About those ‘paradigms’ we talked about yesterday…here’s a pretty common one that many sincere ‘believers’ subscribe to:

“I’m a sinner saved by grace.” Would you align yourself with that statement, or not?

Or maybe you have just always been led to believe that ‘Christians’ are simply ‘saints who sin’. After all…Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven, right?  The assumption here, of course, is that one who views or sees themself remaining 'as a sinner' must continue to live as a 'sinner'...because they continue to sin?  Maybe not as 'bad' or as 'often' as they 'once did'...but still...

If that is your paradigm, or set of ‘spiritual lenses’ you have always viewed this Christian life through…what would it take to get you to take a ‘second look’ and maybe reconsider that a ‘paradigm shift’ might be needed in our churches today? And it really wouldn’t require some heavenly sign from above to get our attention…since it’s already laid out in our Bibles to see for ourselves (Acts 17:11).

Whoever is born of God no longer sins. (1 John 5:18). 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. (1 John 3:9)

Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him no known Him. (1 John 3:6). Little children…let no one deceive you…he who sins is of the devil. (1 John 3:7-8)

This is how we know that we know Him…if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (1 John 2:3-4,6)

I suppose this could lead into another conversation which I’m more than happy to have, and that is to gain a better understanding as to what ‘sin’ is.

Many have settled for this idea that sin is simply ‘missing the mark’, a term familiar to archers. That would be like a golfer saying “I don’t shoot par every time I go out and play”, or a bowler agreeing that nobody bowls a perfect 300 game every time the go to the lanes. Again…those kind of paradigms make it easy so ‘settle’ into our current Christian lifestyles and remain…comfortable that all is well with our souls, because ‘the blood of Jesus has us all covered’.  But can we agree that Jesus did not come to make us 'perfect' archers, golfers, or bowlers?

So let’s turn to the word once again. We are taught in 1 John 3:4 that ‘sin is lawlessness’, which means breaking the commandments of God. And we already know from our previous passage that those who ‘know God keep His commandments.’

So let’s try adjusting that ‘paradigm’ with another set of lenses that align more with God’s word. Would you agree that living according to the flesh nature = sin?

Are we not told in Galatians 5:19-21 that ‘those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God’?

Do the scriptures clearly state that ‘those who live according to the flesh you will die’? (Romans 8:13). And if you read the full context of verse 1 in in chapter 8…it is those who are ‘in Christ’…who are under ‘no condemnation’…adding: ‘for those who walk according to the Spirit and not the flesh’.

Were you aware that all that is tied up in our carnal flesh nature is actually a mirror or reflection of the ‘image of the nature and character of Satan’? And whose image were we originally created in…and are supposed to be being conformed to as believers? (Romans 8:29; Gen. 1:26-27).

Oh…but you were told that we will always have that ‘bad fruit’ popping up in our lives because we still have this carnal nature? So is it any wonder that we live our lives having good days and bad days…because…well, you know…we ‘remain sinners saved by grace’? Again…there’s just one problem with that paradigm, and you might go look what Jesus had to say in Matt. 7:17-20. I’m sure there are plenty of folks who wish that passage was not in there, but it is.

You should be familiar with that verse I mention often…from 1 John 5:19 that informs us this whole world is under the grip, or power and influence of the wicked one. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself…’how’ does he control us? Take a look at Ephesians 2:2-3 and you will find your answer- he controls us through the carnal desires of our flesh nature. And if we continue to live according to that nature…we will…._____(what?- Rom. 8:13) Were you aware that anyone who remains ‘carnally minded’ is hostile towards God and will not subject themselves to His law…therefore unable to please Him? (Rom. 8:7-8) And yet, how many untold numbers of sincere believers have been led astray to believe that they will always have this carnal flesh nature, but no need to worry because their ‘spirit is saved’? Yes…there is a reason why I keep circling back and seem to be repeating myself a lot… 

...Straight from your Bible: “And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Gal. 5:24) And…from Romans 6 – “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in - newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with…that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (4-6)

Friends…would you think long and hard and ask the Holy Spirit….”What should this ‘newness of life’ look like?”  What is this 'new creation' Paul alludes to in 2 Cor. 5:17?    And IF…we have been set free from sin where we are no longer slaves of sin (Rom. 6:17,22)…then why do so many sincere ‘believers’ freely admit to ‘sinning all the time’?  And what do we do with Hebrews 10:26-27?

Instead of trying to refute or argue against what God's word states, maybe it’s time for a paradigm shift that comes when we turn back to God asking Him to open the eyes of our understanding (Eph. 1:17-18).

In other words...instead of insisting (as most people tend to do) that 'nobody can live that way!'...why not take a step back and ask..."Lord...how can these things be?" (Luke 1:34; John 3:9).

I'd be curious to know how many people, if any...when they look at the graphic I used today (or yesterday), can ONLY see the figure of an old woman...and get beside themselves with bewilderment when I suggest there is a much younger version of a woman embedded in the same image.  God is not trying to frustrate us friends by making unrealistic demands that no one can ever fulfill.  He's just waiting for us to step forward and come to Him (with a whole heart)...and say...."Lead me, Lord."