Sin, Sinner, Sinnest?

I was reading Romans 7 in my Bible reading today and was reminded of a recent episode of the White Horse Inn (http://www.whitehorseinn.org/) where they asked this question:

If we sin after we become Christians, are we still saved?

What about if we perpetually sin after we are saved? Are we then still saved?

Take a moment and think about it.

ahem.

What would be your answer to one and then two. I half suspect I know what your answers will be.

Yes and then No. Am I right?

I perpetually sin. Not a day passes in which I do not fall short of the glory of God. But I am also perfect in Christ and being perfected in this life.

Break out the church words – sanctification

In my head, I just said "Break out the church words" to the tune of “Oh no they broke out the cardboard”

Romans 7:21-25

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Repentance is a changing of one’s mind. Here the Apostle Paul agrees in his mind that the Law is good and rightfully condemns him.

He agrees with God.

He agrees that his sin is sin and worthy of death. You cannot agree with God unless by His Spirit He gives you opportunity. The Apostle Paul has repented of his former way of thinking, however, and has embraced the Gospel of God in Jesus Christ.

Beware of anyone who tells you that you can become perfect and sinless in this life. Stay clear dear Christian of those who would entice you into thinking you can work hard enough to earn, deserve, keep, or maintain your salvation. It is not a halo, it is a sword of Damocles

Rest in Jesus alone. You are not saved because you stopped sinning. You were saved when you were sinning. John MacArthur once said, "If I could lose my salvation, I would."

This is not me saying your life and works do not matter. They do. So much so that Christ had to die for the sins you committed, commit and will commit tomorrow. Do not make light of what God paid to set you free by saying that grace makes your life irrelevant. Shameless man, do you accuse God of wrong?