No. Christians have been set free from the reign of sin. Does that make us sinless? Not necessarily, because we are still flesh. However, now if we sin we have a mediator between us and God - the man Christ Jesus.
We also have the ability to walk in the Spirit. If we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. We have also been set free from the curse of sin. Non-believers do not have the ability to walk in the Spirit, are ruled by the lusts of the flesh, and are subject to the curse of sin and are bound servants to sin.
While Christians are not perfect and sinless, we have a means by which we can crucify our flesh and minimize the influence of sin in our lives through prayer, submission to God, and to HIS word. We do not have to be servants of sin, or ruled by sin. When we do mess up, we do not face condemnation and have an advocate. Non-believers do not have this hope. They are servants to sin, bound by sin, and have no advocate to plead their case when they stand in judgement.
You are better now than when you were bound by sin, you said. But you won't say that you are better than other people who are still bound by sin. Why not?
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
You are better now than when you were bound by sin, you said. But you won't say that you are better than other people who are still bound by sin. Why not?
Because without Christ I would be bound by sin again. There is nothing in me that sets me free from sin. There is no action on my part that keeps me unbound. It's only by God's Spirit and Grace that I am free from the rule of sin. It's nothing I've done.
So no. I'm not better than other people because I have the same base nature and would be bound by the same task master they are.
I AM in a better position because I have been set free by Christ. They have yet to be set free, but have the same opportunity if they choose to take it.
Saying I am better than someone else would mean that I am in some way superior to them. In order to be superior to someone or something, you have to have an intrinsic quality that gives you higher status than they are able to obtain. Christians have no such intrinsic quality. Our "status" is solely dependent upon Christ.
How can I say I am better than the non-believer when I am completely dependent on someone else to stay out of that cesspool?
Because without Christ I would be bound by sin again. There is nothing in me that sets me free from sin. There is no action on my part that keeps me unbound. It's only by God's Spirit and Grace that I am free from the rule of sin. It's nothing I've done.
So no. I'm not better than other people because I have the same base nature and would be bound by the same task master they are.
I AM in a better position because I have been set free by Christ. They have yet to be set free, but have the same opportunity if they choose to take it.
Saying I am better than someone else would mean that I am in some way superior to them. In order to be superior to someone or something, you have to have an intrinsic quality that gives you higher status than they are able to obtain. Christians have no such intrinsic quality. Our "status" is solely dependent upon Christ.
How can I say I am better than the non-believer when I am completely dependent on someone else to stay out of that cesspool?
Never mind.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
I'm not understanding what you're wanting. Are you wanting someone to say that Christians are still bound by sin just like everyone else? Are you wanting someone to say Christians are better than non-believers?
What are your thoughts on this subject. Are you better than a non-believer? Why or why not?
I'm not understanding what you're wanting. Are you wanting someone to say that Christians are still bound by sin just like everyone else? Are you wanting someone to say Christians are better than non-believers?
A lot of the things you have said imply that, but you won't come right out and say it.
Quote:
What are your thoughts on this subject. Are you better than a non-believer? Why or why not?
(I am an unbeliever, by the way.) My thoughts: there are some believers who are better than some unbelievers. There are some unbelievers who are better than some believers. There is a spectrum of "goodness" in both camps. I haven't developed a strong opinion on which camp has more goodness in it, but I am more interested in the opinions of believers on this question, anyway. (In this thread, at least. )
As for me, before I was a Christian, I was just a kid, so not much wallowing in the cesspool of sin. To compare the pre-backslidden me with the backslidden me, I'd have to say there isn't much difference, goodness-wise. (Big difference, depression-wise, but that's a different topic.)
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
A lot of the things you have said imply that, but you won't come right out and say it.
(I am an unbeliever, by the way.) My thoughts: there are some believers who are better than some unbelievers. There are some unbelievers who are better than some believers. There is a spectrum of "goodness" in both camps. I haven't developed a strong opinion on which camp has more goodness in it, but I am more interested in the opinions of believers on this question, anyway. (In this thread, at least. )
As for me, before I was a Christian, I was just a kid, so not much wallowing in the cesspool of sin. To compare the pre-backslidden me with the backslidden me, I'd have to say there isn't much difference, goodness-wise. (Big difference, depression-wise, but that's a different topic.)
I think you're totally looking at this from the wrong point of view. You want to gauge the amount of "goodness" residing in the Christian vs. Non-believer? How would you quantify that? What criteria would you choose to measure that, and how would you account for the many variables that would have to be included in order to get an accurate idea of faith's impact on someone's stock of "goodness?"
Also, what is the benefit of proving either opinion? What benefit comes from proposing that Christians think they are better than others? What benefit comes from proving that Christians are no better than the non-believer?
futhermore, I'm not implying that I believe anyone is better than anyone else, nor do I think that way. I've stated clearly what I believe. I have a feeling you feel that Christians do think of themselves as better, and you are looking for confirmation of that idea. Hopefully I am wrong about that.
I think you're totally looking at this from the wrong point of view. You want to gauge the amount of "goodness" residing in the Christian vs. Non-believer? How would you quantify that? What criteria would you choose to measure that, and how would you account for the many variables that would have to be included in order to get an accurate idea of faith's impact on someone's stock of "goodness?"
Also, what is the benefit of proving either opinion? What benefit comes from proposing that Christians think they are better than others? What benefit comes from proving that Christians are no better than the non-believer?
futhermore, I'm not implying that I believe anyone is better than anyone else, nor do I think that way. I've stated clearly what I believe. I have a feeling you feel that Christians do think of themselves as better, and you are looking for confirmation of that idea. Hopefully I am wrong about that.
It seems that some do and some don't feel that way. Which is fine. Everyone's different.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
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