1 John 3:9 - Is it cannot "practice" sin, or cannot "commit" sin?

[Bible Highlighter]

There are many who don't believe in Jesus any better than the devil does. And they believe they are saved, but going to hell. Those are the ones I try to reach.

As you know I am non-denominational, and my authority is the Bible Alone + the Anointing to Understand It.

I believe the Bible teaches two aspects of salvation.

We are saved by…

#1. God’s grace through faith (without works) in our Initial Salvation
(Ephesians 2:8-9) (cf. Ephesians 2:1) (Romans 4:3-5) (Titus 3:5).

#2. God having chosen us to salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit and a belief of the truth (Please see: 2 Thessalonians 2:13 and read it very slowly).
(Also see: Galatians 6:8-9) (Romans 8:13).
Note: The Sanctification of the Spirit is to enter a purification process in living a holy life and to overcome sin in this life (1 John 3:3) (2 Corinthians 7:1). This Sanctification includes works of faith, obeying the commands in the New Testament, and keeping oneself unspotted from the ways of this world (i.e. Being holy unto God). The Spirit makes this possible for us to live holy by His working in our lives. A true faithful believer will not set out to justify sin on any level. Believers will confess and forsake sin and treat sin as if it can destroy their soul in the afterlife (as the Bible teaches). If believers mess up on rare occasion, they repent. But they don’t think they will always be slaves to their sin this side of Heaven. Believers will have a mindset of desiring to overcome sin in this world.​

There are two groups in the Protestant Perpetual Belief Alone Salvationist Camp.

#1. Hyper Grace.
#2. Partial Hyper Grace (A term I came up with).​

Hyper Grace folk are men like George Sodini who murdered a bunch of people, and took his own life thinking he was saved by a belief alone in Jesus as his Savior.

See here to learn more about George Sodini:
O.S.A.S. – THE WATCHMAN'S CRY

Even his church said he was saved (despite what he did).

Partial Hyper Grace is a belief held by most Christians who think that if a believer practices sin then they should question whether they were born again to begin with. Yet, occasional sin or individual sins done infrequently does not cause a loss of salvation. Meaning, a Christian can still justify sin but they can only do so infrequently and or on rare occasions. These types of Christians have stated that a backslidden believer is still saved (See here). Others have said that one can commit suicide and be saved. Others have said you can take the mark of the beast and be saved (See here).

So there are incredible strongholds that have been built up in their thinking here because sin is a powerful and enticing thing to not let go of. But with God all things are possible. So prayer, love, and using the Word should always be our weapons in this warfare here.

 

[Phoneman777]

Wow, you heard a whopper of a definition for commit.

Me? You have, too. Turn on any evangelical broadcast and you'll here one brand or another of OSAS accompanied by various ideas of what constitutes "salvation" which include God voluntarily refusing to regard a saint's presumptuous sin as such, that He does regard it as such but forbears punishment while punishing the wicked for doing the exact same thing, or that He does punish us but with temporal punishment now and a few less jewels in our crowns then.

Very few differentiate between the Just Man and the Presumptuous Man, which is why I know I'm on the right track, seeing that we aren't called to make truth popular because it's NEVER going to be popular.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

If you believe Jesus is Lord, you'll obey Him, right? And if you've been born again, you'll be different, isn't that right?

But if you teach your future sin is forgiven you, then it does not really matter if you obey. According to many in the Perpetual Belief Alone Salvationism camp, many will just lose rewards and so then one can sin and still be saved under God’s grace. So any talk of obeying the Lord is just a sham. You really don’t believe in obeying the Lord unless there is some kind of sin also involved at another point in time in your life.

Justification is rendering one righteous. Justify is to make righteous.
The Bible teaches us judicial justification, Abraham believed, and it was accounted to him as righteousness.
It teaches us transformative justification, the one who has died has been justified away from sin.

Abraham’s one time belief was accounted to him as righteousness in that point in time. If Abraham later stopped believing or he decided to not obey God, he would no longer be righteous.

