Perfection and Good Intentions

[B-A-C]

It's interesting that God forgave David for having an affair with Bathsheba... and that was before Jesus came and died and was resurrected.
Was there more grace in the old testament?
Christians in the new testament can't be forgiven?

1 Cor 5:1; It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife.
1 Cor 5:2; You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.

1 Cor 5:5; I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Apparently Paul didn't think if you messed up it was all over.

 

[Lanolin]

It's interesting that God forgave David for having an affair with Bathsheba... and that was before Jesus came and died and was resurrected.
Was there more grace in the old testament?
Christians in the new testament can't be forgiven?

1 Cor 5:1; It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife.
1 Cor 5:2; You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.

1 Cor 5:5; I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Apparently Paul didn't think if you messed up it was all over.

Bac if you sinned after you became a christian then just say. Dont pussyfoot around, if youve been forgiven what is your testimony. Did you stay on the straight and narrow after that. I know God has given me grace to keep me from sinning again as he has you. Does that mean I still sin. Well no cos I repented. I learn not to, doesnt mean the devil wont try to tempt me. Is that sin still sticking to me..well no cos Jesus blood washed it off.
I cant stop others sinning around me but I can just keep walking in the spirit. Sometimes you need to walk away from temptation! Stop going there. Ask others to pray for you, if you are weak. Reckon yourself dead to sin. If you keep sinning you will just encourage others to do so around you. That is not right.

You know what a drag it is to keep on forgiving someone who does the same thing over and over and over. Its like they never actually repented of that sin. God knows as he was dealing with stiff necked Israel for thousands of years!!

Stop focusing on sin and look to Jesus. If his blood wasnt enough to stop sin, then what can?

 

[Born Again 2004]

It's interesting that God forgave David for having an affair with Bathsheba... and that was before Jesus came and died and was resurrected.
Was there more grace in the old testament?

• Yes it is interesting, Grace abounded before the foundation, it continued in the Old Testament and it is alive today!

Christians in the new testament can't be forgiven?

• You will have to explain this!!!

 

[Born Again 2004]

. Does that mean I still sin. Well no cos I repented. I learn not to, doesnt mean the devil wont try to tempt me. Is that sin still sticking to me..well no cos Jesus blood washed it off.

I politely disagree, if you live and breathe would will sin in ways that you don't even see but, as a Christian, the consequences are not the same.

• I think we can agree that God never changes.
• James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. God hasn't changed one bit.....to be sinless, you would have to do it perfectly 24/7 for ever.....go look at 1 Corinthians 13......the love here is Agape or God's love....do you do all these perfectly 24 / 7, I doubt it...but one of the truths that sets a Christian free is Romans 8:1!

 

[At Peace]

I politely disagree, if you live and breathe would will sin in ways that you don't even see but, as a Christian, the consequences are not the same.

• I think we can agree that God never changes.
• James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. God hasn't changed one bit.....to be sinless, you would have to do it perfectly 24/7 for ever.....go look at 1 Corinthians 13......the love here is Agape or God's love....do you do all these perfectly 24 / 7, I doubt it...but one of the truths that sets a Christian free is Romans 8:1!

You really should change your user name.

First, we are no longer under the law, but are under the law Jesus gave us...,love God above all else and our neighbor as our self.
Second, we have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (Gal 5:24)
No lust, no sin. (James 1:14-15)
Third, we are reborn of Godly seed that CANNOT bring forth evil fruit. (1 John 3:9)
As for Romans 8:1, sinners are still walking in the flesh instead of in the Spirit.
They will be condemned.

Repentance from sin and crucifixion of your fleshly mind still await you.
As does your being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life...not oldness of life.
Be the new creature, and grow in grace and knowledge.

 

[Born Again 2004]

You really should change your user name.

First, we are no longer under the law, but are under the law Jesus gave us...,love God above all else and our neighbor as our self.
Second, we have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (Gal 5:24)
No lust, no sin. (James 1:14-15)
Third, we are reborn of Godly seed that CANNOT bring forth evil fruit. (1 John 3:9)
As for Romans 8:1, sinners are still walking in the flesh instead of in the Spirit.
They will be condemned.

Repentance from sin and crucifixion of your fleshly mind still await you.
As does your being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life...not oldness of life.
Be the new creature, and grow in grace and knowledge.

Hmmm...that wasn't even a reply addressed to you, you really are looking for an argument....sorry won't take the bait, God Bless your knowledge, may you grow in his peace and hope!

