It is your contention therefore that words do not say what they mean or mean what they say.
You finally realize that? That's what I've been saying all along, that *context* determines how a word is being used and therefore what it means. The logical conclusion to this is that the *same word* can mean different things in different contexts, yes!
It is not a contradiction.
We all have indwelling sin (1 John 1:8); however the element of sin can be crucified, rendered dead (Romans 6:6, Galatians 5:24, Romans 7:8) so that it no longer has any say over our behaviour (Romans 6:14). We are not obligated to obey the flesh (Romans 8:12 (kjv, NLT)).
You're doubling down on your contradiction! 1st you say people are sinful. Then you say that they can act in a sinless way. That is indeed a contradiction.
From my point of view, people can indeed obey God. But they can't be sinless. No matter how obedient we are, we have the Sin Nature residing within us, always wanting to turn us to our corrupted attitudes. No matter how loving we are, there is always something inside tempting us to indulge our resident envy, jealousy, hostility, lust, covetousness, etc.
To be "perfect" is to comply with God's word. But it does not at the moment of obedience exterminate the Sin Nature within us, the resident corruption of our thoughts. We can resist them, but inasmuch as we are resisting them we are proving that they're still there!
Therefore, we can become perfect in our Christian walk even though sin is not eradicated from the flesh.
It sounds like a person can be sinless at the moment of obedience, and then withdraw back into a state of sin? Are you saying that a person can go back and forth from sinless to sin?
It is the walk that is perfected, not the person. Sin remains in us but is rendered dead (again, Romans 6:6, Galatians 5:24, Romans 7:8).
If sin is dead, the way you're describing it, that would make us sinless. Is that what you're saying, that when we obey, and render sin "dead," that we at that point become sinless?
So we become perfect (Hebrews 10:14 (kjv)) while we are not sinless (1 John 1:8).
You're right in admitting we have a Sin Nature, if that's what you're saying. But the way you're using the word "perfect," you're contradicting that position by claiming we can, for the moment, become sinless. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Your whole problem is that you're doubling down on the use of the word "perfect" in a way it was never meant to be used. It was never intended to refer to a sinless condition, but rather, to conformity. To conform to God's word is not to be perfect, but to align ourselves so that we are doing what we're called upon to do. It is proper obedience, but not "perfection."