And it teaches a practical justification,

James 2:21-26 KJV
21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22) Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23) And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24) Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25) Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Did Abraham receive "more" righteousness after the offering of Isaac? Had Abraham lost righteousness, and was through his offering "reclaiming" his lost righteousness?

No. Your not getting it. Verse 22 says works makes our faith perfect. Works is still faith because works makes our faith perfect.

If I asked a Christian if the work of the Lord is separate from the Lord, they would say that they are not separate things. For you cannot have the work of the Lord without the Lord. It is the same with faith. You cannot have works of faith without faith. You cannot have a faith that does not have works of faith. So if there is no works of faith, then it is not the faith.

James 2:21 is saying Abraham was justified by works by offered up Isaac upon the altar.
Hebrews 11:17 is saying BY FAITH Abraham offered up Isaac upon the altar.

Works of faith = Faith.
Works of faith are mentioned to us by the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, and 2 Thessalonians 1:11.

The Bible tells us to continue in the faith (Acts 14:22) (Colossians 1:23).

So Abraham is merely CONTINUING in the faith when he offered up Isaac upon the altar.

What I'm reading here is that God's imputation of righteousness to Abraham was fulfilled in that Abraham did as God commanded, actually believing Him.

No. Abraham believed God and was doing works of faith even before he believed the promise in that his descendants would be like the stars. Abraham had to also believe God in leaving his country to go to a land that God had promised. So it was not like Abraham was faithfulness before God gave him the promise to believe involving his descendants being like the stars of the sky. Paul merely used one example in the life of Abraham to show that we are initially saved by God’s grace through faith (without doing anything). We were saved by His grace and mercy. But that does not mean God does not require us to obey later after we are saved by His grace.

Ever meditate on what Galatians 6:8-9 actually says? If you believed that passage at face value, you would not believe the way you do right now. It’s saying you have to sow to the Spirit to reap everlasting life. So this is not just doing nothing. In fact, in verse 9 it defines what sowing to the Spirit is. The sowing to the Spirit is “welling doing” (i.e. good works). It says we will reap if we faint not. Meaning if we continue to keep doing good works in sowing to the Spirit, we will reap everlasting life if we faint not. This is the most plainest way to read this passage.

Justify, Making Righteous has one other application also, to make one righteous in the eyes of another person.

You show me your faith without works, and I'll show you my faith by my works. "I'll show you . . ."

Read James 1:12, and James 1:21. Read the beginning of James 2. It does not support the idea of being justified before only men. That’s not the context. The whole focus of James writing here is being justified before God and not men. James brings up the point that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Meaning, a dead faith cannot save you. Of course this is a faith lived out because James is talking to believers who are living out their faith and he is not referring to how they first got saved (unlike Paul who referred many times to how we first were saved initially - Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, etcetera).

 

[Bible Highlighter]

To all:

Some say there is no Initial Salvation because salvation is eternal.

Well, if salvation was eternal in the sense that God is eternal then that would mean we were saved from eternity’s past. That means we were never lost or needed to really be saved at any point in time because we were always saved (from eternity in the past). Is this what the Bible teaches? I can say that even most in the “Perpetual Belief Alone Salvationism Camp” would not even agree with that line of nonsense because the Bible describes how the prodigal son was lost and then found and how we believers were saved (past tense) as referring to a particular point in time in our life. There are numerous verses that makes this fact obvious to any reader of the Bible.

Titus 3:5 says,

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”​

This describes a very specific point in time of when we are saved. It’s not describing how we were always saved even before we came to the Lord for salvation. Nor is it describing what happens long after we are first initially saved.

It says, according to his mercy he saved us by the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. So we were saved in that moment in time. It is a particular point in time and not all eternity. So it is saying that when we were first INITIALLY saved it was by God’s mercy, and we were washed by the regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

Titus 3:3-4 says,

“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,”​

So as we can see that Titus 3:5 is describing Initial Salvation. The same is true with Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:3-5, and Romans 11:6.

We first get saved a certain way and that is by God’s grace without us doing anything. But AFTER we are saved by God’s grace…. Go ahead and read verses like 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Romans 8:13, Galatians 6:8-9, 2 Corinthians 7:1, and you will see it’s not just all grace and a belief alone in Jesus as one then lives out their faith. In fact, here is an admonition even at the end of Revelation.