 

[Br. Bear]

Greetings,

Perfection and good intentions.... well thought out title to this thread OP @B-A-C

on behalf of all members at TalkJesus I would like apologise for the unnecessary comments being made on this thread.

One has to wonder about intentions.


Bless you ....><>

 

[Lanolin]

The intentions, well doesnt God know the intents and purposes of the heart? Arent we naked before Him?

Part of being human is that we are weak in the flesh. All of us need to be clothed, I dont see anyone wallk round naked unless they have just came out of the womb. (Usually covered in amniotic fluid and blood). Actually not even that, cos babies cant walk.

 

[Lanolin]

Hebrews is good to read about perfection and intentions, because it talks about the high priest after the order of melchizidec. And how Jesus offered that one sacrifice for sin, Himself, and that covers everything.

But look especially at chapters 4 and 5 and 6.

I mean read the whole thing, but several things stand out to me. This what I got from it.

God dresses us..like a gardener looks after his or her garden, he wants us to bring forth herbs and fruit not briars and thorns.He takes the weeds away and burns them. He remembers our sin no more. He removes it as far as east is from west. Unlike the old covenant priesthood where the high priests kept offering sacrifices for sins over and over each day, (which could never take away sin) with the new covenant once for all Jesus gave his life. This takes away sin cos Jesus gives US His Life...eternal life.

Dressing...I mention being dressed and not being naked because elsewhere in the bible I recall a scipture that says we are to be clothed upon..with His glory, and not he found naked.
Jesus himself quoted Isaiah about the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, giving beauty for ashes. I. Revelation the saints are given white robes, that will never be sullied.

Do we partake in this now or do we just wait around till we die and then decide to stop sinning. Well we cant sin when we are dead obviously but wasnt it Peter that said reckon yourselves dead to sin and Paul who said I die daily. (Meaning he dies to himself).

If youve never thought of it this way then today is the day of salvation. Unlike the hebrews who had a whole levitical sacrificial system of dealing with sin, all we need to do is know Jesus blood paid for it. What sin is there in your life that you havent confesssed to God or repented of. Take it to the throne of grace.

Hebrews 13:20-21 gives encouragement.

Methinks that, people can be quite conscious of sin but still sin...why? or... Maybe you grew up in a religous system that eveything you did, even breathing was a called a sin. And so you just give up and call yourself sinner, and wont ever be perfect.

Dont think Jesus cant help with that. Well He can. He gives you a new name. He calls you to be a saint, not a sinner.

 

[Dave M]

Romans 7:25
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.


We don’t lose our sin nature once we receive Christ. The Bible says that sin remains in us and that a struggle with that old nature will continue as long as we are in this world. Paul bemoaned his own personal struggle in Romans 7:15–25. But we have help in the battle—divine help. The Spirit of God takes up residence in each believer and supplies the power we need to overcome the pull of the sin nature within us. “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). God’s ultimate plan for us is total sanctification when we see Christ (1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 John 3:2).

Through His finished work on the cross, Jesus satisfied God’s wrath against sin and provided believers with victory over their sin nature: “‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). In His resurrection, Jesus offers life to everyone bound by corrupt flesh. Those who are born again now have this command: “Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).

What is the sin nature?

 

[Lanolin]

Jesus actually commands us to lose our sin nature.

He tells the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more. Why would he ask her this if he didnt think she could do it? She was forgiven so many things. Do you know who this woman was..and did Jesus keep on calling this woman a prostitute? Did she lead a changed life after she met Jesus?

One of the women who became close to Jesus her name was Mary. Out of her he cast out seven demons. What did Mary do after meeting Jesus, well she was the one who washed Jesus feet with her hair and anointed him.

People, including Judas kept calling her a sinner and wondered why she was giving expensive perfume to Jesus. But Jesus said to leave her alone! She has been forgiven, so why keep calling her a sinner. She has done a good thing.

This not to say losing sin that easily besets us is easy,(for us! ) especially if its rooted in, but it can be cast out, its like weeds growing in good soil....we need to get it out by the roots. If your soil is hard of course its tough but theres such a thing as soil amendments...and water...if you water hard soil this will soften it and weeds are easier to pull out.

We can have victory, so ask Jesus to help you. Then mulch (cover the soil) to stop weeds growing back. This is like putting on the armour of God. Dont think that Jesus cant help you and keep you from sin. He can and will. If you keep following Him, you wont sin.

