New Wine for the End Times
Introduction

During the last couple of decades, there has been an ongoing debate known as Lordship salvation vs. free grace salvation.  Advocates of Lordship salvation say there must be a noticeable change in the life of a believer if he is really to be saved.  Thus, these advocates believe there could be millions of church-goers who think they are saved but are not.  Lordship salvation advocates put emphasis on the words of Jesus which seem to be completely intolerant of any sin with regards to inheriting the kingdom.

On the other hand, free grace advocates place emphasis on the words of Paul and say that salvation is a free gift.  There would be some "fruit of the Spirit" in the life of any believer.  But the amount of fruit could be completely unnoticeable.

It's been assumed that all who are saved will inherit the kingdom.  But a study of verses about inheriting the kingdom alongside verses involving salvation seem to indicate that salvation is about faith whereas inheriting the kingdom is always about holiness.  Carnal Christians will be saved but will not inherit the kingdom.

The New Wine System takes this approach.  Not all believers will inherit the kingdom.  Those who overcome all their sinful habits before Christ returns will inherit the kingdom and reign with Christ during the millennium.  Everyone else, including the carnal Christians, will live in the nations here on the earth.  Jesus tells his disciples to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness.  So you can be saved and yet not inherit the kingdom.

The separation of simple salvation from inheriting the kingdom makes it clear that holiness is eternally important.  Without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:15).  Carnal Christians will be surprised at being excluded from the wedding banquet.  The five foolish virgins will be saved, but they will be surprised that they must still overcome sin in order to inherit eternal life.

We must become completely sanctified in order to inherit the kingdom.  That means we must overcome all our sinful habits.  But failure to do so before death or before Christ returns does not mean we go to hell or purgatory.  This elevates Christian perfection to be more than something which Christians think they should do, but they don't think is really all that necessary.  Christian perfection is the practical application of the New Wine System.  

The letter of 1 John focuses heavily the need to completely stop sinning.  Seven times John refers to his audience as "little children"  (1 John 2:1, 2:12, 2:28, 3:7, 3:18, 4:4, and the last verse of the letter, 5:21).  How much sin do we need to overcome in order to be considered mature and wise?  How much does it take to be a saint?  Is anybody perfect?  What does it mean to be completely sanctified (1 Thessalonians 5:23) and inherit the kingdom and eternal life?

1 John 3:2-9 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.   (3) Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.  (4) Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.   (5) You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.  (6)  Whoever remains in him doesn't sin. Whoever sins hasn't seen him, neither knows him.  (7) Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.   (8) He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  (9) Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God.

The Reformed view of theology says that nobody can completely stop sinning.  This would be the view of Luther and Calvin.  Thus, even John would have been still sinning just a little when he wrote these words.  And yet John says, "Whoever remains in him doesn't sin.  Whoever sins hasn't seen him, neither knows him."  Thus, if you believe that John was still sinning when he wrote these words, you have to go to great lengths to explain what John means.

At the same time, if you take John's words at face value, it would seem that only those who become mature and completely stop sinning can be saved.  After all, if you are continuing to sin, according to John, you don't know Christ.  And if you don't know Christ, you are not saved.  This would mean that very few people are saved.  We are saved by grace, and through faith, that no man can boast (Romans 4:2-3, Ephesians 2:8‑10).  So how can John say, "Whoever sins hasn't seen him, neither knows him?"

The New Wine System is all about forgetting the traditional interpretations of the New Testament.  Instead, we must put ourselves into the shoes of the ancient Jews whose Bible was the Old Testament.  We must interpret the New Testament in the context of the Old Testament.  When this is done, we begin to understand that both the Old Testament and the New Testament teaches there are three types of people in the grave.  The wise are those who have completely overcome all their sinful habits through a personal discipleship (Lordship) relationship with Jesus Christ.  The foolish are those who still have some faith in God, even God the Creator, but they still have sinful habits.  And the wicked are those who deliberately and knowingly reject Jesus Christ.