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.”​

A person who builds their faith on the Bible alone and desires to truly please God will not seek to change this passage.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

There is a time and a season under heaven to look at the pretty trees (as they turn! turn! turn!), and a time and a season to look at the forest.

I'm talking about looking at the letter as a whole. Who is it written to? (Excuse me; "To whom is it written?") What is it's purpose? What are the major themes? How does the passage in question advance the author's purpose? These are basic reading comprehension skills that should be taught in every American high school (and probably isn't anymore, but let's not go down that rat-hole).

John states his purpose in 1 John 2:1: "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin." (Aorist Active Subjunctive, the mood of possibility without reference to time, if you're into that stuff.) That's the theme: I don't want you whom I consider my children to sin. The immediately preceding context supports the author's purpose by establishing that we possess (ἔχω, "to have", Present Active Indicative) sin now and we have sinned in the past. This is why John hammers on his target audience: You must resist sin.

It does not really matter if you must resist sin if you believe you will always sin again. If you believe you are slave to sin, any resistance to sin is futile if you believe it is just going to happen again at another future point in time. The whole point in resisting sin is to overcome sin in this life. The Bible teaches you can cease from sin or crucify the affections and lusts (See 1 Peter 4:1-2, Galatians 5:24, 2 Corinthians 7:1). So 1 John 1:8 is not a banner flag to justify how we must sin always. That’s not what it is saying. It was a warning to the brethren on the gnostic false belief who denied sin’s existence in that it was an illusion.

 

[MatthewG]

To all:

Some say there is no Initial Salvation because salvation is eternal.

Well, if salvation was eternal in the sense that God is eternal then that would mean we were saved from eternity’s past. That means we were never lost or needed to really be saved at any point in time because we were always saved (from eternity in the past). Is this what the Bible teaches? I can say that even most in the “Perpetual Belief Alone Salvationism Camp” would not even agree with that line of nonsense because the Bible describes how we were lost and then found and how we believers were saved (past tense) as referring to a particular point in time in our life. There are numerous verses that makes this fact obvious to any reader of the Bible.

Titus 3:5 says,

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”​

This describes a very specific point in time of when we are saved. It’s not describing how we were always saved even before we came to the Lord for salvation.

It says, according to his mercy he saved us by the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. So we were saved in that moment in time. It is a particular point in time and not all eternity. So it is saying that when we were first INITIALLY saved it was by God’s mercy, and we were washed by the regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

Titus 3:3-4 says,

“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,”​

So as we can see that Titus 3:5 is describing Initial Salvation. The same is true with Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:3-5, and Romans 11:6.

We first get saved a certain way and that is by God’s grace without us doing anything. But AFTER we are saved by God’s grace…. Go ahead and read verses like 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Romans 8:13, Galatians 6:8-9, 2 Corinthians 7:1, and you will see it’s not just all grace and a belief alone in Jesus as one then lives out their faith. In fact, here is an admonition even at the end of Revelation.

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.”​

A person who builds their faith on the Bible alone and desires to truly please God will not seek to change this passage.

With this, BH, I agree with what the Bible states.

There is always going to be the process of growth in a christians life - however it will up to the individual and their relationship with God. There are different measures of faith given and the only thing that pleases God is faith. Those without faith, God may not be pleased because of the way they may end up giving up their life without him in it, which he allows them to continue on living and do so. However it still doesn't dismiss God's desire or will for all to come to the truth, but perhaps on that individuals time for them to realize the need for Him and his Son.

 

[amigo de christo]

To all:

Some say there is no Initial Salvation because salvation is eternal.

Well, if salvation was eternal in the sense that God is eternal then that would mean we were saved from eternity’s past. That means we were never lost or needed to really be saved at any point in time because we were always saved (from eternity in the past). Is this what the Bible teaches? I can say that even most in the “Perpetual Belief Alone Salvationism Camp” would not even agree with that line of nonsense because the Bible describes how we were lost and then found and how we believers were saved (past tense) as referring to a particular point in time in our life. There are numerous verses that makes this fact obvious to any reader of the Bible.

