praise_yeshua
Well-known member
I see "hedging" in your comments. I know the argument well. It is a doctrinal position associated with the Holiness Church. I have assumed you are part of that "movement".cc: @civic I see you are following our dialog so I'll include you. You've heard this before I think.
I can, and I think you will accept it if you believe in context. It starts with what we must be to insure a home in heaven, Rev. 22:11 - whatever state you die in is your eternal state. A born again Christian is either righteous or holy.
1 John 3:9 ("Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.") rides on the subject of 1 John 3:4-5 Lawlessness as its context. This chapter is on righteousness, not holiness (perfection). 1 John 3:7. (" Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.")
What is amazing about the New Covenant is we can be cleansed of all desire to commit mortal sins unto death, and still be called CLEAN while at the same time still commit trespasses such as exhibiting immature fruit of the Spirit which can hurt someone's feelings. Those are sins, but not unto death. 1 John 5:16-17. John 15 says we are CLEAN as long as we keep abiding in Jesus. 1 John 1:7 shows this. "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." Just remember Matthew 6:14-15 " “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
John 15:1-3-4
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
Now about holiness. That is perfection, and years away from first becoming righteousness at the time we were first born again of the Spirit. Peter provides the steps to take to insure our election. Don't ever forget verse 9.
2 Peter 1:5-11
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble (perfection); 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Don't forget to abide in Jesus. We do that by obedience to our newly sensitized conscience where the Holy Spirit wrote God's laws.
1 John 3:23-24
23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. 24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."
Why did you say "can be" relative to what you consider to be an act of God? God never fails.