Thus, the foolish (carnal) can still be saved through faith.  Salvation is a gift so that nobody can boast.  At the same time, only those who stop sinning know Christ.  Only those who have a discipleship relationship with Christ are mature and wise.  That's why John addresses his audience as "little children."  John was speaking as one who had completely overcome all his old sinful habits.  This is why John can say, "Whoever sins hasn't seen him, neither knows him."  John has experienced the truth that when you live in the light of Christ, you don't sin.  When in darkness, you are not living with Christ.  From darkness, you have neither seen Him nor known Him.  Foolish Christians go back and forth between the light and darkness.

To be ready for Christ to return involves the overcoming of all sinful habits.  It involves living in the light all the time.  These habits are reoccurring sins that are still happening.  I don't think that means you have repented of each and every past sin.  When we first confess our faith in Christ and become a believer, our sins are forgiven, by the blood of Christ.  All of them. Period.

However, we must overcome all our sinful habits.  If the Holy Spirit brings some past sins to mind, then perhaps you still have a tendency to sin in that area.  If you have wronged someone in the past, it's best to ask them to forgive you.  Otherwise, you will still carry the harm that the sin caused you to receive.  When temptation comes, it will be harder to resist if you have not asked for forgiveness when you should.  And asking forgiveness can only help heal the relationship.  Asking forgiveness brings release from the sin.  It will release you from the guilt of sin.  And it helps you be sure that you won't do the sin anymore.

That's because sin must be brought into the light.  You can't just say "I won't do it anymore."  We were slaves to sin.  The bondage of sin is too strong for us to overcome it in secret, which is darkness.  If you just tell yourself and God that you won't do it anymore, then when temptation comes, you will tend to say, "Well I can just ask God to forgive me again."  And so you fall to the temptation again.  But when you truly seek the forgiveness of others, the change goes very deep.  When temptation comes, you will know that you have put yourself on the line with the person from which you have asked forgiveness.

Let's compare it with being drunk.  Perhaps someone is an alcoholic.  And in being an alcoholic, the alcohol-addicted person causes hurt in other people around them.  Part of the process of overcoming alcoholism is to ask forgiveness of the people that were hurt.  The purpose here is to stop drinking.  (Or stop sinning.)  But there could have been many people that were hurt by the alcoholic that do not even come to mind as the alcoholic begins his or her recovery.  So one would not have to figure out every possible person and ask forgiveness of them all.  But the Holy Spirit and circumstances will bring to mind the ones that count, whose relationships need to be healed.

It's very much the same as confessing your sins one-to-another.  It forces you to be accountable to someone else regarding your sinful habits.  That's why Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can work.  Very few alcoholics can overcome their addiction by simply asking God to forgive them.  The drunk believes he or she can stop at any time.  But they can't.  However, when they become accountable to others in the group, and to the people they have harmed because of the alcoholism, then it becomes possible for them to completely stop drinking.

So how do you know when you are ready for Christ to return?  It's when the Holy Spirit gives you peace.  It's entering God's rest (Psalm 95:11, Hebrews 3:11, 4:3, 4:5.)  Your sins are all forgiven.  That was Christ's work on the cross.  But it's the Holy Spirit's work in you to help you overcome the sinful habits.  Ask God to not give you rest until all your sinful habits have been overcome.  And always be open to the possibility that the Holy Spirit may show you something later on that was hidden to you in the past.

The first thing we must all do, every day, is to pray for holiness.  Ask God to give you a day of holiness.  Ask God to not lead you into temptation.  Holiness comes one day at a time.  Every day must be a new day for which you depend upon the Holy Spirit to keep you from falling back into darkness that day.  That's why the alcoholic counts days.  We live one day at a time with God.  Stay in the light.  Don't fall off the bandwagon.  Start each day in prayer.

The alcoholic never says that he is no longer an alcoholic.  The alcoholic knows that he or she can still be tempted, and could very easily fall off the bandwagon.  Likewise, I never say that no sinful habits will crop up again.  But I can and do have a peace that as far as I know, I'm ready for Christ to return.  As long as you have peace from the Holy Spirit, that all your sinful habits have been overcome, you can be confident that you are ready for Christ to return.  And you can be confident that the Holy Spirit will complete this work in your life as long as you truly seek God's rest through Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6 ESV And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

What about examples in the Scripture?  Paul believed he had finished the race, before he died:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  (25) Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.   (26) Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.  (27)  No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

And then later in his life, he wrote:

2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.   (8) Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Also, Jesus told his disciples, after about three years of discipleship, that they were all clean; (all but Judas.)