Titus 3:5 says,

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”​

This describes a very specific point in time of when we are saved. It’s not describing how we were always saved even before we came to the Lord for salvation.

It says, according to his mercy he saved us by the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. So we were saved in that moment in time. It is a particular point in time and not all eternity. So it is saying that when we were first INITIALLY saved it was by God’s mercy, and we were washed by the regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

Titus 3:3-4 says,

“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,”​

So as we can see that Titus 3:5 is describing Initial Salvation. The same is true with Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:3-5, and Romans 11:6.

We first get saved a certain way and that is by God’s grace without us doing anything. But AFTER we are saved by God’s grace…. Go ahead and read verses like 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Romans 8:13, Galatians 6:8-9, 2 Corinthians 7:1, and you will see it’s not just all grace and a belief alone in Jesus as one then lives out their faith. In fact, here is an admonition even at the end of Revelation.

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.”​

A person who builds their faith on the Bible alone and desires to truly please God will not seek to change this passage.

Plus , if JESUS told his own they had to continue in HIM , as paul later said too , how come today
when i say , IF YE CONTINUE IN HIM , that is called legalism . JESUS said it first and so did those apostels too .
Yes indeed . Now let all that has breath praise the glorious Lord .

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Of Course, Yes, we Definitely know, According To Scriptures (Tit 3:5)
that ALL individuals Baptized By The Holy Spirit's Work (#3 in
God's OPERATION), Into The Body Of Christ, Today, Under
God's Amazing Grace And Mercy, Are the Truly Saved Of God!

And we Definitely know Why Christ, At His Bema Seat (below...),
Judge us for our "works" And NOT send us to "fiery indignation!":

Why is it so difficult to "Take God At His Plain Word"? Everything
has to be "re-interpreted to a Vastly Different meaning," or take
what applies to previous/future dispensations and "MIX them up"
with God's Dispensation Of GRACE, today?

A humble six-year-old child would correctly quiz: "IF God
DIDN'T mean what He Said, why didn't He Say What He
Meant"???:

In God's Dispensation Of Grace/Mystery (Rom - Phm)​

"Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and
every man Shall Receive his own reward according to
his own labour. For we are labourers together with God:
ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

According to The Grace of God which is given unto me, as a
wise masterbuilder, I have laid The Foundation, and another
buildeth Thereon. But let every man take heed how he
buildeth Thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay
than That is laid, Which Is Jesus Christ.

Now IF any man build upon This Foundation gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work
Shall Be Made Manifest: for The Day Shall Declare it,
because it Shall Be Revealed by fire; and the fire shall
try every man's work of what sort it is.

If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon,
he Shall Receive a reward.

If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss:
BUT he himself Shall Be Saved; yet so as by fire."
(1Co 3:8-15)
-------------------------------

Sounds Plain And Clear, ETERNALLY Saved BY God's Grace
And Mercy (Because Of HIS BLOOD, NOT our behaviour), to me!

Please Be Very RICHLY Encouraged, Enlightened, Exhorted, And
Edified In The LORD JESUS CHRIST, And In His Word Of Truth, Rightly
Divided!

Bible Answer To Confusing church Bewilderment!

[Relationship/ETERNAL Life vs fellowship/rewards]:
Grace, Peace, And JOY!

In regards to the parable of the building,
and it's materials in 1 Corinthians 3:

Paul says before the parable, "you are God's building."
So we are the materials that make up the building.

The work is not referring to just any kind of general actions of a believer like good fruit (any kind of good fruit) and evil fruit (sin). The work is referring to those believers we bring to the faith and their eternal status with God (i.e. what kind of building materials are they made up of). The Parable is talking about Paul's work (Which is the Corinthians in this instance).

