Can we advance in spiritual Character or only Walk in the Spirit Moment to Moment?

[marianna]

This is so simple a child (but not an adult) can understand it.

To walk in the Spirit is to abide in Christ. When we do this we are walking just like Jesus did...no difference. When we do this we do not sin.

yes...abiding in Christ. how do we do that?

as for your claim to be no different than Jesus, that's a problem (in orthodoxy).
very popular though among the self-deceived. they make SIN and perfection their whole platform....but they never get around to showing in scripture how one abides in Christ and walks in the Spirit and is being sanctified...maybe the scriptures tell us.

btw: is Jesus I AM?

did you actually read the resources i posted? the scriptures, contexts and greek?
and i see others in this thread admit, like Paul, they are not sinless and perfect and no different from Jesus. yet you say you are.

why some people take the critical exhortations (and encouragements) to shun sin and put to deed the things of the flesh (in the greek “by the Spirit putting to death the deeds of the body” is in the continual present tense ), while at the same time learning to emulate Jesus (and the apostles)....and ruin it all by thoroughly misunderstanding what they mean i will never know.

Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

So when we walk in the Spirit the deeds of sin are DEAD. We can't be alive to sin AND alive in Christ. The life of Jesus can only be experienced through the death of Jesus. Likewise when we are crucified WITH Christ THEN we can be made alive IN Christ.

not so fast.
here's a question about your perfection: did you fulfill this Commandment perfectly, seamlessly today?
what about yesterday....and tomorrow? dont forget lying is a sin.

how about today? did you love the LORD thy God and keep all His commandments today?

Deuteronomy 11
Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway

here's Jesus on the matter:

Matthew 22
34But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

did you "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" today?
are you sure? what about tonight or tomorrow?
i don't think so....the standard is PERFECTION.

what else did Jesus say to the Pharisee?

38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

so, did you really, truly love your neighbour (pick somebody you've never met...say, in Iraq) as yourself today? did ya? really?
i don't believe you did.

is the above the Gospel? or is it THE LAW?

who fulfilled the whole Law (thereby being and remaining sinless) - you? or JESUS?

if you failed in just that FIRST great Command today (or last week), and you are banking on YOUR righteousness, you're done.
you know that, right? ya you do.

so let's get serious....okay?

now about that walking in the Spirit....the sanctified life. HOW do we do it?

As Paul states...

Gal_2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1Jn 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he IS, so are WE in this world.

yes, wonderful verses.

now HOW does a true believer 'walk in the Spirit'? i've been through the thread and do not see your scriptural solution to the OP. perhaps i missed it. is it a "feeling"? you called it something "biblically experienced"...is that a burning bosom? subjective thoughts and impressions? moralism (exemplary behavior)? because no one believes you're without sin - scripture declares such a claim as self-deception, devoid of truth.....so let's drop that charade.

or is life IN THE SPIRIT something more active and real? you reject the name of our faith as "Christianity" (along with many other twisted notions), so perhaps you do not really obey what they say about the Christian life after all. correct me if i'm wrong.

but what do the scriptures say?

Acts 2
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place....

Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words....

[ THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ]

.....37Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

The Fellowship of the Believers
42And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awed came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

there it is...life in The Spirit.

the Scriptures, Fellowship, Communion and Prayer. >> THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

THAT is how we overcome and how we are conformed and how we are LED.

......


and how does it all go south?

Galatians 3
By Faith, or by Works of the Law?
1O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected bya the flesh? 4Did you sufferb so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

7Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justifyc the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

......


Acts 11:26
For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

btw: " 5Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?" << look into this before you continue to deny imputed righteousness. you need a PERFECT wedding garment. yours isn't. believe me.

[episkopos]

Where does scripture say "to walk in the Spirit is to abide in Christ"?

1Jn 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

1Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

[Eyelog]

Where does scripture say "to walk in the Spirit is to abide in Christ"?

Is the answer to the title of this thread neither?

[episkopos]

yes...abiding in Christ. how do we do that?

as for your claim to be no different than Jesus, that's a problem (in orthodoxy).
very popular though among the self-deceived. they make SIN and perfection their whole platform....but they never get around to showing in scripture how one abides in Christ and walks in the Spirit and is being sanctified...maybe the scriptures tell us.

btw: is Jesus I AM?

did you actually read the resources i posted? the scriptures, contexts and greek?
and i see others in this thread admit, like Paul, they are not sinless and perfect and no different from Jesus. yet you say you are.

why some people take the critical exhortations (and encouragements) to shun sin and put to deed the things of the flesh (in the greek “by the Spirit putting to death the deeds of the body” is in the continual present tense ), while at the same time learning to emulate Jesus (and the apostles)....and ruin it all by thoroughly misunderstanding what they mean i will never know.

