Is It Possible To Live A Life Without Sin?

HT: Briefcase and the Tigress

The question has been asked by most. Is it even possible to live a life without sin of some sort?

Here’s a story from my past which makes a point in this area. I was working with a young lady in an office environment many years ago. The office was large enough to have a nice kitchen with tables so the staff frequently ate lunch together.

The discussion got around to religion somehow and “out of the blue” came the young lady’s declaration; “I have never committed a sin!”

After an awkward moment of silence someone spoke up and said; “Wow! That makes just two of you!”; the implication being, just Jesus and the young lady! : )

I knew that the youngster was Catholic and she was simply saying that by the Catholic definition of venial and mortal sin, and the fact that she went to confession often; she was “spotless”.

As always, though, I’ll try to stick to biblical reference, instead of using man’s definition.

The Bible is very clear, IMO. It states without any doubt that NONE of US are sinless. Here’s one of my favorite passages from Romans (NKJV). BTW, how ANYONE can void the Big 10 is beyond me.

Rom 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
Rom 3:22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Rom 3:24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Rom 3:25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
Rom 3:26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.
Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Rom 3:29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,
Rom 3:30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

You just gotta love Paul! In his logical, yet round about way, he establishes salvation and forgiveness of sin through grace and faith, while maintaining that the law has not been made void! And, more important to the subject matter, he establishes the fact that ALL (but the One) are sinful.

So! Does the young lady have a point, or not? Are we supposed to try to live a sinless life?

This question causes some to “give in to Satan’s argument”; that is, to believe that man cannot possibly live by such a high standard so therefore; don’t try! This is Satan’s argument straight from the garden. After all, man believed Satan’s lie that we would be just like God, right! Again, Paul would natually disagree with Satan's take on things!

Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

… and,

Rom 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Rom 6:11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
Rom 6:13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Rom 6:15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
Rom 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Paul makes it very clear that we are to be slaves to righteousness, that is, sinless. We are to be obedient slaves to the one who died for our sins. But … what happens if we sin anyway?

Forgive my French – but if we sin after being forgiven we had better DAMN well ask for forgiveness again! Some experience this cycle of sin and forgiveness and conclude that we can never stop the sinning! Or, worse, the forgiveness becomes a reason for the continuation of sin.

Rom 3:25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

Heb 2:17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

1Jn 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

1Jn 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Why should we confess our sins and try, try again? Because God promises our eventual victory over sin!

1 Corinthians 15:57—“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 John 5:4—“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

Philippians 2:5—“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 5:21—“… that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

1 John 3:6—“Whatsoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.”

Now, what about the original question? Is it possible to live a life without sin?

According to the Bible – YES! IT IS! But not without God!

How many people do you know that are sinless? Not many, probably. Maybe just that young lady. I think ALL of us need to try harder. I know I do. We should keep trying to be the obedient slave to the love of Jesus and follow his word to achieve the victory;

Joh 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments”.

The Observer

ref article: Is-it-Possible-to-Live-Without-Sinning?