I believe Paul and the other apostles are a part of the foundation with Christ being the chief cornerstone or the ultimate baseline foundation (Ephesians 2:20), and that Paul's work in the gospel are the result of the Corinthians being initially saved by the gospel. However, Paul is now concerned that his labor in the gospel (concerning them) is now in vain because the Corinthians are now working the sins of strife and envying (Note: Paul condemns the sins of strife and envying when writing to the Galatians (Galatians 5:19-21). Paul says that they which do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God). In Galatians 4:11, Paul was concerned for the Galatians in that they were going back to the Old Law so as to be justified or saved. He was concerned that his labor for the gospel was in vain for the Galatians.

So the parable speaks of how his labor for the gospel (concerning the Corinthians) was now possibly in vain for them, too.

#1. The chief cornerstone foundation = Jesus Christ.
#2. Built as a part of the foundation on top of Christ = The apostles (including Paul, etc.) (Ephesians 2:20).
#3. The actual building materials of the tower or building = God's people (In this instance it would be the Corinthians).
#4. The Corinthians would be like: Wood, hay, and stubble in this particular point in time within their life while they abided in their sins of strife, and envying (Which are sins that will cause a person to not inherit the Kingdom of God).
Wood, hay, and stubble are not materials that could survive a fire.
#5. Paul (the soul winner, and builder of the gospel and builder upon the foundation of Jesus Christ) would be saved through the fire (despite his work - i.e. the Corinthians being his work) would be burned up because of their sins. For Paul then says that if any man defiles the temple, God will destroy them (Meaning: God will destroy the Corinthians if they do not repent of their sins). We are the temple of God. Our bodies are the temples of God. If we as believers defile our temples by sin, God will destroy us (i.e. condemn us).​

This is what I believe the parable is saying. The works of Paul that will be burned are the Corinthians if they do not repent of their sins of strife and envy (1 Corinthians 3:3). The Corinthians at this point in time are not saved and they will be burned up in the fire and destroyed by God if they don't seek forgiveness with the Lord and turn from their sins of strife and envy. Paul, the apostles, or the gospel preacher is the one who will be saved through fire if his work (the Corinthians) is burned up (on the account of their justifying sin). The parable is not talking about how a believer can sin and still be saved as long as they have a belief on Jesus. It's actually teaching the exact opposite of that. One cannot build sin as a work upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Jesus did not advocate sin, and neither did He teach that a person can continue to sin and still be saved.

Yes, we are initially and foundationally saved by God's grace, but believers cannot justify sin, and they have to be fruitful for their Lord and live holy as a part of the Sanctification Process.
For Hebrews 12:14-15 says,

“14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”
(Hebrews 12:14-15).

 

[Bible Highlighter]

To all:

Jesus believed that we can make the tree good and it’s fruit good (Which runs contrary to popular Christianity today):

Matthew 12 says,

“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.”
(Matthew 12:33).​

So the choice comes down to either believing Jesus by faith or by walking by sight in what you see.

 

[dhh712]

What is the difference in understanding and truth between us not practicing sin, or not committing sin? Note the context of this chapter and what type of sin John is talking about 1 John 3:4 sins of lawlessness. What does changing the word to practice allow us to do. Of course, cannot commit sin has no other meaning.

Well, God's word cannot contradict itself; since John writes also that if we have no sin in us we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, it cannot mean that we no longer commit any sin (since the "we" that John writes of indicates believers). It therefore must mean something like to practice sin, as in like a doctor practices medicine; it is with us and we walk (a metaphor for the manner in which we live out our life) in it rebelling against the light, the revelation provided to us by God of how we should live. I don't see how it can be understood any other way without the word of God being contradictory and we know that it cannot be that.

1 John: 8-10 clearly shows that believers still sin. Therefore, when it says we must walk in the light not in the darkness, it absolutely cannot mean that we will never sin again. That would make God's word contradict itself.

 

[Lambano]

My goodness, some of you guys think quite highly of your own ability to love your neighbor as yourself and your ability to resist the temptations of the flesh in thought, word, and deed.

Okay.

I encourage you all to honestly evaluate who you are and what you are and what you do and what goes on in your hearts. When you're alone with God, you might as well be honest, because God sees what we try to hide from each other - and from ourselves.