John 13:10-11 Jesus said to him, "Someone who has bathed only needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you."  (11)  For he knew him who would betray him, therefore he said, "You are not all clean."

John 15:1-4 ESV "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  (2)  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  (3)  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you .  (4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

Our cups must be clean on the inside as well as the outside.  When you are clean (without sin) on the inside, you will be clean (without sin) on the outside.  The inside of the cup is one’s thought life.  Once we overcome all our habits of sinful thoughts, we won’t be sinning on the outside.  You won’t commit adultery if you are not lusting.  You won’t commit murder or lash out in a rage of anger if you are not angry against someone on the inside.  But how do you overcome sins of the mind?  Recognize the things that trigger your thoughts.  Avoid the triggers.  And most importantly, pray for God’s help and focus on the cross.

You become clean by being Christ's disciple, and by seeking his righteousness.  Being Christ's disciple is more than just learning.  It's all about doing what Christ is doing in you.  That's what Paul meant when he said that he no longer lives, but Christ lives in him (Galatians 2:20).  You can't do it by just fighting sin.  You do it by finding Christ's purpose for your life.  As you do the Father's work, your purpose in Christ becomes more important in your life than anything else.  That purpose winds up taking the place of the sinful habits.

In other words, all sin is about self.  We find Christ's purpose for us that is never about self.  As we work in Christ's purpose, sin disappears, because self becomes less and less important.  That's what it means to take up your cross and follow Christ (Matthew 10:38, 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23).  Even your very life is of no importance as compared with the purpose of following Christ, which is to do the things that Christ would do if he were in your shoes.

1 John 2:3-6 NIV We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.  (4)  The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  (5) But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:  (6) Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

The point here is that Jesus obeyed the Father's commands and walked without sin.  We overcome sin by grace because it's impossible to completely overcome sin without the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.  We overcome sin by works because as we do the works that Christ commands us to do, the Holy Spirit fills us, enabling us to do the will of the Father.  When God has filled us, we cannot sin because God is in us and God cannot sin.  When God has filled us, we remain in the light.  But we still can respond to temptations because all sins are habitual.  We can still fall into darkness.

The Holy Spirit backs off if we fall into temptations.  But we can repent and ask the Holy Spirit to fill us again.  The Holy Spirit can bring us back into the light.  So we must again focus on the works the Father has commanded us to do and again be filled with the Holy Spirit.  As we get immersed in the works of God, sin no longer has control over us, and we can become completely sanctified, overcoming all our sinful habits.  Let's read 1 John 3:2-9 again:

1 John 3:2-9 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.   (3) Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.  (4) Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.   (5) You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.  (6)  Whoever remains in him doesn't sin. Whoever sins hasn't seen him, neither knows him.  (7) Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.   (8) He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  (9) Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God.

People read, "Whoever remains in him doesn't sin," and "whoever sins hasn't seen him, neither knows him," and then immediately become confused.  Every Christian believes that they know him.  And every Christian struggles with sin.  So the passage is dismissed in some way.  Often the reader simply assumes the passage is talking about really bad sins.  There is always some class of sins that are perceived as being worse than the ones we struggle with.  But John treats sin as being either in darkness or light.  There is no middle ground.  There is no gray area.  John is comparing the absence of sin that is expected of us with the absence of sin in Jesus Christ.

Some take the following verse out of context in order to argue that you can't completely overcome sin.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

But let's look at the verse in context.  John makes an obvious point that God is in the light, and in him there is no darkness.  Then he says we must walk in the light just as God is in the light.  There is no gray between the light and the darkness.  You are either in darkness or you are in the light.  And if you are in the light, it's just like God being in the light.  Therefore, verse 8 cannot be saying that everyone continues to sin.  Verse 8 must be saying the same thing as verse 10, which is that all have sinned in the past, and therefore all of us need the blood of Christ to forgive us of our sins.  Verse 8 cannot be used to say we cannot completely overcome all our sinful habits.

