Understanding : Born Again.

[Behold]

-

Saint,

How are you actually born again?
What literally happens. ?

I thought i would share this faith fundamental with you because a member here (Marks) recently suggested that we should discuss the fundamentals of the faith more often, as they feel this would be most helpful to many.
Sounds like a wise statement to me.


So lets look at what it means to be BORN AGAIN.....how it happens.. and what it does..

It could be that you've never had a teacher explain it to you as you will read it now.
In that case, God bless you to see it and thank you for taking the time to be here.


Now, the NT tells you.... that if you as a man have sexual relations with any woman, you both....become : "ONE Flesh".
This is a consummation.
Its a Joining of Flesh to Flesh that creates a "one", in God's perspective.
So, if you are getting married, and you are a male virgin and your to be wife is a virgin, or if neither of your are... then, at some point you are going to join to each other's body, and become ONE Flesh, in God's perspective. This is the act of sexual intimacy. Its the consummation of the Marriage VOW.
The idea of a "honeymoon", is similar to the Traditional Jewish custom of going directly to a private place following the marriage ceremony, and committing sexual intimacy = "consummation of joining flesh to flesh", which is the fulfilling of one very important part of the marriage vow.
>Very important<, as this should be WHEN you become "ONE" with your mate.
Some, became "one" with each other before they were married.

Now, God says that a man shall leave his parents and """CLEAVE (KJV) to His wife.."""
To "cleave" is to become "ONE".... and this is sexual intimacy.
Now, what is the reason that God gave Sex to humans to perform?
God gave sex , first and foremost, to "replenish the Species".
Reader....The main purpose of sex, is not physical satisfaction//gratification, but its to keep the species from becoming extinct.

So, when a man and a woman join their bodies within sexual intimacy, they are become "one flesh".
Thats is how God sees it..
And from this Sexual Joining, if all goes as it should, a birth will be produced....eventually.
So....What you have is 2 that have become one, according to God, and from this union you should eventually see a end result= and that result is a birth.

Now lets apply all that, to the spiritual realm, so that we can easily understand what it means to be "born again".

its like this, Saint.....
A person, hears the Gospel under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and believes on Jesus.
God instantly sees this faith in your heart and accepts it to Justify you by faith, and God instantly gives you "the gift of Righteousness"...and you are instantly "made Righteous".
And what happens then, as God has now made you righteous so that He can now do what comes next.. which is join you to Himself, Spiritually.
See, God had to make you as righteous as He is, with the blood of JESUS, before He could join you to Himself, spiritually. He can't join you to Himself is you are still a SINNER, unforgiven, unredeemed.
= God then joins you to Himself, spiritually, and you eternally become "ONE with GOD and Christ".
Now see that "One" ???? = that is The ETERNAL Spiritual UNION. = God has spiritually joined you to Himself,... as you are now the "bride".. The Bride of Christ.
This means you are now "IN CHRIST"....as CHRIST is God.
That is the Spiritual realm... exact same thing.... as you find in the natural realm when a man and a woman become "ONE Flesh".
IN both cases its a UNION of "ONENESS"....one is natural realm, and one is Spiritual realm.

Within the Spiritual Realm, as God is A Spirit, ... You join His Spirit, and become "One with God and Christ"...spiritually.
See that ???
Isn't that beyond beautiful and wonderful?
It is in fact, amazing.

This JOINING ...this Spiritual union that God creates, happens to you instantly, as soon as God sees that FAITH in Christ in your heart....and what happens next,.. also instantly... is that the Spiritual FRUIT result of God joining you to His Spirit = is that a New Birth happens...inside YOU.
You are born again..

Saint....This is God's Spirit that has joined you to Himself, and this creates IN you, a Spiritual Birth,.... and that Saint..... is to be = born again.
God's Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit causes you to be birthed Spiritually, as "a new creation in Christ". (Born again).
That is how you are born again, and that is why you are born again, and that is why you REMAIN born again, always.

You the born again (not the water baptized) but the BORN AGAIN, have become Spiritually joined to Eternal God, and the spiritual fruit that is created, is birthed as your born again Spirit.... as your "new creation" "in Christ".

 

[JohnDB]

Ummm
Not going to try to be so picky on this...
But one of my pet peeves is trying to equate physical intimacy with emotional and spiritual intimacy.

A dating but celibate couple can be every bit as intimate as it comes without being physically intimate...they can get to a point of being able to truly speak for each other if they get to know each other well enough.