 

[Lambano]

Let's read 1 John 1:8 again.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

This is about being honest with ourselves.

We might as well be honest. God already knows.

 

[dev553344]

Let's read 1 John 1:8 again.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

This is about being honest with ourselves.

We might as well be honest. God already knows.

Yes anyone that has studied the bible in-depth knows that they fail the Law from time to time. But there are those the think obeying the ten commandments is a sinless life. I used to go to a church that promoted that idea. I felt like I was doing good for years and years. But after studying more I realized I fall short. Jesus was perfect and we all fall short: Romans 3:23

 

[Lambano]

Yes anyone that has studied the bible in-depth knows that they fail the Law from time to time. But there are those the think obeying the ten commandments is a sinless life. I used to go to a church that promoted that idea. I felt like I was doing good for years and years. But after studying more I realized I fall short. Jesus was perfect and we all fall short: Romans 3:23

Devin, one of the things you did that I really respect is that in several threads you have brought out just how demanding the Royal Law of loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself really is.

Love means the happiness and well-being of the one loved is essential to the one loving. Does everybody realize just how difficult this is when we're all so d*** self-centered?

Since we're studying First John, I'll pull this one right out of your signature:

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

 

[Lambano]

Consider this in your good labor - two men, both of them sinners, went to pray. One of the two sinners left with God saying he had done what was right in Gods sight. What was the difference in the two sinners? Wasn’t it that one saw himself accurately and was truthful and asked out of his lack?

So you see, both were sinners. But only one of them saw that and was truthful while praying. So it can be seen that honesty goes a long way with God. If a man struggles with sin, as a first step to receiving more grace, he only needs to be truthful with God.

It’s crucial to not drop the thread that both were sinners, exactly alike in that respect, but that only one walked away with Gods approval.

This one didn't get the recognition it deserves.

 

[dev553344]

Devin, one of the things you did that I really respect is that in several threads you have brought out just how demanding the Royal Law of loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself really is.

Love means the happiness and well-being of the one loved is essential to the one loving. Does everybody realize just how difficult this is when we're all so d*** self-centered?

Since we're studying First John, I'll pull this one right out of your signature:

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Thanks Lambano. I have first hand knowledge that God is love. He has filled me with immense love some of the communication he has had with me. His kind of love is perfect. Ours needs refinement, trial and error, practice.

From my signature: perhaps that is what Jesus meant when he said "I never knew you, depart from me", to those that don't show love to at least someone in their lives.

So isn't true Christianity great? It teaches us to be loving.

 

[Lambano]

It does not really matter if you must resist sin if you believe you will always sin again. If you believe you are slave to sin, any resistance to sin is futile if you believe it is just going to happen again at another future point in time. The whole point in resisting sin is to overcome sin in this life.

What, you won't fight unless you're absolutely certain you're going to win?

Sometimes the fight is what's important, not the result.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

This one didn't get the recognition it deserves.

Ah, well, we don’t really worry about things like that anymore, do we!

 

[Wrangler]

Devin, one of the things you did that I really respect is that in several threads you have brought out just how demanding the Royal Law of loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself really is.

Great point! I often say the gates of Heaven will not be breached by lip service.

Anyone can claim anything. The action is the thing.

And the first righteous thing is faith. I believe the divine standard is deliberately set beyond human capacity. I believe this is because he does not want us to meet his standard without him.

Therefore, the first act of faith is a confession of our inadequacy, of our need for God.

 

[dev553344]

Great point! I often say the gates of Heaven will not be breached by lip service.

Anyone can claim anything. The action is the thing.

And the first righteous thing is faith. I believe the divine standard is deliberately set beyond human capacity. I believe this is because he does not want us to meet his standard without him.

Therefore, the first act of faith is a confession of our inadequacy, of our need for God.

That is why I drew a distinction when examining the "10 commandment" churches. Some churches teach to obey the 10 commandments. But do they confess to being sinners. I find that act to be more important in my search for a church.

A good church should be teaching to obey "all" the commandments and helping the less fortunate, all the while confessing their shortcomings and faults. Being humble and not self righteous.