1 John 1:5-10 This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  (6) If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don't tell the truth.   (7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.  (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.   (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.   (10) If we say that we haven't sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Most Reformed theologians will concede that verse 10 is talking about past sins.  But they insist that verse 8 is talking about present sins.  In the Greek, verse 1:10 uses a verb for "sinned".  And of course that verb is in the past tense (indicative, perfect, active).  But in verse 1:8, a noun is used for "sin" instead of a verb.  In this translation, as well as the ESV/KJV translations, the word "no" modifies the noun "sin."  But the Greek word for "no" is an adverb.  Therefore, it should modify the verb and not the noun.

1 John 1:8 ESV/KJV/NKJV/WEB If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

The verb means "to have", or "to hold."  So literally speaking, it could be translated as: "If we say we do not hold sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."  If we don't translate it like this, we have an adverb modifying a noun.  Having sin, or holding sin, can easily be talking about having or holding the guilt of sins that were committed in the past.  So what do Reformed theologians say to this?  Obviously they are not going to change their opinion.  Here an email response to me from one person who is working on his doctorate in theology.

I appreciate that you're looking at the Greek text to gain some clarity on these interpretive matters. You are right to point out that the phrasing in 1:10 and 1:8 are slightly different, but the general trend of each is preserved in most English translations. 1:10 is the perfect tense ("have not sinned"), and 1:8 is a simple present ("have no sin"). They look similar in English, but are quite different in the Greek (as you noticed).

The word for "have" can reasonably be translated as "hold," and is in other contexts. And while your interpretation may be a plausible one, it's a bit of a strain on the actual usage and not one that is offered as a natural reading of the verse. That doesn't mean it's necessarily wrong, but it's significant that no one in church history has it read like this. A good rule of thumb is to give deference to those who knew the language and context of Scripture if we come up with a unique interpretation.

He agrees that technically I'm correct.  But he falls back on tradition.  Most theologians don't generally consider this verse to be translated in this way.  So it’s assumed not be true.  But look at the amount of explaining that is done in order to make 1 John say something besides the fact that we must completely stop sinning.  Generally, they say things like there is more than one type of sin.  There are really bad sins that we can stop.  And then there are not-so bad sins that we can't stop doing.  And they rely heavily on this one verse to make that case.  I just don't see John as saying that you can't stop sinning.  In overcall context, he is writing these things to teach us that in Christ we can stop sinning.  You are either in light, as Jesus is in the light, or you are in darkness, according to John.

To really understand what John is saying, these verses should be examined in context.  And we will do so in chapter 2, titled "The Christian Perfection of John."  For now, just understand that when the Holy Spirit is in us we are in the light.  When we are in the light we cannot sin because God is in us and God does not sin.  When we fall to temptations, we move into the darkness and the Holy Spirit leaves.  We must repent and the Holy Spirit fills us again.  As we do the works of the Father, we are filled with the Holy Spirit more and more often.  As we become consumed with doing the Father's commands (works), we are no longer sinning on a more continual basis.  Thus, we can remain in the light.

When arguing against Christian perfection, another verse that is often taken out of context is the verse in James that has been used to argue "sins of omission."  Actually, many Christians who bring up "sins of omission" don't know exactly where it's taught in Scripture.  But that phrase "sins of omission" has been used so often that everyone assumes that it's taught by Scripture.

The assumption is that everyone is always sinning because there is always something else that could be done for the Father.  Perhaps I could have had the opportunity to go over and talk with a stranger about getting saved.  The thought occurred to me, but I was nervous about doing so, and so didn't do it.  Thus, it's believed, I've sinned.  It matters not if one has overcome all their sinful habits.  They are still sinning because of the ever-present "sins of omission."  There is always something else that could have been done.  So all Christians become continuous sinners for not doing enough.  The verse that is taken out of context is the last verse in James chapter 4.

James 4:17 NIV Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

But in context, it's not talking about moment-to-moment missed opportunities.  James is talking about the general direction one takes in life.  We must seek the calling God has for us and don't neglect that calling.  Here is the verse in context.

James 4:13-17 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow let's go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit."  (14) Whereas you don't know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.  (15)  For you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that."  (16) But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil.  (17) To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

Does James really teach against Christian perfection?  Chapter 2 of this booklet is titled "The Christian Perfection of James."  As we will see, the first three chapters of James argue very much in favor of Christian perfection.

