As a matter of simple reference, we append the following synopsis, so that one may, in a moment, get the thought of any of these perverted texts without having to read a whole chapter: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8.

This does not mean the one who has received the experience of the preceding verse, wherein “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin,” but it has reference to one who has not received the cleansing, and, while he has sin in him, declares that he has no sin. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3:10.

There is no one in his natural, unregenerate state that is righteous. When God puts salvation into one’s heart He pronounces that one righteous, as is seen in numerous instances in the Word. Referring to the places where “it is written,” one can readily see the class of people mentioned, among which “There is none righteous, no, not one.” “For there is no man that sinneth not.” 1 Kings 8:40; 1 Chronicles 6:36. “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Ecclesiastes 7:20.

As is shown by the Bible exegetes, these verses in the original do not teach that all men are sinners, nor that all men sin; but using in the translation the potential mood, which is wanting in the Hebrew language, it would read, “may not sin,” instead of reading, “sinneth not.” It does not teach the necessity of sinning, but rather the possibility of sinning. “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.” Philippians 3:12.

We know that Paul here did not mean that he was lacking in Christian perfection, for he mentions the fact in the fifteenth verse that he has the experience. He simply alludes to the fact that he has not that resurrection perfection (see verse 12) for which he is looking with joyful expectancy.

Knowing that, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection,” he is desirous to be among those that shall have a resurrection out from among the dead, and so be in the first resurrection. Such will be the experience of the holy ones. “If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.” Job 9:20.

Job is not discounting perfection either in himself or in any one else. He is not casting any slur upon the testimony of that experience. He is not disclaiming the experience. He is simply making the statement that if he should claim perfection as a reason why he should not suffer affliction it would prove him perverse. Job’s “comforters” had been telling him that he was suffering so because he was such a sinner; but he was letting them know that they were not correct, and yet he would not plead perfection as a reason for exemption from suffering. Even if Job did not think himself to be perfect, as some would assert, the Lord settled that question before, by saying in the first verse of the book that he was perfect. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15.

If Paul meant that he was the chief of sinners at the time of this writing, it certainly contradicts his other statements concerning his Christian experience. What he declares here is, that he, being the chief of sinners, “obtained mercy” (see verse 16), thus proving the faithful saying that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He was the chief sinner saved, and not the chief sinner after he was saved. “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” Proverbs 20:9.

No one can truthfully say that he has made his heart clean, or that he is pure from his sin by anything that he has done, except to come to the Lord and comply with the conditions of salvation, and let God do the work. Salvation comes from the Lord. It is not by human effort, nor by good works, nor by moral living. Salvation means life, and without the “power of an endless life,” no one will ever reach heaven. When God makes one’s heart clean and purifies him from sin it is well to notify others of this great fact, so that they may make application for the same blessed work of grace.

The seventh chapter of Romans is a picture of a Jew, probably Paul himself, under the law, without grace, trying to do the right, and falling therein, proving conclusively that no one is able in and of himself to save himself, or bring himself into a satisfied experience.

It was not Paul’s experience at the time of that writing, because he wrote immediately afterwards the eighth chapter, which shows the blessed deliverance and victory, and both experiences could not have been his at the same time; or, in other words, at the time he wrote the epistle It was not Paul’s experience in a justified state, for that would make the Word of God contradict itself, according to the teaching of the apostle John in the first epistle, third chapter, one eighth and ninth verses. Some of the expressions, though, used by Paul in this chapter express the straggles of the justified believer prior to sanctification. “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” 2 Corinthians 12:7.

That any one should suppose for a moment that this thorn was carnality is simply ridiculous. He received it at the time of the revelations; then he did not have it before. This settles the carnality question.

Weighing all the evidence in the case, we have no doubt that it was a mangled facial condition. At the time of his stoning at Lystra, he no doubt received injuries about the face and eyes that made it most embarrassing to him in his work, and made it necessary for him to have constant assistance in the great work devolving upon him.

The statements of Job’s “comforters,” mentioned in chapter ten, when properly understood, do not prove by inspiration that God puts no trust in His servants; that He charges His angels with folly; that man cannot be clean; that the heavens are not clean in His sight, and that the stars are not pure. These statements should never be quoted to prove the sinful condition of God’s children The testimony of Job, who was a perfect man, and the testimony of the Lord, was that these men did not always speak the right things. Surely, in these statements, they did not speak that which was right.

