Why I Warn, and Why I Won’t Stop

[GRACE ambassador]

yet the word does say, I think the way we speak the truth is just as important as the truth. this is a general statement and not directed to you, but one I have been thinking about lately, and saw this thread,

Ephesians 4:32​

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5​

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

AMEN! And there is also this?:

"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,​

In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them​

repentance to the acknowledging of The Truth" (2 Timothy 2:24-25 AV)​

​

Thus, seems to me that only warning others is IMbalanced, as most of us really need Encouragement
and Edification In The LORD Jesus Christ, and the sound doctrines * Of His Word Of Truth, Rightly
Divided.

cc: @RenewedStrength316 (Precious Shane?), thanks for the warning, But:

Still wondering how all The Words Of The LORD Jesus Christ can "ALL be for us today, Under Grace",
when there so many of Them that no one is obeying - ie:

* I have decided to follow Jesus?​

Amen.

 

[amigo de christo]

I appreciate your prayers, Mark. But boldness is not arrogance when it’s grounded in the Word of God. Jesus spoke with authority, not uncertainty. The apostles preached Christ crucified without compromise.

If correction is needed, I welcome it—from Scripture, not sentiment.

But I will not apologize for warning the flock. I will not stop naming deception.

I speak as one who has been forgiven much, and so I cannot stay silent.

If I am wrong, show me where by the Word. If I am right, then your issue is not with me—but with the truth itself.

Nor should one .
People of this day and age seem to have forgotten something my friend .
As they constantly judge , harrass and falsey accuse those WHO actually do warn and do expose .
And what is this they have forgotten , Or never knew .
What did GOD tell a church
that was simply allowing one to teach and to seduce his people .
But today if we expose false ones , expose dangerous places , naming the false ones by name
WE gets told HEY haters , shut thine tongue , God is love and ya need to stop judging .
But tell me , my friend , was not GOD quite upset
that some were ALLOWING , even allowing a false one to teach and to seduce his people .
SO , keep that in mind as they sure will keep on trying to make you look evil , bad or haterful and judgemntal
JUST for doing what we should have been doing . Corrections and warnings are a dire must .

 

[marks]

However, like you said, they were to teach all nations to obey everything that Jesus commanded, and part of his command is for us to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. As Jesus said, nobody lights a candle and then hides it under a bushel. Keep on keeping on, brother.

Where is this command?

I only know where Jesus said that Israel was the light of the world, and the salt of the the earth. I can't think of any place anyone is instructed to be the salt and light, can you?

Isn't this more about God having chosen Israel as a means to display Himself to the world, and the chosen nation to be the recipients of His covenant, to show the rest of the world a nation who worships and serves God?

You are the salt of the earth, He said, which is descriptive, and not prescriptive, as though He said, "you are to be the salt of the earth, so start being salty!"

Much love!

 

[Nameaboveallnames]

Where is this command?

I only know where Jesus said that Israel was the light of the world, and the salt of the the earth. I can't think of any place anyone is instructed to be the salt and light, can you?

Isn't this more about God having chosen Israel as a means to display Himself to the world, and the chosen nation to be the recipients of His covenant, to show the rest of the world a nation who worships and serves God?

You are the salt of the earth, He said, which is descriptive, and not prescriptive, as though He said, "you are to be the salt of the earth, so start being salty!"

Hey, Marks.

When Jesus spoke those words, his audience was not only Israelites/Jews. Instead, we know, of a certainty, that people from Decapolis, which means "ten cities," were there as well, and many of them were Gentiles.

"And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan. And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying," (Mat. 4:52-5:2)

Decapolis | Ten Cities, Hellenistic Culture, Roman Rule, & Map | Britannica

Decapolis, league of 10 ancient Greek cities in eastern Palestine that was formed after the Roman conquest of Palestine in 63 bce, when Pompey the Great reorganized the Middle East to Rome’s advantage and to his own. The name Decapolis also denotes the roughly contiguous territory formed by these

www.britannica.com

As far as Christians being instructed to be "light" is concerned, these two portions of scripture immediately come to mind:

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;" (Phil. 2:14-15)

Ephesians chapter 5

[7] Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
[8] For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
[9] (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
[10] Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
[11] And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
[12] For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
[13] But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
[14] Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Christians are called to "shine as lights in the world," and one very real aspect of that is to reprove the unfruitful works of darkness. Also, I think that we can safely say that Paul's original audiences in both Philippi and Ephesus were mostly Gentiles. Remember, he was the Apostle to the Gentiles.

I hope/trust that this answers your questions.

 

[marks]

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation,

This is prescriptive, but not to "be light".

among whom ye shine as lights in the world;" (Phil. 2:14-15)

This is descriptive, not prescriptive, as the Apostle is teaching that we shine as lights in the world, so do all things without complaining and so forth.