For those who argue against Christian perfection with "sins of omission," consider these words of Jesus:

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest .  (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.   (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light ."

Jesus also taught us to completely overcome sin.  The theme of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is to be "perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).  Jesus compares this perfection that is expected of us with the perfection of the Father.  This is done in order to prevent his meaning from being understated.  

Compare this perfection with John's teaching about being in the light or the darkness, with no gray in between.  In this sermon, Jesus teaches us to be perfect by storing our treasures in heaven.  The narrow gate that few find is only found by those who do the works of the Father (Matthew 7:13-23).  We will examine the Sermon on the Mount in more detail in chapter 1 of this booklet.  The chapter is titled, "Christian Perfection According to Jesus."

The gospel of Jesus is often seen as being quite different from the gospel of Paul.  Some even claim that the gospel of Jesus was for an old dispensation and that it changed at the cross.  One dispensational pastor, who is a friend of mine, says he interprets the words of Jesus "through the lenses of Paul."  In other words, he reinterprets the words of Jesus using his interpretation of the words of Paul.  A better approach is to interpret Paul in the context of the words of Jesus.

It's true that Paul spoke a lot about his own struggle with sin.  For this reason, Paul's words are often used to argue that you can't overcome sin.  In chapter 3 of this booklet, we will examine Paul's struggle in overcoming sin.

Some people have used Paul's struggle with sin as an argument that you can't completely overcome sin.

Romans 7:18-20 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don't find it doing that which is good.  (19) For the good which I desire, I don't do; but the evil which I don't desire, that I practice.  (20) But if what I don't desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.

But when we read the overall context, we can see that through Christ Jesus, we can have victory over sin.  That means we can completely stop sinning.  Paul was talking about his struggles with sin.  He was not saying that sin cannot be overcome.

In chapter 3 of this booklet, we will see that Paul expected us to be completely sanctified before Christ returns.  Paul struggled with sin.  But Paul did in fact overcome sin before he died.  We will see this is chapter 3 of this booklet.  The title of the chapter is, "The Christian Perfection of Paul."

Many people respond to the teaching of overcoming sin by saying things like, "I've never known anyone who has done it."  Or if they meet someone who believes they have overcome sin, they just roll their eyes in mockery and disbelief.  There are two problems involved.  The first is that if we are taught that you can't overcome sin, then there is no strong motivation to overcome sin.  The second problem is that mistakes and shortcomings are mistakenly thought to be sins.  Sin is moving into the darkness and disobeying what you know to be the Father's commands.  When you are in the light, in obedience, you are not sinning.

You are in the light if you have nothing to hide, even if people could read your mind.  In other words, if people could read your every thought, would you have things to be embarrassed about?  Would you be embarrassed about an honest mistake?  When we receive our spiritual bodies, will we be able to read each other’s thoughts?  If so, then we must overcome all our sinful thought habits before we can inherit eternal life.  We have to learn to stay in the light all the time.  Suppose you said something to someone that hurt their feelings.  But you had no intension of hurting their feelings.  You say you are sorry, that you didn’t understand.  Did you sin?  Or did you just make a mistake?

Can you define the difference between art that contains nudity and pornography?  It’s not something that you can precisely define.  But you know pornography when you see it.  Pornography degrades the woman, and it degrades God’s beautiful gift of sex between a married man and woman.  It’s the same with sin and mistakes.  With the Holy Spirit within you, you know the difference.  With sin you want to hide it.  You are in the darkness.  With mistakes, you just apologize and grin with embarrassment.  But you don’t feel like you need to hide it.  You are still in the light.  Of course those who have not been taught righteousness by Holy Spirit will often sin in the open and be proud of it.  That’s the open rejection of God.  They are in a very dark place.

All sins are habit-forming.  Habits can be overcome.  Honest mistakes will happen.  Yes, you learn from your mistakes.  But with mistakes, you are not disobeying what you know God desires and commands.  It’s all about obedience.  If we are to be truly obedient to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we must learn to remain in the light, just as Christ Jesus is in the light.  We have been justified without our own works.  Only the work of Christ on the cross has saved us.  But in our journey of salvation, we must learn Christian perfection, through both grace and works, if we expect to inherit the Kingdom when Christ returns.