If you are part of Eastside Assembly of God you may be getting tired of me talking about this notion, but I have this unexplained inclination to keep talking about it. And I have to tell you that I sometimes feel like I am the only one excited about this idea. (Possibly because everyone else figured this out a long time ago!).
In studying the book of Romans for our Wednesday Bible class I stumbled on one of those life changing discoveries that we occasionally get from the Bible. As believers we can live sinless lives! Okay, I know it is simple and nothing really new. But try this little experiment; ask your believing friends if they think they could live the rest of their lives without committing another sin. Most, if not all, will tell you that it is an impossible feat. I have even said this in my teaching and preaching before and not once has anyone challenged me on it. NOT ONCE! In over 17 years of pastoring two congregations, no one has even hinted that they disagreed with me on this. That is why for me this concept seems so new.
Let me give some background so you can see where I am coming from. Now what I am about to write makes me sound strange, but hey, don’t all of us have some kind of quirkiness just under the surface waiting to get out? I loathe rules, policies, mission statements, vision statements, laws, regulations, commandments, yes I said it, commandments, even the most famous ten! Not because I am rebellious, but because when faced with these things I feel intense pressure to comply. And sometimes I feel overwhelmed with trying to live up to them, much less even remember them. Anyway, when I look at Christianity much of the way it is presented is with the idea of living your life a certain way. We are told all the things we can’t do. (We used to list them on our membership cards.) You can’t use alcohol, you can’t smoke, you can’t dance, can’t gamble, can’t cuss, can’t eat Twinkies and certainly not White Castles, and all the other rules the church has invented. Ok, I made those last two up because my doctor won’t let me eat them and frankly I am a little resentful about it. Why couldn’t she tell me not eat peas, which I detest more than rules! What God desires most is an intimate relationship with us. The point being, trying to live a sinless life seems impossible, even exasperating, yet, the Scriptures give a completely different picture.
If living a sinless life is so impossible, then why did Jesus tell two people under different circumstances to go and sin “NO MORE”? (John 5:14; 8:11). Why would Jesus tell these people, both relatively new believers to never sin again? If He told them to do something impossible then He was purposely setting them up for failure. He wouldn’t do that. The reason we can live without committing another sin has nothing to do with our own ability but with the power of God being demonstrated in us! Romans 7 concludes with the futility of living the way we should. And then right at the end we are told that the way to overcome this predicament is found in Jesus. (Romans 7:24-25).
What we may not realize is the enormous power we have at our disposal to overcome and avoid sin. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead DWELLS IN YOU, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11 NKJV) The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that we have in our lives. If there was ever anyone death had a firm grip on it was Jesus, because if death can’t keep Him in the grave then it is game over. So it took substantial power to raise Him. So when I am tempted to sin the same power that raised Jesus from the dead will see me through!
So can we live the rest of our lives without committing another sin? YES! By the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.