Ephesians chapter 5

[7] Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
[8] For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

You are light in the Lord . . . again, descriptive. Walk as children of light, prescriptive.

[9] (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
[10] Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
[11] And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Prescriptive, but not "to be light".

[12] For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
[13] But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
[14] Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

It's all about the wording of the verses, what they say and don't say.

Why do I care?

For one thing, we all need to be very careful readers. For another, well, If Jesus says, "you are the light of the world", do we then go on to tell someone, "you should be the light of the world, so try harder to be salt, and light"?

Or do we tell them to arise from the dead so that Christ gives them light?

Do we need to become light? Become salt? Or are we called to shine the light of Christ that He has given to us?

Much love!

 

[Truly]

This is prescriptive, but not to "be light".


This is descriptive, not prescriptive, as the Apostle is teaching that we shine as lights in the world, so do all things without complaining and so forth.


You are light in the Lord . . . again, descriptive. Walk as children of light, prescriptive.

Prescriptive, but not "to be light".


It's all about the wording of the verses, what they say and don't say.

Why do I care?

For one thing, we all need to be very careful readers. For another, well, If Jesus says, "you are the light of the world", do we then go on to tell someone, "you should be the light of the world, so try harder to be salt, and light"?

Or do we tell them to arise from the dead so that Christ gives them light?

Do we need to become light? Become salt? Or are we called to shine the light of Christ that He has given to us?

Much love!

Marks, I might have missed it, but why do you feel @Nameaboveallnames might not have been a careful reader when responding with those scriptures as he did.?

Although, I am not sure what your questions are between light and salt, could be a good thread. Why not start a thread on Jesus Christ as the light, and us walking in the light and/or also letting our speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt. That might actually be helpful.

 

[marks]

Although, I am not sure what your questions are between light and salt, could be a good thread.

I've called attention to the type of statements being made.

While people often think that Jesus was commanding the Jews to be the light of the world, He was actually telling them that's what they were.

Rather than telling them to become something, He was telling them that's what they are.

And this doesn't become a commandment to us, "to become light".

Much love!

 

[Truly]

I've called attention to the type of statements being made.

While people often think that Jesus was commanding the Jews to be the light of the world, He was actually telling them that's what they were.

Rather than telling them to become something, He was telling them that's what they are.

And this doesn't become a commandment to us, "to become light".

Much love!

1John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Jesus also said,

John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

As we know, a people that walked in darkness have seen a great light

Jesus said,

John 8:12... he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

1John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

We go from a place of darkness and become light in the Lord

Ephes 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord:
walk as children of light

No more walking in the darkness but walking in the light

1 John 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

He can anyone as a light when he lightend their darkness and they too become a light in this world

 

[shepherdsword]

He said to go to all the nations. Why have you not gone?

Much love!

This forum goes out to many nations so teaching and posting here does have some merit. The Lord Jesus wasn't suggesting that any single person go to all nations. He was commanding the plurality of His body to reach all.

 

[shepherdsword]

To anyone wondering why I speak boldly, publicly, and without compromise—I want you to know my heart.

I don’t correct doctrine because I think I’m smarter or better. I do it because I’ve lived through spiritual deception, and I’ve seen firsthand how twisted teachings can enslave, divide, and destroy.

I don’t hate Doug. I’m not judging his salvation. But when a man begins to teach that not all of Jesus’ words apply today, that the commands of Christ are optional or outdated, and that Paul preached a separate gospel—someone has to sound the alarm.

I also struggle with hyper-dispensationist that assume "rightly dividing" the word is limiting the Lord's teaching to the nation of Israel only. It's a severe form of heresy.

 

[Lambano]

Ah, what NT Wright called “the de-historisation of Christ”. Jesus’s only purpose was to die. His life doesn’t matter.

Marcion and his heresy still lives on in the 21st century.

 

[marks]

This forum goes out to many nations so teaching and posting here does have some merit. The Lord Jesus wasn't suggesting that any single person go to all nations. He was commanding the plurality of His body to reach all.

I'm pointing out that not everything Jesus commanded was meant for every single person. In this case, He commanded these certain people. I don't believe we are meant to do everything God ever told someone to do.

Otherwise we'd all be building arks, we'd all be looking for King Ahab to pay him a visit, we'd all be walking around naked, we'd all be trying to find a Levite to pay tithes to, we'd all be leaving our homeland to go somewhere else.

But that's not what the Bible is telling us. In some places, it tells us what God told other people to do.

Much love!

 

[marks]

I also struggle with hyper-dispensationist that assume "rightly dividing" the word is limiting the Lord's teaching to the nation of Israel only. It's a severe form of heresy.

Context is king, as they say.

Much love!