And it's an important thing in marriage.

They can become one even before they are physically intimate. Same goals dreams and purposes.

But carry on with being born anew.

 

[justbyfaith]

I will only add that if anyone is born again, their life will change from walking in the direction of sin towards walking in the direction of righteousness (1 John 3:9)...

Pro 4:18, But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

 

[Behold]

I will only add that if anyone is born again, their life will change from walking in the direction of sin towards walking in the direction of righteousness (1 John 3:9)...
.

Yet, you can walk as Christ walked, resisting sin, and die and go to hell like a bullet.

So, its not the walking that matters, its the New Birth.

Many "walked right into hell" but not one that is born again is in Hell.
Not one.

 

[stovebolts]

I especially enjoyed your piece about the honeymoon where the consummation takes place.

The idea of a "honeymoon", is similar to the Traditional Jewish custom of going directly to a private place following the marriage ceremony, and committing sexual intimacy = "consummation of joining flesh to flesh", which is the fulfilling of one very important part of the marriage vow.
>Very important<, as this is should be WHEN you become "ONE" with your mate.

This is a very good teaching, and I like your emphasis on “should”. Should doesn’t always mean that things are set in concrete. It just means that there is a normative manner in which God has set things in motion. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t exceptions.

You the born again (not the water baptized) but the BORN AGAIN, have become Spiritually joined to Eternal God, and the spiritual fruit that is created, is birthed as your born again Spirit.... as your "new creation" "in Christ".

I am aware that there are those who teach works based salvation where water baptism is the key element in ones salvation. I want to separate myself from that group and make clear I do not see their ridged view on the matter as a sound biblical teaching.

For me, I see water baptism as normative to your earlier comment on the honeymoon. To highlight your words, I would use “should” be normative. There are always exceptions, thanks to Gods abounding grace.

I see water baptism much in the same way you see the honeymoon as the place consumption occurs due in part because the picture that Paul paints in Romans 6 which we are reminded many times in his other writings.

Romans 6:1-13 NIV
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Emphasis on verse 5
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his,

It is the point of consumption that unites us as one. Not through the washing of filth from our body, but that of a clean conscience. Baptism in water then is a confirmation of vows and the normative means of consumation. Just as most physical marriages are consummated in the marriage bed, it is normative that our marriage to Christ occur in the baptismal waters.

Be blessed.

 

[ChristisGod]

Understanding Jesus teaching in John 3 on Born Again !

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

So lets go through this point by point.

1- to enter the kingdom of God a person must be born again( a 2nd time)
2- flesh gives birth to flesh ( 1st birth )
3- the Spirit gives birth to spirit( 2nd birth )
4- the wind(spirit) blows wherever IT pleases
5- we hear the sound of the wind but do not know where it is coming from or going to
6- the same with the Spirit( we see its effects but not its coming or going)
7- the spirit is the same as the wind- it does as it pleases and we see its effects in both the natural(wind) and supernatural ( spirit)
8- nowhere in this passage does it say that a man chooses to be born again
9- the new birth is compared to the physical birth just as the wind is compared to the spirits work
10- in both cases of birth God is the Active One and the one who is birthed is passive in the process.

conclusion: just as flesh gives birth to flesh( 1st birth as a person) so to does the Spirit give birth to the spirit(the new birth- born again)

There can be no other reading into the text but what has been outlined in the 10 points. Those 10 points are directly from the text.

Now The PARALLELS and CONTRASTS Jesus makes in the passage are the following 10 by reading through and observing the passage :

1- the 2 births
2- the wind and the spirit
3- flesh and the spirit
4- water and spirit
5- earthly and heavenly things
6- effects of both the wind and spirit
7- the seen with the unseen
8- the physical with the supernatural
9- knowing and not knowing, understanding and not understanding
10- entering the kingdom and not entering the kingdom

conclusion: the new birth like our physical birth is Gods doing. God controls both our physical and spiritual births.

hope this helps !!!

 

[justbyfaith]

Yet, you can walk as Christ walked, resisting sin, and die and go to hell like a bullet.

So, its not the walking that matters, its the New Birth.

Many "walked right into hell" but not one that is born again is in Hell.
Not one.

And, you can think that you are born again; but if you are a worker (doer) of iniquity, you will go to hell like a bullet when you die (Matthew 13:41-42; Matthew 7:23, Matthew 25:41).

