THE CHRISTIAN'S SINLESSNESS.
“We know that whosoever is begotten of God sinneth not; but he that was begotten of God keepeth himself, and the evil one toucheth him not.” 1 John 5:18. We are asked, “Is it after he is raised from the dead that the wicked one toucheth him not?” Yes, it is after he is raised from spiritual death, but it is while he is yet in this world. It is a most precious promise, but it is a spiritual promise. It is not necessarily a protection against bodily harm or persecution. 2 Tim. 3:12. The child of faith does not sin wilfully; while in the garb of sinful flesh he may unwittingly do that which is wrong, but because of his faith the sin is not imputed to him; his faith is “counted unto him for righteousness,” Rom. 4:3. “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Verse 8. This, however, is conditioned upon walking in all the light that shines upon one's pathway; herein is the evidence that his faith is genuine. It is said of Christ, after He had successfully overcome the temptations in the wilderness, that the devil left Him. And afterward, on the night of His betrayal, Jesus said to His disciples, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.” John 14:30. Spiritually the tempter could not touch Him; for there was nothing in Him that would respond to Satanic artifice. So James says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” In 1 John 3:5, 6 we are told that Christ “was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not.” In previous verses the apostle says: “Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” This is the aim, the earnest purpose, of every one who is born of God. He is like a little child learning to walk. He can not do it perfectly. He needs the hand of the Father to keep him from falling. But his imperfect steps are not laid up against him as a crime, nor will he be allowed to fall as long as he retains his hold on the Father's hand. The apostle Paul, in expressing his hope of salvation, says: “Not as tho I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:12-14. Note that in this expression the apostle disclaims perfection; but in the following verse he says, “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded.” But there is no contradiction of sentiment. Paul simply disclaims actual perfection of life, but recognizes in himself and others a perfection of purpose. This purpose can be carried out only in the faith of Christ; for the same apostle again says, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Gal. 2:20. The enemy aims to discourage, and does discourage many honest, conscientious souls by tempting them to doubt their conversion because they are conscious of imperfections. He would like to get them into the belief that they can not be saved because they have sinned since they professed the name of Christ. But the Spirit guards us against such error by the assurance that “if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” It is in His righteousness we are to stand perfected, and not in our own, which can not be made any better than “filthy rags.” Another ruse of the enemy is to get unwary souls to believe that because they have professed Christ it is their duty or privilege to assume a garb of holiness on their own declaration that they do not, or can not sin. But such assumption is mere boasting, which Paul says “is excluded.” Rom. 3:27. There could hardly be a better evidence of a proud heart than the assumption of sinlessness on the part of a fallible creature. It is noticeable that most of those who do so profess, deliberately ignore the law of God, either in whole or in part; but Jesus says, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matt. 19:17. The nearer the soul approaches the perfect One, the more he examines his life in the light of the holy, spiritual law (Rom. 7:12, 14), the more will his imperfection be discovered.