Check your soil, do you just let weeds grow in it? Or are you actually inadvertantly planting them yourself? (Some people can be perverse, like I would not plant an agave with spikes, or even roses where I want fruit!)
If your soil is weedy, are you keeping on top of it and removing weeds and planting good things there instead or just leaving it bare for more weeds to grow in?

If a house is swept clean and empty and you are not filling it with the holy spirit, then sealing it shut seven more demons worse than what you had before might think its a good place to dwell.

 

[At Peace]

Romans 7:25
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

The first few verses of Ro 7 clearly show that it is speaking of a former time. Verse 5..."For when we WERE in the flesh..."
The entire middle of Ro 7 is about Paul's former life as a Pharisee; trying to live the Mosaic Law, but failing. And again, a reference to the past in verse 18; (that is, in my flesh).
And the end, especially verse 23; "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to THE LAW OF SIN which is in my members."...points again to a former time. Because....
we read in Romans 8:2...."For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from THE LAW OF SIN and death.
Why would Paul be subject to something he is free of?
If you could see the truth of Ro 7, and its proximity to Ro 6, which speaks of baptism and the death of the flesh, you would see that Paul is making the past-present transition, and Ro 8 continues on into the life walked in the Spirit.

We don’t lose our sin nature once we receive Christ. The Bible says that sin remains in us and that a struggle with that old nature will continue as long as we are in this world. Paul bemoaned his own personal struggle in Romans 7:15–25. But we have help in the battle—divine help. The Spirit of God takes up residence in each believer and supplies the power we need to overcome the pull of the sin nature within us. “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). God’s ultimate plan for us is total sanctification when we see Christ (1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 John 3:2).

We do lose our "sin nature" when we are reborn, in fact it is written..."Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor 5:17)
"All things" includes "nature".

Through His finished work on the cross, Jesus satisfied God’s wrath against sin and provided believers with victory over their sin nature: “‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). In His resurrection, Jesus offers life to everyone bound by corrupt flesh. Those who are born again now have this command: “Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).
What is the sin nature?

If God "finished" everything at the cross, why are some still fighting against a "sin nature"?
BTW, the "sin nature" is the opposite of the "divine nature"... given to all who are born of God's seed and made new creatures..

 

[Br. Bear]

 

[Dave M]

Luke 18:9-14

[9] To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: [10] "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men -- robbers, evildoers, adulterers -- or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

[13] "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

[14] "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

[Br. Bear]

And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart; and turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

For the Lord will not forsake His people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you His people.

Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.
1Samuel 12:20-25

 

[Laura1557]

In the spirit yes we are perfect. But in the flesh, no.

Bingo. Please prayerfully consider these essential Bible doctrines: standing and state (position vs practice); imputation; progressive sanctification.

Our standing (position) before God as saved Christians = (for example, not exhaustive) perfect, sealed unto the day of redemption (secure), seated in Heavenly places with Christ (even though I'm still walking around the earth in this body of flesh). He sees us as pure, holy and sinless because He sees us through the blood of Christ, Who is pure, holy and sinless. Christ's righteousness was imputed to us when we asked Him to save us; our sin was imputed to Him when He died on the cross. Our standing before God is no longer that of sinner, but of saint (see the introduction to Paul's letters to the Ephesians, for example.)

Our state before God refers to the present, ongoing condition of our fellowship with Him and it is not always one of perfect fellowship because of the occasional practice of sin in our lives. Obviously if we're living for the Lord as we should be, we won't live a lifestyle of sin. We'll seek to please Him with how we live day to day, knowing we will give account to Him for the works done in our body at the Judgment Seat of Christ, whether good or bad 2 Cor 5:10 KJV. If we're incapable of sinning after our conversion, why will Jesus be judging the bad works we've done in the body since we were saved at the JSOC? He won't be judging our sin there: that was judged at Calvary and remember our standing before God since our salvation is one of being pure, holy and sinless.

Now onto progressive sanctification:

Here's a personal example:

I worked in automotive, which was a male-dominated field when I was saved, and my swearing and the language I used was one of the first things the Lord dealt with me about after He saved me. I stayed in automotive for another nine years, but as the years passed I swore less and less to where I don't use foul language anymore. However, I also know I still have the capability to swear because I'm not Home yet: I'm still in my natural body (1 Cor 15:44 KJV). That it was a gradual change in my life makes it an example of progressive sanctification.

