Here is my reasoning: there is a teaching in the church that we are all sinners saved by grace, who are saved; would this not mean that those who are saved by grace, who are in Christ, are committers of sin, and therefore children of the devil?
That would make Christ the devil.
However, the following scripture refutes such an idea:
1Jo 3:6, Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
1Jo 3:7, Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
1Jo 3:8, He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
If I am a sinner saved by grace, then I am a child of the devil and also redeemed. Christ would therefore be the devil because the scripture says,
1Jo 5:12, He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
It would mean that having the Son makes me a sinner and that therefore the goal of the commandment is not charity but sin (see 1 Timothy 1:5).
The reality is that if I abide in Christ, I sin not; and there is a sense in which my understanding that Christ is God rather than the devil depends on whether I see believers as being good trees bearing only good fruit.
We need revival; for the Lord is most certainly able to sanctify His people; but certain heretical doctrines in the church (such as
the inevitablity of sin) turn out to be in slander of God's name and make the gospel ineffective in the lives of unbelievers (and believers alike).
When the church is not holy, unbelievers do not come to faith; because they consider that the tree is bad because they see bad fruit on it: who wants to be a branch in a tree that is sick and unhealthy and can only produce rotten fruit?
Now in the NASB and in the NIV isaiah 14:12 unfortunately calls the devil "the morning star" but this is the title for Jesus in Revelation 22:16.
If those of us who are saved by grace are all sinners, then Jesus might as well be the devil of hell.
However, the scripture is clear that those who truly abide in Christ sin not...and this means that the fruit is good and that Christ is God rather than the devil.
I am attempting to force some Christians out of sinful lifestyles in these statements. If anyone wants to be a witness for Christ, if they are sinners and proudly call themselves sinners-saved-by-grace, then let them understand that they are preaching a different Jesus than the Jesus of the Bible, in that their Jesus is a bad tree bearing bad fruit and with the knowledge that we have of the holy scriptures today they are preaching a jesus who is the devil of hell himself.
Therefore allow Christ to sanctify you today. Surrender to Him: believe that He is good and that if you put your trust in Him he will sanctify your life; and He will. For the Jesus of the Bible is a good tree.
Mat 7:15, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16, Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17, Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18, A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19, Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20, Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 12:26, And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Mat 12:27, And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
Mat 12:28, But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Mat 12:29, Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Mat 12:30, He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Mat 12:31, Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat 12:32, And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Mat 12:33, 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.
Mat 12:34, O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Mat 12:35, A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
I would go as far to say, based on the scriptures at hand, that to call one's self a sinner saved by grace is at the very least borderline blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.
Does anybody not see it?