Hence, their words here, instead of being the inspired words from the Lord, were evidently of their own mind, and not correct. “And He said unto him, Why callest thou me good?

There is none good but one, that is, God.” Matthew 19:17.

It does not mean that there are no good people in the world, even in grace, for that would contradict the statements where good people are mentioned.

To say that there are none good in their natural state would harmonize with the teaching in other places, where we learn that “There is none righteous, no, not one,” and “There is none that doeth good no, not one.” To say that no one is good, in the absolute sense, but God, would harmonize with the Word throughout. Hence, the Word teaches that there are people who are good, made so by grace; that in their unregenerate state there are none good; that none, even in the highest state of grace, are good in the absolute sense; this belongs to God only. “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body?” Philippians 3:21.

The Revised Version makes this text plain. Instead of saying “vile body,” it says “the body of our humiliation.” We see, then, that it has no reference to a sinful or corrupt body, but simply to the body of our humble state in this world before the glorified state beyond. “I die daily!” 1 Corinthians 15:31.

This verse does not have any reference to dying more and more unto sin. It has no reference to any further dying to self or deeper crucifixions after one is sanctified, as so many quote it to mean. The apostle Paul is simply calling attention to the fact that he is in danger of losing his earthly life any day.

The continued persecutions, the liability of being thrown in with wild beasts, or the danger of meeting death in some other way, was constantly staring him in the face. Hence, in view of all this, he said, “I die daily.” in other words, “My life is in jeopardy daily.” “Be ye angry, and sin not.” Ephesians 4:26.

This is no license to get mad. It is no license to have “righteous indignation,” which makes one act the same as other people do when they get mad. Instead of it being a command to be angry in some proper sense, or a permission for it, it is just the opposite — it is a prohibition. The true thought, then, is, “Be not ye angry, lest ye commit sin.” Or, by emphasizing the last word “not,” we get the true meaning: “Be ye angry, and sin not.” It must mean this, or we make the context contradict this verse. In the context a little further on we read that we must put away anger.

Of course, the inspired apostle would not tell us in one verse to do something, and then right afterwards tell us to put away that same thing. “Forgive us our sins.” Luke 11:4. “Forgive us our debts.” Matthew 6:12.

Whoever does wrong should confess it and pray far forgiveness. Whether it is a known sin or a sin of ignorance, application to God for pardon should be made. That it is necessary for one to sin knowingly day by day, the prayer does not teach. That everybody in any state of grace will do things ignorantly, which afterwards they may see, we all know, and as all these things will throw one into debt to God, he should pray the prayer that the Lord taught His disciples. True, the disciples were, before Pentecost, in a state where they ‘were much more liable to sin in various ways than after Pentecost. Even the Pentecostal experience will not free one from mistakes, blunders, misjudgments, and some other human frailties. “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast away.” 1 Corinthians 9:27.

Paul kept his physical being in subjection; he was the master, and not his body. He had no reference to carnality, the body of sin, for he says in Romans 6:6 that such was destroyed. He means his physical nature, together with its attributes of appetites, passions, desires, which, if kept in the place that God intended them to be, would be holy and right; but if allowed to get out of their proper sphere would be corrupt and sinful. Every sanctified soul should do as Paul did — keep his body under. “Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise; why shouldest thou destroy thyself?” Ecclesiastes 7:16.

This is not a command against Pharisaical pretensions to piety. It does not teach that it is possible to become too righteous. In the preceding verse we learn that the statement was made in the days of Solomon’s vanity. The thought is that Solomon, before he knew the way of salvation, saw the state of the righteous, and also the state of the wicked; and from his carnal view he could not see wherein it paid to be very righteous; so he said, “Be not righteous over much?’ lie did not feel free to throw aside all righteousness, but thought that it might be best to “keep in the middle of the road.” This thought was in the days of his vanity, and not at the time of writing that text. “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” Proverbs 24:16.

There is no thought of sin in the text The word “sin” is not mentioned, as so many seem to think it is. Placing this alongside of the previous text we learn that the wicked may bring calamity upon the just; through the wickedness of the wicked the righteous fall into trouble and calamity seven times; but out of it all they rise again. “I have seen an end of all perfection; but Thy commandment is exceeding broad.” <19B996> Psalm 119:96.

It does not mean that he has seen an end of Christian perfection, nor the failure of it in any way, for the Word of God does not thus contradict itself; and the psalmist himself believed differently in his own experience.