What defines the born again person but the fact that he has turned away from his sins?

I don't think that anyone who has truly ceased from sinning is not born again. After all, the argument of many so-called Christians is that you cannot cease from sinning even as a believer in Christ. So, if anyone has truly ceased from sinning, you know that that is a supernatural work of the Holy Ghost.

 

[justbyfaith]

Understanding Jesus teaching in John 3 on Born Again !

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

So lets go through this point by point.

1- to enter the kingdom of God a person must be born again( a 2nd time)
2- flesh gives birth to flesh ( 1st birth )
3- the Spirit gives birth to spirit( 2nd birth )
4- the wind(spirit) blows wherever IT pleases
5- we hear the sound of the wind but do not know where it is coming from or going to
6- the same with the Spirit( we see its effects but not its coming or going)
7- the spirit is the same as the wind- it does as it pleases and we see its effects in both the natural(wind) and supernatural ( spirit)
8- nowhere in this passage does it say that a man chooses to be born again
9- the new birth is compared to the physical birth just as the wind is compared to the spirits work
10- in both cases of birth God is the Active One and the one who is birthed is passive in the process.

conclusion: just as flesh gives birth to flesh( 1st birth as a person) so to does the Spirit give birth to the spirit(the new birth- born again)

There can be no other reading into the text but what has been outlined in the 10 points. Those 10 points are directly from the text.

Now The PARALLELS and CONTRASTS Jesus makes in the passage are the following 10 by reading through and observing the passage :

1- the 2 births
2- the wind and the spirit
3- flesh and the spirit
4- water and spirit
5- earthly and heavenly things
6- effects of both the wind and spirit
7- the seen with the unseen
8- the physical with the supernatural
9- knowing and not knowing, understanding and not understanding
10- entering the kingdom and not entering the kingdom

conclusion: the new birth like our physical birth is Gods doing. God controls both our physical and spiritual births.

hope this helps !!!

We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand (Romans 5:2); and God gives us a choice as to whether we will have faith or unbelief whenever we hear the gospel message.

For example, see Joshua 24:15, John 1:12, Revelation 3:20, and Revelation 22:17.

 

[justbyfaith]

This is a very good teaching,

Even a broken clock is right two times a day.

 

[ChristisGod]

We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand (Romans 5:2); and God gives us a choice as to whether we will have faith or unbelief whenever we hear the gospel message.

For example, see Joshua 24:15, John 1:12, Revelation 3:20, and Revelation 22:17.

so you think you had something to do with your physical birth ?

 

[justbyfaith]

so you think you had something to do with your physical birth ?

You think that spiritual birth and physical birth have to be exactly the same?

 

[ChristisGod]

You think that spiritual birth and physical birth have to be exactly the same?

birth is birth no matter how you want to slice it- you are passive in both cases.


John 1:13
children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.

John 3:5
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

John 3:6
Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit.

Titus 3:5
He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

James 1:18
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.

1 Peter 1:23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

 

[justbyfaith]

Again, we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand (Romans 5:2).

Apart from faith in man there is no salvation.

I do believe that man makes a decision as to whether he will respond to the gospel in faith (implied in Hebrews 4:2).

 

[Behold]

I especially enjoyed your piece about the honeymoon where the consummation takes place.

This is a very good teaching, and I like your emphasis on “should”. Should doesn’t always mean that things are set in concrete. It just means that there is a normative manner in which God has set things in motion. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t exceptions.



I am aware that there are those who teach works based salvation where water baptism is the key element in ones salvation. I want to separate myself from that group and make clear I do not see their ridged view on the matter as a sound biblical teaching.
For me, I see water baptism as normative to your earlier comment on the honeymoon. To highlight your words, I would use “should” be normative. There are always exceptions, thanks to Gods abounding grace.
I see water baptism much in the same way you see the honeymoon as the place consumption occurs due in part because the picture that Paul paints in Romans 6 which we are reminded many times in his other writings
Romans 6:1-13 NIV
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Emphasis on verse 5
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his,
It is the point of consumption that unites us as one. Not through the washing of filth from our body, but that of a clean conscience. Baptism in water then is a confirmation of vows and the normative means of consumation. Just as most physical marriages are consummated in the marriage bed, it is normative that our marriage to Christ occur in the baptismal waters.
Be blessed.

Water Baptism, is like putting on an Army Uniform.
It what you wear because you are IN the Army.
But you can wear it, and not be in the Army.