The self deceived are they that purchase a bible read a few verses they happen to like...ignore those verses that sound unreasonable or that takes an actual faith...then claim to be the righteousness of Christ. But all the while NOTHING spiritual has taken place. Wisdom is justified by her children. We see very easily when a person claims something they know nothing about. They claim a supernatural transformation that does nothing.

not so fast.
here's a question about your perfection: did you fulfill this Commandment perfectly, seamlessly today?
what about yesterday....and tomorrow? dont forget lying is a sin.

how about today? did you love the LORD thy God and keep all His commandments today?

Deuteronomy 11
Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway

here's Jesus on the matter:

Matthew 22
34But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

did you "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" today?
are you sure? what about tonight or tomorrow?
i don't think so....the standard is PERFECTION.

what else did Jesus say to the Pharisee?

38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

so, did you really, truly love your neighbour (pick somebody you've never met...say, in Iraq) as yourself today? did ya? really?
i don't believe you did.

is the above the Gospel? or is it THE LAW?

who fulfilled the whole Law (thereby being and remaining sinless) - you? or JESUS?

if you failed in just that FIRST great Command today (or last week), and you are banking on YOUR righteousness, you're done.
you know that, right? ya you do.

so let's get serious....okay?

now about that walking in the Spirit....the sanctified life. HOW do we do it?

Jesus doesn't walk instead of us...but IN us in order to perfectly fulfill the holy requirements of God. You are making the Christian life as a spectator sport where we just cheer on Jesus rather than the biblical faith of Christ to walk as He walked in this world.

You are not being serious or taking the bible seriously. You are adding more sins to the sin you already admit you are not able to overcome. You are still living according to the flesh but claiming the victory that comes by living according to the Spirit. Hos much more self-deceived can one become than that? It is one thing to sing off-key while claiming to be a singer but quite another to mock the gospel.

yes, wonderful verses.

now HOW does a true believer 'walk in the Spirit'? i've been through the thread and do not see your scriptural solution to the OP. perhaps i missed it. is it a "feeling"? you called it something "biblically experienced"...is that a burning bosom? subjective thoughts and impressions? moralism (exemplary behavior)? because no one believes you're without sin - scripture declares such a claim as self-deception, devoid of truth.....so let's drop that charade.

Wonderful verses? But it is not so wonderful when I try pointing out that they are true.

This temporizing of the truth is according to your own understanding. You mock because you are blind to the truth. Nothing in your earthly experience can describe walking in the Spirit. So you must remain ignorant of this reality.

or is life IN THE SPIRIT something more active and real? you reject the name of our faith as "Christianity" (along with many other twisted notions), so perhaps you do not really obey what they say about the Christian life after all. correct me if i'm wrong.

Since you mock and are unteachable you fail to see how I AM trying to correct your errors. But your errors pre-empt you from any spiritual understanding.

but what do the scriptures say?

Acts 2
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place....

Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words....

[ THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ]

.....37Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

The Fellowship of the Believers
42And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awed came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

there it is...life in The Spirit.

the Scriptures, Fellowship, Communion and Prayer. >> THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

THAT is how we overcome and how we are conformed and how we are LED.

You are talking about religious activities. But Christianity is about LIFE in Christ. Then even breathing is a spiritual exercise. Fellowship is biblically according to the Spirit where men no longer know each other according to the flesh...but the Spirit.

......

and how does it all go south?

Galatians 3
By Faith, or by Works of the Law?
1O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected bya the flesh? 4Did you sufferb so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

7Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justifyc the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

......


Acts 11:26
For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

btw: " 5Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?" << look into this before you continue to deny imputed righteousness. you need a PERFECT wedding garment. yours isn't. believe me.

Believe you? I don't think so!

A make believe righteousness? This is the modern take on a gospel where only invisible things happen in the Spirit. Rather the visible world is ACTUALLY changed through the invisible kingdom. We are not walking in the power of the flesh with ideas of the Spirit....but rather walking in the resurrection power of Christ according to the power of the life to come. So unless you see sin as an eternal thing then you have never tasted once anything of the Spirit of God.

