Expert: Richard Aberdeen - 3/27/2011

Question
QUESTION: Mr Aberdeen... 2 Peter 1:3-11. In Peters spirit directed writing, one of the attributes of a believers new divine nature, besides moral excellance, and self-control is *Godliness*. He then writes verse 8. " If these qualities are yours and increasing, then you are neither useless, or unfruitful in the true knowledge of Jesus Christ.

One cannot be a sinner, and manifest Godliness as well. Same as a water spout doesn't show forth pure water, and salt water at the same time.

1 Timothy 3:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

and

1 Timothy 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Why Godliness with contentment? Because it comes from that which grows on the inside, the life of Jesus Christ. It is not a work of our volition, or fleshly struggle. I have never yet seen a flower have to struggle to become what it was predestined/predetermined to be.    

Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Sincerely and respectfully
bar

ANSWER: Yeah, but Paul also said, "let no one take away the great freedom we have in Messiah", "by grace we are saved" and, "we are not under the law, but under grace".  

You seem to view Jesus and Paul as people of a conservative type of self-applied "Godliness", where I see Paul as an extreme beyond liberal man of great freedom, who was filled with God's Spirit through forgiveness, not through any "Godliness" on his own part.  To put on "Godliness" is to walk in great freedom, "for we are not under the law, but under grace".  Ungodlienss is what keeps sinners from being free.  The goal, according to Jesus is to be "free, indeed", thus whatever gets in the way of our freedom is by definition, "ungodly".

This is another way of viewing how forgiveness works, which may be more accurate than the previous one I sent to you.  Like I said, I'm still trying to figure out what the best idea is and I don't claim to know everything.

FORGIVENESS, HOW TO BELIEVE IN JESUS

1) Ask Jesus to forgive you for being a sinner

2) Take it easy and try to be free

That is probably a better way to view it than the previous one I sent you.  Like I said, I'm still working on it, but what I'm telling you is simple, easy and something any child or uneducated person can easily grasp, which is who Jesus came to save.

Sinners want to take it easy and, sinners want to be free.  We don't want any religion or other nonsense in the way of our freedom.  And, from my experience, a person who can't take it easy is a person who isn't free and, a person who isn't free is a person who can't take it easy.  They go together, sort of like hand and glove.  

It would appear that in God's grace, we have both options, because 1) "by grace we are saved" and 2) "we are not under the law, but under grace".



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Mr Aberdeen, maybe this will help as it did me....! Many years ago, I heard this expression...."the flesh is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master!"

Then the scripture which states the body of flesh, wars against the spirit, and the spirit against this body of flesh!

But then we read, that the power of the flesh body to lead has been dealt a death blow, that it does not have the power to lead any longer, and we, who are made spiritually alive are now able to follow the leading of the Spirit, rather than the old desires of the flesh.

Then the scripture about circumscion becomes real.Collosions 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

2 Corinthians 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

Ephesians 4:  22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

So, before receiving what Christ has done, we obeyed the lusts of the flesh and its desires contrary to God. BUT, then, through Christ the power of the flesh was cut off, so we were freed to follow the leading of the Spirit!

Like being in the world, but not of the world! Being in this body, but not being of the body!

Why a fast is a great teaching of this lesson, on who is in control. The body that is growling to be fed, or the new spiritual man, saying, " maybe I will feed you in a couple of days!"

Does that help clarify?

Sincerely, and respectfully

Barelohim.

ANSWER: I've already answered this.  I have always been a sinner and, I remain a sinner.  I have never met anyone in my entire life who is not a sinner and, I can easily prove that anyone is a sinner, regardless of what they believe or fail to believe.  If you own a nickle more of worth than anyone you are aware of, then you are a sinner, by definition that you do not equally share with your neighbor and thus, you do not love your neighbor as yourself.  That is what is wrong with humanity on our planet and by definition, is what a sinner is.  If everyone loved their neighbor as their own selves, there would be no murder, no war, rape, theft, false witness, no jails, no police and no Nobel Peace Prize, because everyone would always practice love, peace and goodwill towards all.

This is WHY Jesus died, to save us from our sins and, WE REMAIN SINNERS according to the Bible until we die, which the Bible very clearly says; "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." I John 1:8

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: If Jesus died to save us from our sins, then why are you still a sinner? Didn't the blood of Christ do its job?

With all respect, and humbleness

BaR

Answer
According to the two primary authors of the New Testament, John and Paul, you are very much in error to pretend that you are no longer a sinner.

Paul, from Romans ch 7
Paul is very clearly writing about himself and writing to Roman believers, who already believe in Jesus and Paul very clearly says he is still a sinner.

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 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. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 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.

THERE IS A VERY SIMPLE TEST ANYONE CAN PERFORM TO DETERMINE IF THEY ARE A SINNER OR NOT:

Try doing what you think is good all of the time and, see how well you do.  It doesn't even matter if what you think is good is good or not.  The reason being, if what you think is good is not really good, this proves you are a sinner, because you believe something that is false.  And, if what you think is good is good and you don't always do it, this again proves you are a sinner, unable to always do what is good.

As a very good example, most educated people in the modern age believe that certain foods are bad for us, will harm us and lead to diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, etc.; foods such as donuts, fast food, soft drinks, candy, processed cereals, processed meats, etc.  Yet, virtually all educated people continue to eat these foods that they know are harmful and, we encourage children and other adults to eat them by setting a bad example.  This conclusively proves we are sinners, unwilling and unable to do what we think is good all of the time.  It is virtually impossible to survive in a modern city in the real world without eating something that we believe is bad for us and, without engaging in activity that we know causes stress and pressure and again, is bad for us.  

This is what Paul very clearly says is true, in both Romans, Galations and elsewhere, that the law demonstrates we are sinners, unable to do what the law commands all of the time and, even without the law, as Paul also notes elsewhere, our conscience demonstrates we are sinners, unable to live up to the dicates of our own conscience.  

John, from 1st John ch 1
John is very clearly writing to believers, as he uses the terms "us" and "we" several times and says, "so that your joy may be full", clearly indicating this is written to those who already believe and he writing so they can understand what is true better:

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

Salvation is a lifetime ongoing process.  As Paul said, "work out your own salvation", Paul referred to "being saved" and, Paul said "not as if I have already attained".

The writings of Paul and John are very clear, that salvation is a daily ongoing process; there is no such thing as someone who has been immediately "saved" from all of their sins.  To be forgiven for our sins is not the same thing as beings "saved" from them.  Sin is what keeps people from being free.  If we had no sin, then we would be a totally free human being, without a spec of tension, stress, fear, prejudice, hatred, irrational anger or doubt anywhere within our being; we would ALWAYS love our neighbor as ourself, we would never ignore a homeless person or otherwise, walk by someone without saying hello; we would never treat anyone in any way, shape or form, any differently than we ourselves would want them to treat us.  We would view every eligible member of the opposite sex in the exact same way and be entirely oblivious to how much they weigh or how they look in any way.  I have never met such a person and, I am quite confident that in this lifetime, I never will.