1stCenturyLady
Well-Known Member
if it is by belief then why would you say Satan doesn't care if we believe?
I mean to the degree that he, himself, believes about Him. Did you know that the opposite of believe is disobedient. That means there are millions of disobedient Christians that do not actually know what scriptural believing even means. Look at James 2:19
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
So, again, I'll say it a little differently: Satan doesn't care if you believe like he does, as long as you are disobedient. Our works are our obedience to be pure. 1 John 3:3, And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. See you didn't read far enough. Do you think I wouldn't know exactly what scripture you were referring to, by chapter and verse? I'm a Bible teacher. By trying to hide verse 3, I know you know it is there. That is a little scary. It tells me you already know you are in hot water if you were to die today. So why fight holiness? I don't. I keep myself pure. 1 John 5:18. It is so easy. All you have to do if refuse to do anything against your conscience. 1 John 3:21. Go to bed with a clear conscience each and every night.
huh??Romans 7:14-25 is the apostle speaking in present tense
when he by the Spirit of God writes 'with the mind i myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin' do you imagine he is talking about the unsaved, unregenerate, unbelieving sinner?
do you imagine the unsaved, unregenerate, unbelieving enemy of God who despises righteousness "serves the law of God with their mind" ???
So you take that as born again Christians are still in the flesh, don't you.
First you didn't go far enough ahead. Now you didn't start far enough behind and in context.
Romans 7:5
For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.
That is about when the people of God, the Jews, were under the law, and trying to keep the Ten Commandments while still having a sinful nature, called the old man. Many Christians today read 14-25 as you do, COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTEXT. Now read Romans 8:1-9. And notice the verses referring to the flesh and learn something that no one in your denomination knows. You could even teach them something that will save their souls.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (That is also present tense, so don't be thrown by the tense, for not everyone who reads the Bible are already Christians. What is past for you, may be present for them). 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
condemned sin in the flesh means Christ killed the source of sin in us - the sin nature, the old man.
Romans 6:6-7
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin (the whole source - the sin nature) might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
we do not "repent of our inability to be righteous"
we repent of our sin recognizing it as sin and looking to Him for mercy
being a Christian is not about what you "do" but what you believe.
it is by grace through faith, not by reward for good deeds.
salvation is mercy.
James has already addressed this folly.
James 2:19
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
is that the day you were persuaded to devote your human will to doing good works, because you were given the impression that good works is what gets a person into heaven?
No, I knew I couldn't so why even try. It is not through my "trying to be good" that I could be. It was from Jesus killing my sin nature and replacing it with His Spirit. After that there was no "trying" there was just "doing what was now natural for me to do - righteousness. It is not the legalism you suppose. It is a supernatural change of nature to the divine nature of God.
2 Peter 1:2-4.
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
where do you see "salvation is by never stumbling" in that?
Here is the rest of the 2 Peter passage:
2 Peter 1:5-11
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control a]">[a]perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.