[episkopos]

The truth is mocked and written off as "pretty sounding " verses. I am sure God is not well pleased to be so condescended to.

Eze_33:32 And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

No matter how simply the truth is put...no matter how plainly the truth is laid out...mockers will have NONE of it. It is truly a wonder to see it.

A simple verse like...

1Jn 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.


...will be refuted until the cows come home. It will not even be discussed because what the verse brings out is disgust...So ironic!!!

[marianna]

You are talking about religious activities.

Acts 2
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place....

Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words....

[ THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ]

.....37Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

The Fellowship of the Believers
42And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awed came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

there it is...life in The Spirit.

the Scriptures, Fellowship, Communion and Prayer. >> THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

THAT is how we overcome and how we are conformed and how we are LED..

You are talking about religious activities.

"religious activities"? oh dear.

i didn't write Acts 2...The Holy Spirit did.

but your reaction is rather telling. what scorn for the things of The Lord and His people.

those "religious activities" are all about life in Christ. exactly as He instructed as to do, and just as the Holy Spirit LEADS us to do.

claims of perfection quench the Spirit when He is convicting you of your sin. pretending you don't have any mocks God.


don't believe me....try just st. john.
but you don't believe him either. and he tells you why....i'm done talking to you. but i'll look to see your refutation of st john....The Lord anticipated people just...like....you.

1 John 1
8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us

[marianna]

1Jn 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.


...will be refuted until the cows come home. It will not even be discussed because what the verse brings out is disgust...So ironic!!!

not refuted at all....you use hebrew for your avatar. why not use the greek for this passage?
because you can't....no truth. do you not understand HOW john uses TRUTH as a noun?

THE Truth.

[episkopos]

not refuted at all....you use hebrew for your avatar. why not use the greek for this passage?
because you can't....no truth. do you not understand HOW john uses TRUTH as a noun?

THE Truth.

Are you saying that the Greek refutes the truth?

Are you so sure that the Greek actually refutes your own position?

The truth fits with all the verses of the bible...no need to try explaining that Greek scholars don't know how to properly translate the Greek.

[episkopos]

"religious activities"? oh dear.

i didn't write Acts 2...The Holy Spirit did.

but your reaction is rather telling. what scorn for the things of The Lord and His people.

those "religious activities" are all about life in Christ. exactly as He instructed as to do, and just as the Holy Spirit LEADS us to do.

claims of perfection quench the Spirit when He is convicting you of your sin. pretending you don't have any mocks God.


don't believe me....try just st. john.
but you don't believe him either. and he tells you why....i'm done talking to you. but i'll look to see your refutation of st john....The Lord anticipated people just...like....you.

1 John 1
8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us

What I am saying is that by copying what we think is written in the bible....is religious!!! Why don't you try copying the early Christians who sold what they had to have all things in common? TOO religious? Or not enough life?

[episkopos]

I think that modern men have learned too much to be catered to. The bible is too often read as if it were a catalogue that we can choose our favourite verses from. As in...let's see...that sounds nice but it is not for me...oh, here's a verse I like. So denominations are created to fit most tastes although still not everyone is pleased.

But would the Almighty God send His only Son to create a covenant that men could control of themselves??? Can men govern over God and the things of the Spirit? Or has God done something so wonderful that it has not yet dawned on most the extant of what He has done?

So the gospel is not based on what men can do because Jesus made it so easy that anyone can do it in their own strength...rather Jesus was resurrected to empower men to come after Him and overcome as He has overcome. This is called grace. A grace that did not exist before Jesus. So we put on Christ and do what He did. Walking in holiness and a perfection created in Christ. Anything less than this is a mockery of the high cost of the sacrifice of Christ for us.

[Eyelog]

So the gospel is not based on what men can do because Jesus made it so easy that anyone can do it in their own strength...rather Jesus was resurrected to empower men to come after Him and overcome as He has overcome. This is called grace. A grace that did not exist before Jesus. So we put on Christ and do what He did. Walking in holiness and a perfection created in Christ. Anything less than this is a mockery of the high cost of the sacrifice of Christ for us.

Why should anyone disagree with this statement?

But how does one 'put on Christ'?

Then, how does one 'walk in holiness and a perfection created in Christ'?

Frankly, I see no more reson to debate whether we should. I am concerned, however,that very few have the foggiest idea of what you mean.