Salvation, is you being birthed into God's Spirit, by God's Spirit.
There is no water in God's Spirit, and there is no water that can birth you into God's Spirit.

 

[Behold]

And, you can think that you are born again; but if you are a worker (doer) of iniquity, you will go to hell like a bullet when you die (Matthew 13:41-42; Matthew 7:23, Matthew 25:41).

You've told us you sin and confess.
So, according to you own post, you are in trouble.

 

[mailmandan]

Water Baptism, is like putting on an Army Uniform.
It what you wear because you are IN the Army.
But you can wear it, and not be in the Army.

Exactly. When a soldier puts on a uniform, he is revealing himself to be a soldier and putting on what he has previously been qualified to wear. One does not put on a uniform in order to become a soldier. Simply putting on a soldier's uniform (in of itself) does not make one become a soldier. Just like putting on a judge's robe does not (in of itself) make anyone become a judge, but one who has been made a judge is qualified to put on judicial robes and thus declare their qualifications. If one attempts to put on the clothes of a Christian, in water baptism, without first becoming a Christian, then one becomes an imposter, and is declaring, in baptism, to be what they are not.

 

[Behold]

Exactly. When a soldier puts on a uniform, he is revealing himself to be a soldier and putting on what he has previously been qualified to wear. One does not put on a uniform in order to become a soldier. Simply putting on a soldier's uniform (in of itself) does not make one become a soldier. Just like putting on a judge's robe does not (in of itself) make anyone become a judge, but one who has been made a judge is qualified to put on judicial robes and thus declare their qualifications. If one attempts to put on the clothes of a Christian, in water baptism, without first becoming a Christian, then one becomes an imposter, and is declaring, in baptism, to be what they are not.

When studying The Acts of the APOSTLES... (Acts), we discover that there are several instances of water baptism.
In each case, the person BELIEVES,.................... and is then dunked.
Water follows Salvation, it does not cause it, and it does not resolve it.

I was born again, 11 yrs before i was "immersed" in a tank of blue water.
AS the water was being drained subsequent to my immersion, the person standing near me said of the water...>"there go your sins".
I smiled inside and thought......"idiot, my sins are on Jesus The Christ, 2000 yrs ago".

The dying Thief on the Cross, is currently still waiting to be immersed in water.
When we the born again, all get to heaven, we can ask him about the fact that he is in Heaven, and was never "water baptized" after we kneel at the feet of Jesus and thank God for His blood that allowed us to be there.

 

[justbyfaith]

There is no water in God's Spirit, and there is no water that can birth you into God's Spirit.

The Holy Ghost is absolutely promised as the result of fulfilling the condition of the promise in Acts of the Apostles 2:38-39.

And, you can think that you are born again; but if you are a worker (doer) of iniquity, you will go to hell like a bullet when you die (Matthew 13:41-42; Matthew 7:23, Matthew 25:41).

What defines the born again person but the fact that he has turned away from his sins?

I don't think that anyone who has truly ceased from sinning is not born again. After all, the argument of many so-called Christians is that you cannot cease from sinning even as a believer in Christ. So, if anyone has truly ceased from sinning, you know that that is a supernatural work of the Holy Ghost.

You've told us you sin and confess.
So, according to you own post, you are in trouble.

1) It was a little while ago that I told you that. What makes you think that that hasn't changed?

2) Confession of sins helps. If anyone does it properly, they will be cleansed of all their unrighteousness.

Exactly. When a soldier puts on a uniform, he is revealing himself to be a soldier and putting on what he has previously been qualified to wear. One does not put on a uniform in order to become a soldier. Simply putting on a soldier's uniform (in of itself) does not make one become a soldier. Just like putting on a judge's robe does not (in of itself) make anyone become a judge, but one who has been made a judge is qualified to put on judicial robes and thus declare their qualifications. If one attempts to put on the clothes of a Christian, in water baptism, without first becoming a Christian, then one becomes an imposter, and is declaring, in baptism, to be what they are not.

If someone is not a Christian when they are baptized, in becoming baptized they may in fact become born again. For the Holy Ghost is absolutely promised to those who fulfill the condition of that promise in Acts of the Apostles 2:38-39.

idiot,

Truly you were (not) bearing good fruit at this point.

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.

 

[Rocky Wiley]

-

Saint,

How are you actually born again?
What literally happens. ?

