Is Sinlessness Possible?

So, I've heard this teaching, and I really admire some of the folks who teach it; but I'm not sure I get it. It goes like this: If you are in Christ, you are a saint, not a sinner. So far, so good. But it continues: Because you are a saint, it is possible to live sin-free. Um, no. I mean, I'm not sure what sort of world they're living in, and I'm not sure what they consider to be sin, but I can't do it. At least, not right yet. Now, I'm not saying that I'm cheating at Monopoly, or knocking over liquor stores, or cussing like a sailor, or kicking puppies, or any of those kinds of things; but there are thoughts...

Like, the other day. I and the guy ahead of me have been sitting on this road for every bit of twelve minutes --not that I was timing it or anything. Okay, of course I was. The light turns red and there are about six cars stopped before us. If everybody does their due diligence, we can all get through once the light changes again. Now, I don't know about Guy Ahead, but I wanna go home. I'm tired of burning up my hard-earned fuel. I'm watching the lights in the other direction just waiting for them to turn red, knowing that is my cue to be ready to GOOOO! What does Guy do? the one whose been with me on this road so long I feel like we should be buying each other lunch? He looks down at his phone. NOOOO! Don't do that! You've got to be ready to romp on it when that light turns green! Hey! Guy! Pay attention! Nope. The light turns green, and Guy just sits there. Six cars go, and by the time Guy realizes that is my horn blasting in his ears, he has just enough time to squeak through the orange light, leaving me stuck waiting for the next round. Grrrr!

I don't know what these teachers think, but that right there, that irritation, that impatience, that desire to smack the peaches right off Guy Ahead's tree --that's not love, and I know it's not love. (Check out 1 Corinthians 13 if you have doubts.) But you didn't cuss him out at the next light or do anything crazy. After all, the Bible says we can be angry; we just can't sin. Maybe I'm too hard on myself (I doubt that), but I don't believe that means we can be angry about any ol' thing. In fact, the sin may actually stem from the things we get angry or annoyed over; our emotions (whether they are followed by corresponding behaviors or not) are the overflow of our hearts. I think there are things worth being angry about --babies aborted, lives wasted in addiction, spouses abused; but anger that stems from not getting my way? Annoyance resulting from Guy Ahead not looking out for his teammate (me)? Those things stem from selfish desires. I didn't say bad desires --it's good to want to save fuel; it's good to want to get home --but when those desires become more about me than they are listening to the Holy Spirit, waiting on God's time, giving thanks in all circumstances, esteeming others better than myself, they are selfish desires. This was not righteous indignation; this was me wanting what I wanted when I wanted it --and angry that it didn't happen. 

All this to say, when it comes to sinlessness, I haven't yet (I don't think) had a "sinless day." I've been annoyed by my husband asking me the same thing he just asked me five minutes before. I've felt the pangs of jealousy when someone who did as little as possible got all the accolades. I've been impatient when one of our children has struggled to get out the door on time. I've been disgusted by the coworker who has expended more energy trying to get out of work than actually doing it. I've been insulted by the person who has asked me how to spell a word only to turn around and ask someone else. I've gotten indignant when a friend has celebrated the wonderful advice her sister gave her, the same advice I've given her every bit of six times over the past three years --and she has, up until this point, ignored! Not a one of these occurrences was followed up by sinful behaviors, but --and I don't think I'm wrong in saying this --not a one was spawned absent my ego. Those feelings didn't come only because I wanted the best for the other person or because God was not receiving the glory He was due. Those feelings were precipitated, first and foremost, by my love of self. And that is sin. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. (Phil. 2:3)

I know I need Jesus. I know the Holy Spirit is working in me. I know I need to read Scripture and pray and memorize God's Word in order to grow and remain spiritually healthy. And I know there have been tremendous improvements in my character through the years because of those things. But sinless? Even the Apostle Paul knew the limits of his flesh. And though we should be striving for perfection through obedience and abidance, as long as we remain flesh and bone we will have limits and triggers and failures --and sin that comes from deep within us. Praise God for His great mercy! 

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I hope in Him!' (Lam. 3:22-24)