You're talking about a self-reliance, which is the furthest thing from what I'm talking about.
I'm interested in you saying back to me what you understand my doctrine to be, according to how I'm telling you.
Are you able to do that?
This is called "reflective" or "active" listening.
I tell you something, and you say it back in your own words, without changing it, or responding to it, just say it back. Then, if you are right, I know you've understood me. If I need to give a correction, I do so, and you say it back again. And we repeat this process until you tell me what I think, and I say, Yes, that's right, and then I know you've understood me.
So, what is it I think about who we are in our new creation?
Although I have addressed this before, but you were unable to process this i will do so again for your benefit.
Here is the premise of this post, Your words: [Brackettes are mine.]
[Assumption A] "When we are born again, we are fully God's spirit children. We have all our parts, but we don't know how to use them. And we aren't as strong as we will be.
[Assumption B] So we aren't told to
become the New Man, that's already been accomplished for us. But we are told to
put on the new man, and the more we do that, the stronger he becomes.
There is a significant difference in hoping to become someone better, and learning how to be the better person we have already become.
Are we waiting for something we don't think we have yet?"
Assumption A: Scripture tells us we must be built up and rooted in the faith in order to mature. We arrive at the fulness of Christ after this process, not that we are born complete, But that we must be clothed with righteousness. We are instructed to "buy" those things as we grow in Him, the Gold refined in the fire, the clothing, the eysalve. A new born babe is born Naked, Not knowing what riches are, Not seeing all that life has to offer, the same is true of Spiritually reborn person.
Assumption B: Putting on is a term which refers to being clothed, a baby is born naked, a Spiritual baby is born naked and must cloth themselves just like they must suckle on the milk of doctrine before they can learn to digest meat. What you are assuming is that we are reborn fully clothed "mini me's" and that we have all we need and that we have to learn how "believe" this to be true.
My View is that God has gifts he wishes to bestow upon us that are born again that he wishes to give us when we are ready to receive them. Gifts that are above and beyond the gift of forgiveness of sin and eternal life, which he "apportions as he wills" (1 Corinthians 12:11) These gifts are the riches of His Grace, and he will not give them until we ask and see the need for Them and ask for them rightly (James 4:1-6).
Now, you can go on believing you have everything you need or you can see that God has more to offer us and receive those blessings, so the question for you is who is right? If you remain where you are at, yes you will be saved, "Yet so as by fire" But that will be your only reward, for you have only built with hay and stubble and all that you have built will be burned in the fire, But if you have built with Gold and precious stones the fire will not burn those things away (1 Corinthians 3:12-14) This is where the Laodicean mindset is at, and this post defines this attitude, for it instills complacency in those who adhere to what you are teaching. Complacency is defined as "satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements" The Opposite of which is not being satisfied and instead pressing on to the high calling of God. (Philippians 3:12-14) Read those verses below:
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)
This is the "Mature" Paul writing here, the one imprisoned in Rome as this is one of his Prison Epistles, and you can see His theology and beliefs grow in this way, which is the same way Believers are to grow as well. They are never satisfied with their place but are always pressing on to the high calling of God in Christ.
So If you are capable of listening, you will see I am making a valid biblical point in my writing, and not a baseless false accusation. I was where you are at in your beliefs at one time because we are all on the same journey of faith, though we all have varied experiences, and we all must overcome that place of complacency in order to press on toward that High calling of Christ, and once you see this, then you too will begin to be "Knit together in Love" with others who are on this Journey in the unity of the Spirit, But first you have to see that you have the need for more than what He has already bestowed upon you, and that he has more to gift you, the riches of His Grace, which are "unsearchable". (Ephesians 2:7, and Ephesians 3:8) This being the point of my so called "Nonsequiter question" to you, which you could not answer.
Please note, this is not about me "boasting" of my Spiritual maturity, but rather encouraging you to discover this yourself. It is God that produces the growth, my hope is merely to "water" what he has already given you. When I was where you were at I had no one to help me, But God reached down to me and drew nigh to me when i realized my wretched state, and how unworthy I was, and he can do so for you as well if you reach out to him and draw nigh to Him with a repentant heart. Be zealous and repent.
I Pray you have the ears to hear what the Spirit is saying, if not you then others who read this.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; (Ephesians 3:8)
God Bless.
