@Eternally Grateful
Grace, peace, and love to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
My apologies for my late reply.
I have been busy with a lot of things lately, and I wanted to give you a proper reply.
Anyways, to get down to the business at hand:
Well, it’s not about me. I am nothing (See: Galatians 6:3).
Christ is everything; Meaning, for me to live is Christ (Philippians 1:21).
My life is not the standard. Christ's life is the standard (1 John 2:6)
Hypothetically speaking: The whole world can be it’s way to hell, but it does not change what the Bible says.
The Holy Bible is the standard; And with God nothing is impossible.
So it's about, “
What does the Bible say?”
I don’t believe the Bible teaches we can set out in having the mindset that we sin and still be saved.
I just don't get that impression when I read the New Testament.
There are many warnings given to us believers about how sin can destroy our souls, etcetera.
For example: One particular church in Revelation was in danger because the Lord did not find their works perfect before God.
Another church mentioned in Revelation was lukewarm and were ready to be spewed out of the mouth of our Lord.
They were to repent and do the first works. Revelation talks about how names can be blotted out, and it also ends by saying,
Revelation 22:14-15
“Blessed are they that do his commandments,
that they may have right to the tree of life,
and may enter in through the gates into the city.
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers,
and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”
Believers must be in a cleansing process.
1 John 3:3
“And every man that hath this hope in him
purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
2 Corinthians 7:1
“...let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness
of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness
in the fear of God.”
Ephesians 5:25-27
“...even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself
for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with
the washing of water by the word, That he might present it
to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle,
or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Believers must be sowing to the Spirit (i.e. well doing) as a part of reaping life everlasting.
We will reap if we do not faint (grow tired in our endurance).
Galatians 6:8-9
“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of
the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not
be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not.”
Believers must be putting to death the misdeeds of the body by the Spirit as a part of life (i.e. everlasting life).
Romans 8:13 (NIV)
“For if you live according to the flesh,
you will die; but if by the Spirit you put
to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”
The intended outcome of this cleansing is the eventual ceasing from sin in this life.
Galatians 5:24
“And they that are Christ's have crucified
the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
1 Peter 4:1-2
“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh,
arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath
suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer
should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men,
but to the will of God.”
For Peter mentions how there are false teachers who cannot cease from sin.
2 Peter 2:1, 2 Peter 2:14-15
1 “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you,...
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;”
Believers are in need of patience in that AFTER they have done the will of God...they might receive the promise.
Hebrews 10:36
“For ye have need of patience, that,
after ye have done the will of God,
ye might receive the promise.”
Jesus warned us against how sin can destroy our souls in Matthew 5:22, Matthew 5:28-30, Matthew 6:15, Matthew 12:37, Matthew 25:31-46, and Luke 9:62. Jesus said if we do not receive His words, those words will judge us on the last day (See: John 12:48).
While I believe that a person can die on their hospital bed accepting Jesus as their Savior and be saved by God's grace (Just as the thief on the cross was saved). Not all of us have that luxury. Many of us have to live out our faith. By living out our faith, we will go through many tests and trials of our faith and it takes time to purify ourselves and perfect certain areas of our life. As I mentioned before, believers have to eventually be perfect in their works according to God or they are not going to make it. We see that this is the case according to Revelation 3:2. For this church is said to have a name that says they are alive but in reality they are actually dead (i.e. dead spiritually - See: Revelation 3:1).
Many today are not even in the race or in fighting the good fight.
They don't even know they are in a race or a fight.
Many today think they can set out to sin and still be saved on some level.
Some Christians justify lots of sin (like the Hyper Grace crowd), and others justify smaller amounts of sin (like those who say they don't practice sin but yet they doublespeak and say they must sin again this side of Heaven as if they are a slave to their sin).
Isaiah 26:10 (NKJV) says:
“Let grace be shown to the wicked,
Yet he will not learn righteousness; In the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly,
And will not behold the majesty of the LORD.”
Jesus basically says in John 8:34-35 that the slave to sin will not abide in the house forever (i.e. the house of Christ - See also Matthew 13:41-42). These are bold words in God's holy Word and it's scary stuff. But I say all of this in love and with the hope that you will at least read these verses again over and over and over again in prayer. Let these verses live on the inside of you. If you believe them in what they plainly say, then it will change you.
Anyways, blessings be unto you in the Lord.