We become new creatures in Christ when we're born again (2 Cor 5:17 KJV), but we have to put on the new man ("die daily:" 1 Cor 15:31 KJV). Completely losing our old nature is obviously not an instantaneous thing or our natural body would die and we'd be Home with the Lord as soon as we were saved: hence the instruction to action to ''put off the old man'' and ''put on the new man'' in verses and entire chapters such as Eph 2:15 KJV, Eph 4 KJV, Col 3:10 KJV, Gal 5:16 KJV and Gal 5:25 KJV. I've heard the struggle between the flesh and the spirit; the old man and the new man after salvation likened to carrying around a corpse because the Bible does say our old man was crucified with Christ. The old man died, but he doesn't seem to want to stay dead. (Even Paul's old nature must have reared its head once in a while or he wouldn't have told the Corinthian church that he dies daily.)

How many sins must a person commit (practice) to be a sinner? See James 2:10 KJV : one. So when I was saved in the delivery truck alone at work that November morning, if I went back to the shop, found a delivery I had to take to a garage I disliked visiting and thought "*&^%*&&%$#" because I swore like a sailor back then, does that mean I wasn't truly saved? That one thought was sin because it elevated self above God (idolatry) and disobeyed 1 Cor 10:31 KJV. It didn't show much in the way of loving my neighbour as myself, either.

It doesn't mean I wasn't truly saved: it means I was a newborn babe in Christ who didn't yet know any better.

Fast forward about five years, so I'm now a young'un in Christ and I'm at the point that I still use foul language occasionally, but I only use it to vent when I'm really, really, really angry about something. Let's say an incident happens at work while I'm on delivery that gets me really, really, really angry and as a result of that angry impulse, I curse a blue streak.

As soon as the last swear word exits my mouth, I'm instantly convicted and have to pull into a random parking lot because I'm in tears asking God's forgiveness (and trying to compose myself before anyone sees me get out of the truck at my next stop).

Because I've spiritually grown over five years, a similar situation elicited a very different response from the Lord. Newly saved, He let my swearing slide at first but as I got into church, read my Bible, prayed and began to really establish a personal relationship with my Saviour, He had higher expectations of me in the area of the language I used. I knew what those expectations were, and when I messed up (messing up = sin), He let me know it. As more years passed, if I got so angry that I swore, He'd convict me again. So I learned over a period of years to swear less and less as the Lord reinforced to me how much it offended Him. Now I'm 20 years old in the Lord and no longer want, or need to swear to vent my anger because the Bible clearly gives instruction that the Lord expects me to obey as to how I'm to act in anger-inducing situations (in Ephesians 4).

Spiritual maturity is a result of progressive sanctification.

 

[Lanolin]

Yes laura nobody learns things right away. I dont think God zaps us and then instant perfect christian. Things take time, I mean even Jesus fasted 40 days not just one day.

Paul had unlearn everything he thought he knew for 14 years before he got sent out on missions.

People that have attained one level in their walk cant say they have arrived, but they are further than they were before. As long as they are on track, rather than gone backwards, stuck or totally off the path, its ok. God can work on you. He is the potter, we are the clay.

Have you ever done pottery. Theres various stages to it. First its a lump, and then it has to be moulded. If its hard, it needs water...lots of water! Then it needs fire in the kiln. Then to cool off and sit for a bit. And then it needs to be glazed.

Also, forgot the most important but, it doesnt just sit there looking pretty. It gets used! Maybe to hold water, perhaps to hold flowers, or to pour tea.

The real striking ones of course on display all the time but the ones that get used the most probably have the most joy. Which is why we are to be vessels of honor before the Lord. Back in temple days they had special vessels to display the shewbread, pour the wine, the candlesticks etc. These were made of gold, but that again is a different process to pottery but still a process.

Some are still fighting the sin nature cos they havent resisted until blood. Whos blood are we using, well its Jesus. Once we understand this, and have a real relationship with the one who died for us, we wouldnt want to offend the Lord again. Another thing the bible exhorts us to do is not to forget Him and not to despise the Lords chastening..ie. when we are convicted!

Hebrews 12:4

Then keep reading down to verse 14

 

[At Peace]

View attachment 249

Can you tell us what this, (post #55), is relevant to?

 

[At Peace]

Luke 18:9-14

[9] To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: [10] "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men -- robbers, evildoers, adulterers -- or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

[13] "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

[14] "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Yes, indeed.
Humble ourselves to God, completely and perfectly.

 

[At Peace]

Bingo. Please prayerfully consider these essential Bible doctrines: standing and state (position vs practice); imputation; progressive sanctification.