 

[shepherdsword]

I'm pointing out that not everything Jesus commanded was meant for every single person. In this case, He commanded these certain people. I don't believe we are meant to do everything God ever told someone to do.

Otherwise we'd all be building arks, we'd all be looking for King Ahab to pay him a visit, we'd all be walking around naked, we'd all be trying to find a Levite to pay tithes to, we'd all be leaving our homeland to go somewhere else.

But that's not what the Bible is telling us. In some places, it tells us what God told other people to do.

Much love!

You are presenting strawmen. The Lord Jesus definitely expects us to teach all things that He commanded. It's true that "all" could be defined as a synecdoche but the essence is that all He taught is relevant to the church as well as Israel. You can't simply dismiss all He commanded by assigning it to a different dispensation.

 

[Nameaboveallnames]

You are light in the Lord . . . again, descriptive. Walk as children of light, prescriptive.

Hey, marks.

I get the distinction that you are seeking to make, but, quite frankly, it seems like you are proving my own intended point while simultaneously disproving your own. How so? Well, for example, the Sun is the natural "light of the world," but nobody needs to prescriptively instruct it to be a constant source of light. Instead, it automatically provides light to the world because of what it is.

Is this the case with Christians? In other words, are they automatically the spiritual "light of the world?" No, they are not. If they were, then we would never read such things like the following in scripture.

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." (Rom. 13:11-14)

If Christians are automatically "the light of the world," then why did the Apostle Paul, while writing to Christians in Rome, instruct them to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light? It seems to me that some sort of active cooperation is required on the parts of Christians in order for them to truly be "the light of the world."

What about this?

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:5-7)

John was writing to Christians. Why the need for the "if" if Christians are automatically "the light of the world?" We are certainly called to be the same, but, again, it is not automatic. Instead, it requires some sort of conscientious cooperation on our parts or else we will find ourselves to be walking in darkness.

Let's look again at the two portions of scripture that I cited earlier.

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;" (Phil. 2:14-15)

Are we truly shining as lights in the world if we are doing things with murmurings and disputings? Of course, we are not, or else Paul would have never needed to give such an admonition. Compare what he said here in relation to murmurings with what he said about them in his first epistle to the Corinthians.

"Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." (1 Cor. 10:10-12)

Here, Paul admonished Christians to not murmur lest they be destroyed of the destroyer or lest they fall. Why the need for such admonitions if Christians were automatically "the light of the world" and no sort of cooperation was required on their parts?

"Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." (Eph. 5:7-14)

Why did Paul need to admonish the saints at Ephesus to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness if they were automatically "the light of the world?" Were the saints at Corinth being "the light of the world" and reproving the unfruitful works of darkness while allowing a man who was committing fornication with his father's wife to remain in their congregation? Do you understand what I am saying?

Like it or not, there is some sort of active cooperation required on the parts of Christians in order for them to truly be "the light of the world," and this is what I was talking about earlier.

Again, the Sun, which is the natural "light of the world," does not need anybody to prescriptively instruct it to shine forth its light, but Christians, who are called to be the spiritual "light of the world," most certainly do need such prescriptive instruction.

 

[GRACE ambassador]

I also struggle with hyper-dispensationist that assume "rightly dividing" the word is limiting the Lord's teaching to the nation of Israel only. It's a severe form of heresy.

Precious friend, you must have missed post # 21 = please advise which part you assume/believe is a Severe Form of heresy?

 

[GRACE ambassador]

I also struggle with hyper-dispensationist that assume "rightly dividing" the word is limiting the Lord's teaching to the nation of Israel only. It's a severe form of heresy.

Precious friend, you must have missed post # 21 = please advise which part you assume/believe is a Severe Form of heresy?

 

[marks]

What about this?

It's a great question you've asked.

The answer to this is, be who we are, not who we were.

Scripture is replete with these two facts, that we have been recreated in righteousness and true holiness. And that we may even so live according to the manner of our former lives, before we were reborn into life, while we yet walked in death.

1 Peter 1:13-16 KJV
13) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14) As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

He is holy, and it's His life that lives in us.

Ephesians 4:20-25 KJV
20) But ye have not so learned Christ;
21) If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct or manner of living) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25) Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

There is so much in this chapter, and even these few verses, but just to say, having been created patterned after God Himself, which is described as "righteousness and true holiness", this is now what we are. The inner man lives in the light and life of God.

But the Apostle goes on, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor". Why does he have to tell us to stop lying? It's because we continue to fashion ourselves according to our former lusts. We are members one of another, this is God's design, He's baptized us into Christ, into one body, and we are members of one other.

Righteousness is to do the right think, to rejoice in righteousness. In this case, to speak truth.

Holiness is to be set apart for God's exclusive use. He's made us members one of another, when we live as members of one another, we are living out the holiness that God created in us.

