I fully believe that every one who is born again begins a brand new life. There may be many areas where they walk in unrepentant sin, merely because they are still babes and growing and learning! Even today, mature saints live in unrepentant sin, but these sins are rooted deep in attitude . Things at teh core of our being that take time to get to.
I also fully believe that if one is born again, they may resisit repenting of their "favorite sins" but they will come to acknowledge them and turn from them. I just know God is patinet and He knows His children and how best to deal with each of us as individuals. That is not to justify sin, or use grace as a license, but just the reality of being a believer and growing in grace.
We basically agree, I know. This is what made me wonder, a few basic sentences from some was like a fire they had to run from.
I grew up very emotionally repressed, to survive. I am a very open sharing person, who just likes things to be as is obvious and fairly clear. Jesus spoke like this, and I followed Him, not a denomination or group.
I was inquisitive about muslim countries and the insanity expressed on youtube video and started discussions with muslims about love, family, care and how these folk could justify what looked like abuse as something to approve of. After being a light there, I felt I should go on christian forums, to see how the believers were fairing. So what I have learnt is you only understand Jesus when your heart is changed, when repentance and love break free, when simple clarity of being straight is obvious.
I used to think dedicated believers could transform everything, by just being open. I now see, unless Jesus comes in to an open door, nothing makes sense or will work. Yes we need to learn how to trust, how to care, how to be supported, but it is very emotional and fundamental. The same folk who condemned me have been conspiracy junkies, anti-vaccers, ready for a theocracy etc. their way of course. Now if I can be worse than a murderer, if they were in charge things would go badly wrong.
Discipleship is a long slow road, especially if walked alone, which is quite ironically wrong. But how real are many in western society, and how deeply are any friendships? I have two good friends in certain regards, who were happy to cut me out for no apparent reason, and when asked, simply could not respond. How are friends like this friends? I offered support and help, interest etc. yet it was not good enough. Is faith so personal it stops outside the believer, and its all just show? If folk are this difficult with a friend they know, imagine how they are with the Lord who they claim to follow?
On a positive note, our house group has grown, with openness and support over really difficult issues, not solving them, but sharing and praying and just being there. Some think the Lord should just heal, not that everything is a journey, and we need to listen, share and support along the way in the Lords will,
God bless you