Agreed. As I said, that is the heresy of antinomianism, that there are no longer any consequences of sin. And Paul is very clear in his refutation of such an understanding in Romans 6, where he says, "What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!"
Saying transgression of law is not condemned, is no different in results from saying there is no law to transgress.
Anti-nomianism is an offense to the law of Christ, and anti-trasngressionism is lip-serve to the law of Christ.
Well, our having been given the mercy of God and born again of the Spirit demands our responsibility to live lives becoming a Christian and running the race (Hebrews 12:2), sure.
A demand for responsibility becomes a hollow request, when there is no accountability for not fulfilling it.
But there is sort of a "freedom to fail," in the sense that we will not in this life run that race perfectly, that we will fail to do so perfectly, that we will still sin in this life ~ we still fall short of the glory of God ~ but still there is no more condemnation of us who are in Christ as a result of not running the race, failing to run the race perfectly, sinning, or falling short of God's glory.
Freedom to fail? Now there's a battle cry Patton would be proud of. Let's put it on the doorposts and the welcome mat for the devil.
It speaks for itself, that it even needs to be said, that there is no freedom nor liberty in Christ Jesus
to fail, fall, and sin with the devil. If there was ever a license to sin, this is it.
The only freedom and liberty in Christ is to win and not sin with the devil.
In the race for the crown of righteousness, there is freedom to fail, but only
the mercy to be restored. If we fail to run lawfully, then like all men on earth, we have a merciful advocate drawing us back to reconciliation with God, by godly confession and forgiveness of that sin that is not past.
in the sense that we will not in this life run that race perfectly, that we will fail to do so perfectly, that we will still sin in this life ~ we still fall short of the glory of God ~ but still there is no more condemnation of us who are in Christ as a result of not running the race, failing to run the race perfectly, sinning, or falling short of God's glory.
There is no race, when not running the race results in victory.
OSAS does not treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a real Person, even as they only idolize His life as a man, that no one else can walk like.
A work of the flesh is falling short of Jesus' glory and virtue on earth, not a tempting inglorious thought, that is cast down to resist the devil, til he flees out of the way of the faithfully lawful runner.
OSAS imperfectionism of unkind thoughts, is excuse for works of the flesh.
Well, if your focus is solely on
us ~ which it seems to be ~ the answer is
no. In and of ourselves, it would actually be a certainty that we would
not do so.
But since God is at work in us, He's the one Who makes it a certainty:
Typical slippery OSAS: Trusting in ourselves is not the same as looking honestly at what we are doing.
Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
OSAS turns honest judgment of ourselves into trusting in ourselves, so that we ought not even look closely at what we are doing, whether it be for good or evil.
I suppose since there is no condemnation when doing evil anymore, acknowledging it with ourselves is a form of unbelief. Just like confessing a sin with godly sorrow, is unbelief in already being forgiven before sinning.
As Paul exhorts us all, as Christians, we should all work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in us, so that we then will and work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13). And Paul tells us this just after he has told us, in Philippians 1:6, "I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
Fear and trembling of what? Condemnation for sinning? What fear, trembling, shame, or sin is there, where there is no condemnation from God?
OSAS has no fear of the Lord in their eyes, who see no condemnation while sinning against God:
Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
Ah, well those... Here's what the apostle John tells us about them:
"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge." (1 John 2:19-20)
So, those who turn back to sin and forsake his cross were never really Christians in the first place; God never began His good work in them, else they would not have turned back to sin and forsaken His cross. Notice there that he's contrasting between us and them and saying that we have been anointed by the Holy One, and the strong implication there is that they have not been.
This isn't so important, since what we are
doing now is what we are justified in or condemned for. The past doesn't matter, so that only what we are
doing at the end will obtain the crown of obedience, or fall short of the resurrection by sinning with the devil.
However, in the matter of now, speaking of when they went out, does not mean how they always were.
If a dear brother or sister turns from the faith, which I have known, I don't write them off as having been unbelieving dogs and pigs all along. I prefer to remember them as the saints they once were, and pray for them to return to godly confession and be restored to the faith of Jesus.