Is Not Sinning Enough?

BARNABY THE DOG. said:
I feel that these elements grow exponentially with progress...
Putting on a new personality requires emulation that can only come from our own interpretation and practices. “Being transformed” and “putting away the old personality” requires evaluation on our part, trial and practice. It is not a given - the gift is in its substance, a seed, desire, a potential that is not described unless it is attained. Thus “transforming” and “change” requires insight and evaluation on our part, hence its growth exponentially with the degree of understanding that we can both acquire and adhere to...

Thus there must be trial and error, pursuit and refinement - a learning process. As you note with Agape love, it is based on principle... If that is the case, then it requires teaching because the principles will run concurrent to all understanding in life of love, ergo, we cannot just claim our “love” is valid simply because we have a form of it. I feel at present that such insight can only be yielded pro-rata with growth in spirituality. It cannot be assumed to be valid unless known to be. Tested? Certainly.
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Paul's example and words show us the struggle between our spiritual side and our inherited imperfection, our "fleshly" side. At times we fail to be the kind of person that we desire to be, and we disappoint ourselves, "oh miserable man that I am". Even the continuing daily struggle with our inherited imperfection is a test of our love and our faith. This requires patient endurance. "The one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved." But, certainly there will be greater and major tests of our love.

"For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin. For I do not understand what I am doing. For I do not practice what I wish, but I do what I hate. However, if I do what I do not wish, I agree that the Law is fine. But now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that resides in me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, there dwells nothing good; for I have the desire to do what is fine but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good that I wish, but the bad that I do not wish is what I practice. If, then, I do what I do not wish, I am no longer the one carrying it out, but it is the sin dwelling in me.
I find, then, this law in my case: When I wish to do what is right, what is bad is present with me. I really delight in the law of God according to the man I am within, but I see in my body another law warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to sin’s law that is in my body. Miserable man that I am! Who will rescue me from the body undergoing this death? Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, then, with my mind I myself am a slave to God’s law, but with my flesh to sin’s law. Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, then, with my mind I myself am a slave to God’s law, but with my flesh to sin’s law.Romans 7:14-25.
 
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In the present imperfect, sinful state, true and total perfection is not possible, as we are still under sin's law, our flesh that is. That is why the Christian needs the benefits of the ransom sacrifice to cover over where he fails. The righteousness of the Christian is not his own or of himself, it is attributed to him by God through the ransom. This doesn't mean that we cannot make progress or changes however, as we are told to strip off the old personality and put on the new. But total perfection is beyond our ability in our imperfect state. And, under the law, if one failed in one area, it was a failure to keep the Law, and meant condemnation, therefore the continual sacrifices were offered for sins. Our sacrifice is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

"But now apart from law God’s righteousness has been revealed, as the Law and the Prophets bear witness, yes, God’s righteousness through the faith in Jesus Christ, for all those having faith. For there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and it is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus. God presented him as an offering for propitiation through faith in his blood. This was to demonstrate his own righteousness, because God in his forbearance was forgiving the sins that occurred in the past. This was to demonstrate his own righteousness in this present season, so that he might be righteous even when declaring righteous the man who has faith in Jesus." Romans 3:21-26.

God attributes righteousness to those with faith in Jesus Christ, even though, and while, they are in an imperfect sinful state:

"Where, then, is the boasting? There is no place for it. Through what law? That of works? No indeed, but through the law of faith. For we consider that a man is declared righteous by faith apart from works of law." Romans 3:27, 28
 
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