Our standing (position) before God as saved Christians = (for example, not exhaustive) perfect, sealed unto the day of redemption (secure), seated in Heavenly places with Christ (even though I'm still walking around the earth in this body of flesh). He sees us as pure, holy and sinless because He sees us through the blood of Christ, Who is pure, holy and sinless. Christ's righteousness was imputed to us when we asked Him to save us; our sin was imputed to Him when He died on the cross. Our standing before God is no longer that of sinner, but of saint (see the introduction to Paul's letters to the Ephesians, for example.)

Our state before God refers to the present, ongoing condition of our fellowship with Him and it is not always one of perfect fellowship because of the occasional practice of sin in our lives. Obviously if we're living for the Lord as we should be, we won't live a lifestyle of sin. We'll seek to please Him with how we live day to day, knowing we will give account to Him for the works done in our body at the Judgment Seat of Christ, whether good or bad 2 Cor 5:10 KJV. If we're incapable of sinning after our conversion, why will Jesus be judging the bad works we've done in the body since we were saved at the JSOC? He won't be judging our sin there: that was judged at Calvary and remember our standing before God since our salvation is one of being pure, holy and sinless.

Now onto progressive sanctification:

Here's a personal example:

I worked in automotive, which was a male-dominated field when I was saved, and my swearing and the language I used was one of the first things the Lord dealt with me about after He saved me. I stayed in automotive for another nine years, but as the years passed I swore less and less to where I don't use foul language anymore. However, I also know I still have the capability to swear because I'm not Home yet: I'm still in my natural body (1 Cor 15:44 KJV). That it was a gradual change in my life makes it an example of progressive sanctification.

We become new creatures in Christ when we're born again (2 Cor 5:17 KJV), but we have to put on the new man ("die daily:" 1 Cor 15:31 KJV). Completely losing our old nature is obviously not an instantaneous thing or our natural body would die and we'd be Home with the Lord as soon as we were saved: hence the instruction to action to ''put off the old man'' and ''put on the new man'' in verses and entire chapters such as Eph 2:15 KJV, Eph 4 KJV, Col 3:10 KJV, Gal 5:16 KJV and Gal 5:25 KJV. I've heard the struggle between the flesh and the spirit; the old man and the new man after salvation likened to carrying around a corpse because the Bible does say our old man was crucified with Christ. The old man died, but he doesn't seem to want to stay dead. (Even Paul's old nature must have reared its head once in a while or he wouldn't have told the Corinthian church that he dies daily.)

How many sins must a person commit (practice) to be a sinner? See James 2:10 KJV : one. So when I was saved in the delivery truck alone at work that November morning, if I went back to the shop, found a delivery I had to take to a garage I disliked visiting and thought "*&^%*&&%$#" because I swore like a sailor back then, does that mean I wasn't truly saved? That one thought was sin because it elevated self above God (idolatry) and disobeyed 1 Cor 10:31 KJV. It didn't show much in the way of loving my neighbour as myself, either.

It doesn't mean I wasn't truly saved: it means I was a newborn babe in Christ who didn't yet know any better.

Fast forward about five years, so I'm now a young'un in Christ and I'm at the point that I still use foul language occasionally, but I only use it to vent when I'm really, really, really angry about something. Let's say an incident happens at work while I'm on delivery that gets me really, really, really angry and as a result of that angry impulse, I curse a blue streak.

As soon as the last swear word exits my mouth, I'm instantly convicted and have to pull into a random parking lot because I'm in tears asking God's forgiveness (and trying to compose myself before anyone sees me get out of the truck at my next stop).

Because I've spiritually grown over five years, a similar situation elicited a very different response from the Lord. Newly saved, He let my swearing slide at first but as I got into church, read my Bible, prayed and began to really establish a personal relationship with my Saviour, He had higher expectations of me in the area of the language I used. I knew what those expectations were, and when I messed up (messing up = sin), He let me know it. As more years passed, if I got so angry that I swore, He'd convict me again. So I learned over a period of years to swear less and less as the Lord reinforced to me how much it offended Him. Now I'm 20 years old in the Lord and no longer want, or need to swear to vent my anger because the Bible clearly gives instruction that the Lord expects me to obey as to how I'm to act in anger-inducing situations (in Ephesians 4).
Spiritual maturity is a result of progressive sanctification.

What decides your actions?
Your flesh-body or your mind-spirit?
The condition of your freckled, lame. smelly body is inconsequential to God.
It's what your mind commands your body to do that will be judged on the last day.

"Progressive sanctification" denies the reality of rebirth.