Normative Sin?

The subtly of antinomianism is such that it is easy to mistake it for something good. Perhaps we should examine our hearts to see our condition even though the heart, lacking the grace of God, is desperately wicked and none of us can know it. It sounds good but can we really do it? Add to that the idea that we are, still, wicked and perverse, totally depraved even as born again children of God and that self examination seems a defeatist endeavor. It strikes me as an antinomian admission of failure. ... The latter point I don't believe.  I do not believe the redeemed soul, with the new heart promised by the LORD, is still the same wretched, perverse, totally depraved soul he once was. The scriptures teach us we are new creations with newness of life. We are regenerated or recreated into something new. That rebirth is essentially a restoration effective and kept through faith. Let faith slip and that old man with his perverse nature stirs to life again. Perhaps those who still consider themselves to be perverse whores of the world while claiming the mantle of Christianity have grown accustomed to sharing their bed with the world thinking that is the normal Christian expectation. The scriptures tell us to go and sin no more. Christ and the Apostles did not tell us we are to be sinners so why should we walk around with piety while throwing dust in the air and tearing our clothes at how wicked we are and how sin has a lifelong stranglehold on us? From my perspective, such a person gives justification to his sins as the norm in his life. As such he lives the model.

What stirred these thoughts was a short commentary by R.C. Sproul Jr. on the Ligonier website entitled Consorting with Whores. It is a pious report, no question, and I have no reason to doubt the man believes what he wrote. I merely marvel at such expectations from somebody who had victory over sin given to him by the grace of God. Even the analogy of prostitution seems unfitting. I am not being prudish and I can fully understand the analogy of spiritual whoredom but the analogy is dispensed abundantly with almost relish like embrace. Mr. Sproul truly considers himself a whore of sorts, swallowed up in spiritual whoredom that require God to come in and clean him up on occasion. He expects himself to be no less. While I have never embraced sinless perfection as a doctrine of the church I also have disregard for the teaching that we are essentially the same after the Christian rebirth as before. It strikes me as an excuse, in this case, an excuse for sin. Maybe he means something different but I keep running into this expected state of sinfulness on the part of some, as if flesh and blood, skin and bones, is the cause of sin. Mr. Sproul can continue to regard himself as a normative whore. I'll continue to view the child of God as a washed and redeemed child of God who is not to be regarded as a sinner the likes of the reprobate.