Boanerges

1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretchedman that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
While there is only one way to live free of sin, that being walking in the Spirit we can and do vasilate in and out of that condition.
Remember this, it is your heart God judges. He does not condemn those who struggle and fail. The very fact they feel so bad (that is the conviction of God) is evidence that God is working in their lives. A Father does not reject a child for falling down and skinning his knee or getting a little muddy- indeed He is there to pick us up, clean us up and set us back on our feet.
Sin is sin and none is pleasing to God. Any sin no matter how "small" can seperate us from God outside of Christ but we are not outside of Christ. We indeed have been given His righteousness and we are being renewed in our minds one area at a time as we believe God's holy Word.

Beloved

Matthew 5:48
You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 19:21
Jesus answered him, If you would be perfect [that is, have that spiritual maturity which accompanies self-sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me].

Mark 10:18
And Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me [ essentially and perfectly morally] good? There is no one [ essentially and perfectly morally] good--except God alone.

1. Luke 1:17
   And he will [himself] go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn back the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient and incredulous and unpersuadable to the wisdom of the upright [which is the knowledge and holy love of the will of God]--in order to make ready for the Lord a people [perfectly] prepared [in spirit, adjusted and disposed and placed in the right moral state].
   
2. Luke 6:40
   A pupil is not superior to his teacher, but everyone [when he is] completely trained (readjusted, restored, set to rights, and perfected) will be like his teacher.
   
   
   Luke 8:14
   And as for what fell among the thorns, these are [the people] who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked and suffocated with the anxieties and cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not ripen (come to maturity and perfection).
   
3. Romans 12:2
   Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

__________________
Shalom

( SHALOM says: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. )

Beloved
1 Corinthians 14:1 Let Love be your highest goal.

Boanerges

The word used for perfect simply means mature and complete, not perfect in the sense one might think. The new inner man God gave you when you were born again is however sinless and it is that man we must feed and develope.

Whirlwind

When I sin, I get down on my knees and I confess it to God and Jesus Christ. I tell them what I did, why I did it, what I was thinking, so on. I ask Christ to forgive me...and he does.

I used to feel so awful about some things that I have done. I went to a pastor and confessed it all (as a part of a program that I was in at the time). I broke down and cried. I held nothing back.

When I was done, the pastor told me something like: "Why are you beating yourself up? You've sinned, you prayed, Jesus forgave you, it's over. Once you ask for forgiveness, he doesn't make you wait for five business days to approve your request, it's instant. His holy blood did that for you.

"The thing is," he told me, "once you're forgiven by Christ, you might still have a hard time forgiving yourself. Don't be so hard on yourself. If the Son of God can forgive you, then you can forgive yourself much easier! If it's still bothering you, keep praying about it. Ask him again and again if you have to, but understand that you only have to ask Him once, with your heart, and it's done."

I always remembered that. Sitting there in his office, a blubbering mess on a nice spring day, kids screaming and laughing on the playground outside his window, and me crying and feeling like I was going to hell the instant I died. His words were loud, although they were spoken in a whisper. And he seemed genuinely concerned for me.

When I left, I felt like a brand spanking new person! The pastor didn't do that for me, though...Christ did.

__________________
Chapter-by-Chapter, verse-by-verse.
Jesus is the Living Word.

LOTRgeek

Yes! It is so wonderful to confess your sins!!

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8-9)

"Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'" (John 20:21-23)

"'But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins' - he then said to the paralytic - 'Rise, take up your bed and go home.' And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men." (Matt. 9:6-9)

"Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. . . . On the Lord’s Day gather together, break bread, and give thanks, after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure" (Didache 4:14, 14:1 [A.D. 70]).

"If the serpent, the devil, bites someone secretly, he infects that person with the venom of sin. And if the one who has been bitten keeps silence and does not do penance, and does not want to confess his wound . . . then his brother and his master, who have the word [of absolution] that will cure him, cannot very well assist him" (Commentary on Ecclesiastes 10:11 [A.D. 388]).

"When you shall have been baptized, keep to a good life in the commandments of God so that you may preserve your baptism to the very end. I do not tell you that you will live here without sin, but they are venial sins which this life is never without. Baptism was instituted for all sins. For light sins, without which we cannot live, prayer was instituted. . . . But do not commit those sins on account of which you would have to be separated from the body of Christ. Perish the thought! For those whom you see doing penance have committed crimes, either adultery or some other enormities. That is why they are doing penance. If their sins were light, daily prayer would suffice to blot them out. . . . In the Church, therefore, there are three ways in which sins are forgiven: in baptisms, in prayer, and in the greater humility of penance" (Sermon to Catechumens on the Creed 7:15, 8:16 [A.D. 395]).

Beloved

That reminded me of a story ( of course everything does )

Yes Larry, I didn't think God expected us to be perfect, if we could BE perfect then Christ wouldn't have died for us ... Only Christ is perfect and good...

ANyway, the story ...my friends husband once said that there are 2 dogs in our lives... 1 is our flesh and the other is the Spirit... you can only feed one... if you feed the flesh dog he grows, but the other dog starves........................................... ................................If you feed the SPirit dog the flesh dog starves...

__________________
Shalom

( SHALOM says: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. )

Beloved
1 Corinthians 14:1 Let Love be your highest goal.

da_man

DEATH TO THE FLESH DOG!! DEATH TO THE FLESH DOG!!

Boanerges

I was pretty sure you understood that but not sire about everyone else.

The way I heard that story was this:
A missionary was being interivewed by reporter and he was asked what is it like to be a Christian? His reply was it is like having two dogs in me , a black one and a white one and thy are always fighting. The reporter then asked him which one wins? His simple reply was this- the one I feed.
Same basic story- I was told it is a true story but I cannot say for sure.

Beloved

AMEN!

I like your rendision also... The difinition you wrote of "perfect" mature and complete, is from the Greek or Hebrew, or English ?

Love you ALL!

__________________
Shalom

( SHALOM says: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. )

Beloved
1 Corinthians 14:1 Let Love be your highest goal.

Beloved

You're very special my little brother... you and Larry and so many others here I have as brothers n Christ... I will meet you all one day with our Lord... Sounds mushy I know, but I didn't have brothers or sisters that I met except for 1 who was in her 40's when I was a child... ANd lived in another state.

Love you all

__________________
Shalom

( SHALOM says: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. )

Beloved
1 Corinthians 14:1 Let Love be your highest goal.