[marianna]

What I am saying is that by copying what we think is written in the bible....is religious!!! Why don't you try copying the early Christians who sold what they had to have all things in common? TOO religious? Or not enough life?

ha? sell all you have an give to the poor. don't you already?
i asked you if you truly loved your neighbor as yourself. your neighbor needs your good works, and God ordained that you walk in them. do you? sel all your goods?

do you just go paint the church or visit the elderly in the congregation because you are led to because you LOVE the brethren?
do you even belong to a local church? or is that too "Christian" for you?

so far you haven't joyfully confessed you even assemble for the hearing of the word and communion and fellowship.
thats where the Holy Spirit is....where Christ is magnify.

sanctify by them by THY WORD. THEY WORD is truth.

don't like all the scipture i post? huh...curious. i hear guys like you all the time. how spirutal they are. but they dont go to church, they don't fellowship with others (not because of flesh) but because thats where the LAW & GOSPEL is supposedly taught every week.
and the Lord's Table shared, proclaiming His death til He comes.

do ya do that faithfully? too religious? do you attend church and give of your money for the church's mission? do you take care of the other members and remember them in your prayers? ministering to the saints is a NT imperative. our labor of love...isn't it?

1 John 1
8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us

do you say you have no sin?

A tendency to perfectionism.
Cults have a feeling of superior holiness to those in other groups. This is particularly true when they compare themselves to established churches.
Cults say the church is filled with hypocrites and nominal Christians.
Cults claim to be a group of dedicated saints who sacrificially do God’s will.
cults & false doctine

all the perfectionist CULTS cherry pick the same verses over and over and will not accept the full counsel of the word of God. i'm just asking for a single answer to a single paragraph....John 1:1:8-10

yes...or no?

1Jn 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

okay....can't be bothered with the greek....let's try another translation:

1 John 3
1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appearsa we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

4Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’sb seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

see.....you're kind of a black and white guy (when it suits you). notice, and you'll see it in the greek, the focus is the word PRACTICE. making it a lifestyle. habitually. in slavery to it.

just like you are not perfectly righteous (like Jesus, enough to commend you God for salvation, though you say you are), the believer PRACTICES righteousness. he learns to do it. to make it his new life. the horrible unrighteousness falls away pretty quickly after regneration....but you clearly have no clue how unrighteous men really are. and that it takes EFFORT. and THE HELPER.

same with SIN. the gross outward stuff falls away fairly quickly when we repent. but it takes continuing in His Word before we really grasp how deep sin really runs.....and we continually put to death those deeds, and are continually wary of temptation because we now HATE SIN.

when we sin we CONFESS. and He is Merciful and Just to forgive and cleanse us.

but your claim is you don't experience any of what the scriptures repeatedly tell us our christian life is about.

btw: if you're not being SCOURGED now and then, you're not His.

[marianna]

I think that modern men have learned too much to be catered to. The bible is too often read as if it were a catalogue that we can choose our favourite verses from. As in...let's see...that sounds nice but it is not for me...oh, here's a verse I like. So denominations are created to fit most tastes although still not everyone is pleased.

But would the Almighty God send His only Son to create a covenant that men could control of themselves??? Can men govern over God and the things of the Spirit? Or has God done something so wonderful that it has not yet dawned on most the extant of what He has done?

So the gospel is not based on what men can do because Jesus made it so easy that anyone can do it in their own strength...rather Jesus was resurrected to empower men to come after Him and overcome as He has overcome. This is called grace. A grace that did not exist before Jesus. So we put on Christ and do what He did. Walking in holiness and a perfection created in Christ. Anything less than this is a mockery of the high cost of the sacrifice of Christ for us.

i see NOTHING of the forgiveness of sins won by Christ on the Cross from you.
i see you using the word GOSPEL in relation to how you are sinless.

that's not Good News pal. thats very BAD news for you.

you'd have reason to boast you see.....and there'll be none of that.
oh you'll give lip service to God by Him enabling you to be Jesus...or identical to Jesus.

i'm for putting on Christ.
i'm for emulating Him.
i'm for holiness and shunning sin.

i'm against fanatics who claim they are just like Jesus and pure and sinless as He was. you make it all about YOU. not Him.

He was, you ain't.

you deny all core doctrine from scripture.
sometimes they call that heresy.

[Saved7]

MOD NOTE: Thread closed.