The “Cannot-Sin” Theory
Here is something I came across very recently, that was written over 100 years ago, and when I read it, I found that it is so very current that it could have been published today for us all, so it is re-published now, so that you too can enjoy this very challenging and thought provoking concept.
Quote; “These men were presented to me as doing great injury to the cause of God. While professing sanctification, they were transgressing the sacred law. They were corrupt at heart, and those in union with them were under a satanic delusion, obeying their carnal instincts instead of the word of God.
They held that those who are sanctified cannot sin. And this naturally led to the belief that the affections and desires of the sanctified ones were always right, and never in danger of leading them into sin. In harmony with these sophistries, they were practising the worst sins under the garb of sanctification, and through their deceptive, hypnotic influence were gaining a strange power over some of their associates, who did not see the evil of these apparently beautiful but seductive theories.
Terrible was their power over the people, for while holding their attention and winning their confidence through a hypnotic influence, they led the innocent and unsuspecting to believe that this influence was the Spirit of God. Therefore those who followed their teachings were deceived into the belief that they and their associates who claimed to be wholly sanctified, could fulfil all the desires of their hearts yet without sin.
Clearly the deceptions of these false teachers were laid open before me, and I saw the fearful account that stood against them in Heaven’s Book of Records, and the terrible guilt that rested upon them for professing complete holiness while their daily acts were offensive in the sight of God.
Sometime after this, the characters of these persons were developed before the people, and the vision given in reference to them was fully vindicated. True Sanctification – “Believe in Christ,” was the cry of these claimants of sanctification. “Only believe; this is all that is required of you. Only have faith in Jesus.” The words of John came forcibly to my mind, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8. I was shown that those who triumphantly claim to be sinless, show by their very boasting that they are far from being without taint of sin. The more clearly fallen man comprehends the character of Christ, the more distrustful will he be of himself, and the more imperfect will his works appear to him, in contrast with those which marked the life of the spotless Redeemer. But those who are far from Jesus, those whose spiritual perceptions are so clouded by error that they cannot comprehend the character of the great Exemplar, conceive of Him as altogether such a one as themselves, and dare to talk of their own perfection of holiness. But they are far from God; they know little of themselves, and even less of Christ. {LS 83-4}
This reminds me of a “Craze” that circulated many centuries ago where the concept was talked about that the “Soul” and “The Flesh” had no connection with each other, as they were two distinct and separate entities, as the Soul was just trapped inside the Flesh until death could release it. For “Once saved,” the “Soul” could never ever be corrupted for “once saved – forever saved.” Hence there was no such thing as “sexual defilement” or “vice” or “sin” or “corruption” so whatever you did in the flesh had absolutely no bearing on the “Soul” as the flesh was a sort of like a “clay pot” or a “tent” that passed away, or was tossed aside at death and thus released the perceived holy “Soul” to then move on to its proper advanced home, which was declared to be “Eternity.”
From this theory, the adherents ate whatever they wanted, drank and partied hard out, and there was no limits and they went as far as they could. Then those advanced practitioners were then held up to be greater than anyone else so they were held to be exceptionally holy and advanced and everyone else should learn from them and thus advance to higher planes of advancement. We have this from Luke 12:19-20 “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, [and] be merry. But God said unto him, [Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” I guess this is just quoting; “Eat Drink and be Merry for tomorrow we die,” which still circulates even thousands of years later.
The Bible is very clear that from Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This verse alone advises us that sin does not bring in an eternal realms of expanding advancement and pleasure, sin just leads to non-existence, death. The redeemed who are “in Christ” and are “led by the Spirit” and are “cleansed by his blood” who are “freed from sin” are the only ones who get to experience eternity and the abundant expanses of God’s Universe.
I guess that this does sort of mean the redeemed cannot sin, because they choose not to sin, as they love and serve God, they have no inclination to sin. Yes Christians do trip up occasionally, but they are always very quick to come to the “Foot of the Cross” and to confess their sin, make restitution, forsake sin and get right back on track as a “Forgiven saint” pressing forwards, living like Jesus Christ.
Dear Reader; Are you “In Christ” or “In Delusion,” by their fruit shall ye know them, whether God or mammon, so chose God now, and reject sin, delusion and all else.