I thought i would share this faith fundamental with you because a member here (Marks) recently suggested that we should discuss the fundamentals of the faith more often, as they feel this would be most helpful to many.
Sounds like a wise statement to me.


So lets look at what it means to be BORN AGAIN.....how it happens.. and what it does..

It could be that you've never had a teacher explain it to you as you will read it now.
In that case, God bless you to see it and thank you for taking the time to be here.


Now, the NT tells you.... that if you as a man have sexual relations with any woman, you both....become : "ONE Flesh".
This is a consummation.
Its a Joining of Flesh to Flesh that creates a "one", in God's perspective.
So, if you are getting married, and you are a male virgin and your to be wife is a virgin, or if neither of your are... then, at some point you are going to join to each other's body, and become ONE Flesh, in God's perspective. This is the act of sexual intimacy. Its the consummation of the Marriage VOW.
The idea of a "honeymoon", is similar to the Traditional Jewish custom of going directly to a private place following the marriage ceremony, and committing sexual intimacy = "consummation of joining flesh to flesh", which is the fulfilling of one very important part of the marriage vow.
>Very important<, as this should be WHEN you become "ONE" with your mate.
Some, became "one" with each other before they were married.

Now, God says that a man shall leave his parents and """CLEAVE (KJV) to His wife.."""
To "cleave" is to become "ONE".... and this is sexual intimacy.
Now, what is the reason that God gave Sex to humans to perform?
God gave sex , first and foremost, to "replenish the Species".
Reader....The main purpose of sex, is not physical satisfaction//gratification, but its to keep the species from becoming extinct.

So, when a man and a woman join their bodies within sexual intimacy, they are become "one flesh".
Thats is how God sees it..
And from this Sexual Joining, if all goes as it should, a birth will be produced....eventually.
So....What you have is 2 that have become one, according to God, and from this union you should eventually see a end result= and that result is a birth.

Now lets apply all that, to the spiritual realm, so that we can easily understand what it means to be "born again".

its like this, Saint.....
A person, hears the Gospel under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and believes on Jesus.
God instantly sees this faith in your heart and accepts it to Justify you by faith, and God instantly gives you "the gift of Righteousness"...and you are instantly "made Righteous".
And what happens then, as God has now made you righteous so that He can now do what comes next.. which is join you to Himself, Spiritually.
See, God had to make you as righteous as He is, with the blood of JESUS, before He could join you to Himself, spiritually. He can't join you to Himself is you are still a SINNER, unforgiven, unredeemed.
= God then joins you to Himself, spiritually, and you eternally become "ONE with GOD and Christ".
Now see that "One" ???? = that is The ETERNAL Spiritual UNION. = God has spiritually joined you to Himself,... as you are now the "bride".. The Bride of Christ.
This means you are now "IN CHRIST"....as CHRIST is God.
That is the Spiritual realm... exact same thing.... as you find in the natural realm when a man and a woman become "ONE Flesh".
IN both cases its a UNION of "ONENESS"....one is natural realm, and one is Spiritual realm.

Within the Spiritual Realm, as God is A Spirit, ... You join His Spirit, and become "One with God and Christ"...spiritually.
See that ???
Isn't that beyond beautiful and wonderful?
It is in fact, amazing.

This JOINING ...this Spiritual union that God creates, happens to you instantly, as soon as God sees that FAITH in Christ in your heart....and what happens next,.. also instantly... is that the Spiritual FRUIT result of God joining you to His Spirit = is that a New Birth happens...inside YOU.
You are born again..

Saint....This is God's Spirit that has joined you to Himself, and this creates IN you, a Spiritual Birth,.... and that Saint..... is to be = born again.
God's Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit causes you to be birthed Spiritually, as "a new creation in Christ". (Born again).
That is how you are born again, and that is why you are born again, and that is why you REMAIN born again, always.

You the born again (not the water baptized) but the BORN AGAIN, have become Spiritually joined to Eternal God, and the spiritual fruit that is created, is birthed as your born again Spirit.... as your "new creation" "in Christ".

Your post is very descriptive and true.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Yet, you can walk as Christ walked, resisting sin, and die and go to hell like a bullet.

You can't walk as Christ walked without him being in you by the Holy Spirit. You've created a fictitious person to illustrate a false point.

For apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5​

The defining quality of the legalist is not his obedience, it's his hypocrisy.

If someone is walking as Christ walked they are righteous as he is righteous.

The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. 1 John 3:7​