Yes, but at this point we are not sinless, even Paul talked about how he did those things which he did not want to do. Our sin will be completely taken away when the Messiah returns, when we are given an incorruptible body. However all the particulars of that work out, at some point we will no longer sin.
But what was Paul saying in this lament? He's not saying you cannot overcome sin in this. He's contrasting that the fleshly nature draws him away from God, when the spiritual part of himself wishes for something other than the suffering that causes. He then gives the remedy, which he speaks of in many places in his writings, Christ in you. In other words, by surrendering to the Divine, you are able to live free from sin. "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Now you can read that literally, that human flesh itself is an evil that attacks the spirit, but I don't think he meant it literally. Metaphorically, it means that the natural desires of the flesh can drag us down spiritually. But you hear in many places in the NT how we can "overcome the flesh". That means, you can live free from sin. It doesn't require you to physically die first, and all this happens later on. What good is that? The expectation is to overcome the flesh, in this life.
Where do you find that breaking the rules is different than sinning? What is falling short of the mark in your opinion? To what point can you break these rules before it becomes sin?
I just making an important distinction. Sin does not come when the act happens. Rather the sin causes the act to happen. That is why Jesus made a point to call out the legalists, the religionists who place the rules of the texts as all-important, that while they may say they have never committed adultery, or murder, or, you name it, if they have been desiring it, wanting that, feeling that, sending that out energetically to another, they are already sinning right there, without doing something physically.
That's an important lesson to understand about the nature of sin. It's the intent of the heart, that is the caldron of sin. But that can be replaced with Love instead. That's the message of Grace.
I never said I thought we justified ourselves by the works of the law. I believe salvation is a free gift, but we are still called to walk in righteousness; not to earn right standing with God, but to do those things which please him. I understand that it is through Yeshua that our heart is cleansed, but just because one keeps the Torah doesn't mean they are trying to earn salvation. If Yeshua came to save us from sin, why would we continue walking in sin? Did the definition of sin change?
There is a distinction to be made here as well. It's one of those things that's a fine distinction to make, but it's a watershed point of understanding. I think someone could fulfill the Torah, never knowing one thing it says. The point is that it is not in following the Torah, in the sense of observances, and rituals, and various rules and customs, such as circumcision, or dietary restrictions, or observances of days, etc. But they would be following the Torah in what is encapsulated beautifully by Jesus himself saying about the Two Great Commandments; "love God... and love your neighbor as yourself," when he pointedly added, "Upon these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets".
Now some folks read "Love God" to mean, follow all those laws, diets, rites, days, etc. That by doing those you are "loving God". But I do not believe that is really what Jesus meant. It certainly isn't something earlier Christianity ended up adopting from the teachings of Jesus, where there was "neither Jew nor Greek, but all are one in Christ". Clearly they did not take "Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength to mean following those practices. Rather to love God, means to do no harm to others. You don't, because love does not envy, it does not boast, etc.
So are you saying you believe that if you have love you won't sin? How does that fit with Yeshua turning people away from the kingdom of heaven because they were "workers of iniquity" i.e. anomia=lawlessness? In the same breath, Paul goes on to say this:
Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
Yes, I believe that if you have love you won't sin. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Romans 13:10. If you walk in love, you don't sin. It's a rather simple formula.
Now as far as Jesus turning away worker of iniquity, let's be clear. They were religionists, claiming the name of Jesus, but not walking in love. "I never knew you", is the response from the Divine. There was nothing that they were doing that came from that as the source. He even says, it's not those who say lord, lord, or claim they are followers of Jesus, but those who do God's will - meaning, they walk in the Way of Divine Love, and as a result, flowing out from that Love within that as the source, the "love their neighbor as themselves". Love is the fulfillment of the law, ~Ro. 13:10
Right, if we are in him we are not to walk in sin. He came to redeem us from our sins, therefore because of his righteousness in us, we should turn away from said sins. Again though, what is sin? If we have his righteousness in us, does that make it right for us to do those things God has laid out as sin?
If we are filled by the Spirit of God, "in him", in other words, then you won't sin. It's not a matter of you "should not sin", in other words make an effort to not sin. There should be no effort necessary. It shouldn't enter into your heart to sin.
Think of it in terms of laughing. If you're laughing, do you have to try to not be angry? No, you don't. It doesn't enter into your mind or heart to be angry, if you are happy, or laughing, or joyus. Would you ever say to someone who is smiling and full of joy, "You need to try to not be angry"? That makes no sense. Anger can't exist with happiness, and
sin can't exist with love.
And how do you love God? It's not just a feeling.
When we speak of the love of God, or God's Love, we are not speaking of emotions or feelings. It's a perspective, an attitude, a condition of being, an intention of will, etc. Emotions can be anything, up or down, sideways, rollercoaster, etc, yet you still live in Love. In fact that is what makes it all bearable, frankly. That is what leads to being a master of your own house. "Abide in me", says Jesus. To me, that is what that means.
If you think that righteousness comes from within, will that righteousness look different from what he says is righteous in his word? "Being" righteous instead of doing righteously? If you "are" righteous, you would be walking in righteousness, and YHWH tells us what righteousness is.
Of course righteousness comes from within. At a certain stage of moral development it certain does, and should. There are whole fields of development that demonstrate this is a normal progression from early externalized rules imposed upon you, to you internalizing them as a moral agent. You don't just not doing something because someone might catch you, for instance. You don't do it because you lived by internal principles.
Although, some may never advance that far in life, it's truly a sign of moral maturity. Morality expands in its reach and understanding. Any area of development is like that as well, starting as rules outside of you, to internalizing them in understanding and freedom of movement. At later stages of maturity, you don't need to be told anymore, with long lists of do's and don'ts, like this hilarious sign I found at a school while I was out biking last summer.
Hopefully, they will eventually internalize good conduct, and not need to be told by a schoolmaster anymore. "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." ~Gal. 3:24