See audio/video on Sinless Consistency

See commentary 1John chapter 2

1. Definition: Sinless consistency is the condition of reflecting Christ’s righteousness based on the control of Divine truth in the soul. Psalm 119:11; 1 John 2:1

2. When God’s word is allowed to govern the soul, a total protection is provided in all three areas of one’s daily life. Prov 6:22

3. God’s word as a living and powerful influence in the soul (Heb. 4:12), provides the believer’s self-consciousness (ego) with light viewpoint in order to avoid the darkness viewpoint of the sin nature. Prov. 6:23; Job 29:3; Psalm 119:105

4. Fellowship with God is defined as having a functional knowledge of the character of Christ. 1 John 1:1-4

    A. Verse 3: If we learn and apply the standards of Christ’s life (love) then we have fellowship with the Father
          and  the Son.
    B. This results in abundant life JOY. Verse 4
    C. These standards are categorized by the term LIGHT. Verse 5
    D. Fellowship then, is based on walking in the light. That is, knowing Him and using His standards in every area
        of life. Verses 6-7
    E. Knowing Him and using His word constitutes abiding in Him. 1 John 2:24; 3:24
    F. The application of His word as living according to the standards of LOVE is amplified throughout the
        book of 1 John.

          1. 1 John 2:5-1
          2. 1 John 4:7-8, everyone who loves, has a functional knowledge of God.
          3. 2 John 4-9
          4. 1 John 4:16b, the one who abides in LOVE, abides in God.

    G. John 17:3, Jesus described eternal life as including this experiential knowledge of the person of Jesus.
              See topic: KNOWING CHRIST

5. Abiding in Him, walking in the light, and fellowship - all describe the same experience of living by the
standards of divine love, but with a different emphasis.

A. Fellowship (koinonia): emphasizes communion, association and partnership.
B. Walking in the light: emphasizes following the policies of the Godhead as established by the authority of the Father.
C. Abiding in Him: emphasizes reflection of Christ’s character and behavior. 1 John 2:6

6. The command to abide in Him is the command to let truth govern the soul. 1 John 2:27; 3:24

7. The believer must choose to walk in that light of divine truth in order to have fellowship with God. 1Jn 1:7.

8. The one who chooses to give truth that governing reign in his life will experience fellowship abiding in Christ. 1 Jn 2:24

9. This is the promise of eternal life - category BLESSINGS IN TIME: 1 John 2:25

A. John 10:10, life AND abundance
B. Romans 8:6b, life and peace
C. Romans 8:13, neutralizing the deeds of the body; shutting down of the reign of the sin nature = life.
D. Galatians 6:8, sowing to the Spirit = the EXPERIENTIAL blessings of eternal life here on earth.

10. As long as the believer allows truth to make the decisions in his life, he will continue to abide in Christ and will not sin.     1 John 3:6.

11. But when the believer chooses to disregard the divine viewpoint influence and standards of truth, at that moment of time he ceases to abide in Christ and immediately comes under the authority and influence of the sin nature, and he will commit sin. James 1:14-15; Romans 6:12

12. The functional reign of the sin nature in the believer’s life interrupts the continuity of experientially knowing and focusing on Christ. 1 John 1:3; 2:3-4; 3:6b. Thus there is no communion and rapport.

13. This results in FUNCTIONAL death as described at Romans 8:6, 13 and 1 John 3:14.
This is what is in view at 1 Timothy 5:6; Rev. 3:1; Ephesians 5:14, and James 2:17.

14. The functional reign of the sin nature is called, walking in darkness at 1 John 1:6.

A. Loving the world at 1 John 2:15-16: the choice to place greater value on the darkness lifestyle (the  things of the world) shuts down the function of love in the believer’s life.
B. Walking according to the flesh: Romans 8:4-8
C. Status of enslavement to the sin nature: Romans 6:12-16
D. Friendship with the world: James 4:4

15. The functional reign of truth , which produces a reflection of Christ’s love and righteousness, is called sanctification.    1 Thes. 4:3-12
This sets the believer apart through his unique life style and viewpoint. 1 John 3:10; John 13:35; John 17:17

16. If the believer is abiding in Him at the time of Christ’s return, he will have confidence and no shame in His presence because no sin will be in the life. 1 John 2:28 This is the issue of being BLAMELESS and SPOTLESS.
Col. 1:22-23, Phil. 1:9-10; 1 Thes. 3:12-13, 5:23; 1Tim. 6:13-14; 2 Pet. 3:11-15; Jude 24; 2 Cor. 11:1-3 (pure).

17. Fellowship abiding in Christ during the church age is dependent on the functional presence of the Holy Spirit.

A. Since the Spirit indwells the believer, it is necessary to function under His reign in order to maintain fellowship with God. Galatians 5:25.
B. Romans 8:14 and Gal. 5:18 = being led by the Spirit
C. He lead by teaching and reminding us of truth. John 14:26; 16:13-15; 1 John 2:20, 27
D. There is a natural enmity between the Holy Spirit and the flesh (one of Paul’s words for the sin nature). Rom. 8:7
E. And therefore, a natural conflict: Galatians 5:17; Romans 7:23; 1 Peter 2:11
F. Walking in the Spirit, which is ALLOWING the word of God through the Spirit’s prompting to guide and influence our soul, shuts down the reign of the sin nature. Galatians 5:16
G. Rejecting the benevolent reign of the Spirit as he leads us through Bible truth to perpetuate fellowship with God, interrupts that walk and breaks fellowship.

1. It’s the same thing as rejecting the influence of divine viewpoint in the soul.
2. In the church age, there is a combination of the Spirit’s reign and the reign of truth in the soul.
3. Prior to the church age, believer’s experienced fellowship with God by maintaining the reign of TRUTH in the soul.

H. Rejecting the reign of the Holy Spirit is called grieving or quenching.

1. Ephesians 4:30: Grieving (making sad) the Spirit through rejection of divine viewpoint concerning temptation to mental attitude sins.
2. 1 Thes. 5:19-22: Quenching the Spirit through rejecting divine viewpoint as God’s policy for living the Christian life.

I. The command to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18) exhorts the believer to maintain submission to the
benevolent reign and influence of the Holy Spirit by responding to divine truth.

J. At any given point of time, the choice is either to submit to the controlling reign of the Holy Spirit BY USING DIVING TRUTH, or to submit to the negative influence of the sin nature. All the commands that tell us “not to sin” are reminding us of this choice. Basically - 1 Peter 2:11, ABSTAIN form the fleshly lusts.

K. The decision to submit expresses a general mental attitude of ALLEGIANCE - either to God or to the sin nature.

L. When you refuse to be led by the Holy Spirit by choosing to “NOT” use truth, you quench Him, take yourself out of abiding in Christ, AND put yourself under the rebellious reign of the sin nature.

M. Once under the control of the sin nature, you immediately commit some specific mental attitude sin related to the temptation.

N. And this immediately results in functional death: The loss of rapport and fellowship with God.
James 1:15; 1 John 3:14; Romans 8:13

O. The issue after that is whether the specific sin remains mental, or fragments into verbal and/or overt sins. Heb. 12:15

P. When you respond to the reign of the Holy Spirit, the result is character consistency and the experience of the abundant life of peace and joy. Galatians 5:22-223; Romans 8:6, 13