Why do Christians fall into sin despite Biblical promises to the contrary?
score:3
Let's examine your scriptures one by one to determine whether we find a promise that Christians can't sin.
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV)
That a temptation can always be overcome doesn't mean it is always overcome. People simply choose to sin, regardless of the fact that they could, with help from God, overcome. That is, after all, what condemns us.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:7-10 ESV)
The point is to tell the audience they should stop sinning / start being righteous if they want to be children of God. Which means they weren't righteous (yet). If you are still sinning, you are not converted enough yet.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV)
Don't boast of your good works. Paul again and again emphasizes that the law can only condemn us, because we fall short. So God prepared good works that we should walk in them, but there is no promise here that we won't leave the way that Goid intends for us as we did before.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— (Philippians 3:8-9 ESV)
Again, the law can only condemn because we fall short. So here we don't even talk about good works at all when Paul says "righteousness".
To summarize, Paul says:
We fall short of the Law, inevitably. So we can only become righteous in the eyes of God through faith in Christ. But that doesn't mean we should/can just continue in our wicked ways. We need repentance and change our ways, otherwise we weren't really "children of God" to begin with (yet). And this is possible with faith and help from God.
Upvote:2
The answer is in the first quotation: "he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability".
- Each true Christian will be tempted.
- God's holy spirit within that person will provide guidance and support to resist that temptation.
- The temptation will not be more than the person is able to resist.
But, a temptation is meaningful only if it is possible to give in to it. So people will weaken, doubt their faith, etc., and they will occasionally succumb to the temptation.
True Christians will recognize their transgression, repent (changing oneself), and ask for and receive forgiveness.
It is the purpose of each person to build a character that will no longer weaken, will no longer doubt, and will no longer give in to temptation.
Jesus, as a human being, was always able to resist temptation, using only the help of God's holy spirit, so we know that it is possible.
More post
- 📝 How long was David on the run from Saul?
- 📝 Aquinas' understanding of love - is it desire?
- 📝 How was John the Baptist, as a child, protected from Herod's soldiers?
- 📝 What does it mean that someone managed to live beyond 120 years?
- 📝 Bible verse on how the fear of anticipating an evil is worse than the evil itself?
- 📝 Is it Catholic doctrine that no one can be certain of being in God's grace?
- 📝 What did Jesus mean by asking `what do you read in the law' in Lk 10:26?
- 📝 What is the basis of my fractured understanding of "Sola Scriptura"?
- 📝 What is the Catholic process for establishing orthodoxy?
- 📝 How many Catholics are excommunicated in an average year?
- 📝 Is being "sinless" the same as "being perfect"?
- 📝 Why doesn't the Gospel of Peter, who was given the keys to the kingdom of heaven, lead the new testament?
- 📝 Are there any Reformed theologians who support the practice of mindfulness (inner body awareness)?
- 📝 What is the "head-band" Judith gives to Anna in the Protoevangelium of James?
- 📝 How do those who reject the deity of Christ understand the 'sameness of honor' in John 5?
- 📝 What is the significance of "seventy times seven"?
- 📝 Was Peter ever in Rome?
- 📝 Does the act of sex constitute marriage in God's eyes?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, what is wrong with Luther's doctrine of ubiquity?
- 📝 What is the difference between a denomination and a movement?
- 📝 Was the dogma of the Immaculate Conception formulated in response to someone challenging Mary's ability to bear a perfect Son?
- 📝 Did Samuel act as a priest on top of being a prophet?
- 📝 Does the Bible forbid a man from dressing like a woman?
- 📝 Has any prominent theologian ever explained why Jesus let a thief be in charge of the money?
- 📝 Can a validly baptized non-Catholic commit mortal sin, thereby losing the state of grace?
- 📝 What does the account of pigs and demons mean?
- 📝 Do any sects permit consensual open marriages?
- 📝 Is this the best way to fight "The War On Christmas"?
- 📝 What are the key differences between the Western and Eastern Christianity?
- 📝 Can English people go to Greek Orthodox churches in England?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Why do Christians fall into sin despite Biblical promises to the contrary?
- 📝 According to LDS, if the Fall was a positive thing why would God condemn sin in the flesh?
- 📝 Why do some Christians think it's not a sin to charge interest?
- 📝 Why do most Christians not follow the Talmud?
- 📝 Why don't Christians celebrate the feast of tabernacles?
- 📝 Why did early Christians in Acts still go to the Jewish temple every day?
- 📝 Why does the LDS church believe that alcohol was forbidden, despite being common in the Bible?
- 📝 If baptism cleanses original sin then why do the children of baptised parents still need to be baptised?
- 📝 Why did Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon into Jacobean English, not in use in 1830?
- 📝 Since Jesus death paid our sin debt in full, why do Christians still die?
- 📝 Why did the soldiers go backward and fall down when Jesus said "I am he" in John 18:6?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for civil disobedience, by not wearing a mask in the midst of COVID-19, despite health department rules?
- 📝 If God doesn't tempt us, why does the Lord's Prayer petition Him to "lead us not into temptation"?
- 📝 Why do non-LDS Christians accept the testimonies of the apostles but reject the testimonies of the 3 & 8 witnesses to the golden plates?
- 📝 What is the Biblical argument used by Evangelical Christians against the Catholic doctrine of the invocation of the saints?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for Christians NOT to quit their jobs, sell all their possessions, and preach the gospel?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for saying Christians are "friends of God"?
- 📝 Is there a doctrine or Biblical justification that explains why God chose the number 7 to be so significant?
- 📝 Why do Catholics believe that it is a priest's blessing that transforms the elements into the body and blood of Christ?
- 📝 Why do some Protestants divide the Blood of Christ into individual cups?
- 📝 Why do some Christians (Coptic orthodox and catholic) kiss the priest's hand?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for believing that God punishes Christians for disobedience?
- 📝 What's the Biblical basis for "all Christians will be together in heaven some day"?
- 📝 Why aren't the Biblical Apocrypha included in the protestant Bible?
- 📝 Is it known when and why Christians began to sign themselves and impart blessings with the Cross?
- 📝 Why is the sin of the fallen angels unforgivable? (Catholic catechism)
- 📝 Why did early Christians believe in the Real Presence?
- 📝 Why don’t Christians accept Muhammad as the true prophet?
- 📝 What is the biblical support for the original sin being an infinite sin?
- 📝 Why don't Catholics divide the blood of Christ into individual cups?