Galatians 2:20 it says that I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: 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.

Ok now here is the fun part. If we are dead then how can a dead man sin? A dead man can do nothing, as he is dead. A dead man cannot even have faith. Notice the scripture says I live by the faith “OF” the Son of God? It is His faith working through us, not ours. (Please note that many translations have changed this word to say (“IN instead of the word OF”). Something or someone must cause life in him if he is going to do anything but just lie there. The word says that it is Christ living in us. Can Christ sin? Heaven forbid, He was sinless. If we are dead, and it is Christ living in us, we are sinless since we are just the vessel for Him. The way that we become sinless is that we are crucified. We walk in the Spirit with His anointing; we have the mind of Christ; and we walk in His presence. We are dead; so we can’t sin. If we are alive and Christ is not living in us, then it is us living, so we will and do sin. The dead you or I cannot sin or do anything else for that matter.

We will face temptations just as Adam and Eve did to take us out of His presence. They did not know what sin was until they did it. They had never experienced lust and fear, until they bought the lie. The devil is always going to speak to us lies to take us from God’s presence. Yet, these are lies. God alone is truth. They were walking in the spirit prior to that. They had an intimate fellowship with the Lord daily. They were free. They were not under the law. They walked in agreement with the Lord and all was well. It was not until they listened to the devil that they experienced sin. The devil is still doing the same thing today, as his objective is to kill, steal, and destroy. If we listen to him, we lose God’s presence. Sin brings forth death. We could say that since sin is of the devil, it is the devil that brings forth death. Jesus is about life! The sad part is that when we walk in what the devil says that we are actually calling our God a liar. He cannot lie. The devil can and does lie, as he was a liar from the beginning.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

1John 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.

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

When we walk by the Spirit, we are free from the law of sin and death. The reason why is because we are dead and it is Jesus walking in us. As long as we stay in Jesus, walking by the spirit, having His mind, then we do not sin as it is no longer us that lives. If we yield to the devil, then we sin. All sin is of the devil.

Consider this. If we are crucified and no longer living then who are we? Our old name was (for example) was John. Well, John dies so who is he now? His body is still walking on earth, yet the life that he once lived is no longer. Everything changed. He has a new spirit and mind. He has allowed or as the Word says has “let” this mind be in him, which was also in Christ Jesus. He is a new person.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

We have to “let” this mind be in us. It is a choice. We can have our mind, the devils mind, or the mind of Christ. It is all a choice. Being saved does not mean we automatically have His mind. We have to let, choose, or allow His mind to be in us. If we will choose His mind, then we will not sin.

Romans 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?

Sin is disobedience. When His spirit leads us, we are not under the law. If we are being led by His Spirit, even though another person may consider something that we do as sin, unless we are convicted by the Holy Spirit, then it is not sin to that person. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts us, not a legalistic religious person. The Holy Spirit will not ask you to do something that is sin. The difference here is that we obey His voice instead of a written law. If we stay sensitive to Him and want only His will and to please Him alone; He will tell us if we are doing something that He does not like or approve of. When He tells us, He will empower us to change. If we say no, then it is sin to us (James 4:17). He keeps the law. We will keep the law through our obedience to whatever He asks for us to do. Our guide is now the Holy Spirit, not the written law.

In the Old Testament people were given a new name. Isaiah 62:2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. Being that we are not the same person as we were before Christ, then a new name is appropriate. Wonder what our new name is?

1Jo 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

Ro 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.


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