At the heart is the renewing of the mind. ". . . and be renewed in the spirit of your mind . . ."

Romans 12:1-2 KJV
1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

"Be not conformed to this world", this is middle/passive voice, I think in this context it's middle, that we do this to ourselves. The word here, conformed, is from the word we get "schematic" from. Not that a derived word always carries the original meaning, it doesn't. But in this case it refers to the pattern of things.

This is like what Peter wrote, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts.

Ephesians 2:2-3 KJV
2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

"Be ye transformed", this is the passive voice, this is done to us, we do not do this ourselves. By the renewing of your mind.

Philippians 2:12-13 KJV
12) Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13) For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

It's God working in us so that we both want to do, and are able to do what pleases Him.

Philippians 2:14-16 KJV
14) Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15) That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16) Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

What this world needs is not to see me, but to see Jesus through me, as I live according to Christ's life in me, not following my previous and habitual way of life.

There is plenty reason for me to believe this will continue all my life, but on the other hand, I know that God can sanctify our lives to whatever degree He intends, so I don't limit Him.

Our part is firstly to trust Jesus for everything that needs to be done, and secondly to do all those things that we are able to do in obedience to what God wants in our lives.

There is so much more to say but I'll stop here for now.

Much love!

 

[marks]

You are presenting strawmen. The Lord Jesus definitely expects us to teach all things that He commanded. It's true that "all" could be defined as a synecdoche but the essence is that all He taught is relevant to the church as well as Israel. You can't simply dismiss all He commanded by assigning it to a different dispensation.

Are you filling water pots? Jesus told the servants to do that. You speak of me being dismissive, what I'm saying is that Jesus commanded these certain people, and it is not applicable to us. And there are many such examples of this. Jesus told Peter bring some of these fish. And Jesus told the disciples who were with Him that day to go into all the nations and so forth.

We need to be clear from context whether this is a general command to all, or to some.

John 20:21-23 KJV
21) Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22) And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23) Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Jesus gave His disciples the same authority Jesus had on the earth, to forgive sins. Did He give that authority to everyone?

"What I say unto you I say unto all, watch!" This one is pretty clear.

I'm not suggesting we dismiss anything. I am suggesting that we examine everything, and be clear about the intent of each passage and verse and word.

Much love!

 

[Nameaboveallnames]

It's a great question you've asked.

The answer to this is, be who we are, not who we were.

Scripture is replete with these two facts, that we have been recreated in righteousness and true holiness. And that we may even so live according to the manner of our former lives, before we were reborn into life, while we yet walked in death.

1 Peter 1:13-16 KJV
13) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14) As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

He is holy, and it's His life that lives in us.

Ephesians 4:20-25 KJV
20) But ye have not so learned Christ;
21) If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct or manner of living) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25) Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

There is so much in this chapter, and even these few verses, but just to say, having been created patterned after God Himself, which is described as "righteousness and true holiness", this is now what we are. The inner man lives in the light and life of God.

But the Apostle goes on, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor". Why does he have to tell us to stop lying? It's because we continue to fashion ourselves according to our former lusts. We are members one of another, this is God's design, He's baptized us into Christ, into one body, and we are members of one other.

Righteousness is to do the right think, to rejoice in righteousness. In this case, to speak truth.

Holiness is to be set apart for God's exclusive use. He's made us members one of another, when we live as members of one another, we are living out the holiness that God created in us.

At the heart is the renewing of the mind. ". . . and be renewed in the spirit of your mind . . ."

Romans 12:1-2 KJV
1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

"Be not conformed to this world", this is middle/passive voice, I think in this context it's middle, that we do this to ourselves. The word here, conformed, is from the word we get "schematic" from. Not that a derived word always carries the original meaning, it doesn't. But in this case it refers to the pattern of things.

This is like what Peter wrote, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts.

Ephesians 2:2-3 KJV
2) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3) Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

"Be ye transformed", this is the passive voice, this is done to us, we do not do this ourselves. By the renewing of your mind.

Philippians 2:12-13 KJV
12) Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13) For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

It's God working in us so that we both want to do, and are able to do what pleases Him.

Philippians 2:14-16 KJV
14) Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15) That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16) Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

What this world needs is not to see me, but to see Jesus through me, as I live according to Christ's life in me, not following my previous and habitual way of life.

There is plenty reason for me to believe this will continue all my life, but on the other hand, I know that God can sanctify our lives to whatever degree He intends, so I don't limit Him.

There is so much more to say but I'll stop here for now.

Much love!

Again, I get what you are saying, and I agree almost entirely. My sole objection would be this:

Instead of saying, "Be who we are, not who we were," I would say, "Be who we are capable of being (by truly abiding in Christ), not who we were." Other than that, which might just be semantics, we are on the same page. Btw, I appreciate that you gave me a cordial response. Have a great night.