Not By Works
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I feel at 70 years of Age, I am QUALIFIED to answer with a brief TESTIMONY about what I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFETIME. I have DEFINITELY seen a progressive improvement in my lifestyle as my spirit MATURES, yet mourn each sin. The SIN NATURES does not stick its ugly head up no where near as often as it used to, 40 some years ago when I was first SAVED. In the first example below, they quote 1 Cor. 10:13, which is a KEY VERSE to HOW we are to escape TEMPTATION TO SIN. GOD SAYS HE has given us a way to escape temptation to sin, and AS I SPIRITUALLY MATURE, I can now recognize those escape routes, way easier than before. As far as I am concerned, saying to yourself, I cannot help my self that I am tempted; is a COP OUT to give yourself an excuse to continue to SIN. If you LET IT, your Human Spirit has a mind too, and it will eventually become dominant over the sinful mind of the flesh. You just have to FEED it a steady diet of the WORD OF GOD.
You will find that most People here will NOT agree with you, that you see no ability to SIN less as you spiritually Mature.
Including these:
GotQuestions
Our key to victory in our struggle with sin lies in the very promise of God Himself: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
. . .
https://www.gotquestions.org/struggling-with-sin.html
The Good Book Blog
Talbot School of Theology
Michael: Everyone knows that the more you mature in your faith, the less you struggle with sin. Actually, don’t many people measure their spiritual lives based upon how they are doing with the sin subject?
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https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-bo...e-or-less-with-sin-questions-over-breakfast-6
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:7-9). Again, it's a day-by-day, moment-by-moment process.
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Look at it this way. If an individual insists on living an unchristian life even after "receiving the knowledge of the truth," we might be led to suspect that he never really accepted Christ in the first place. If he willfully persists in committing the same sin over and over again without remorse and without showing any evidence of a genuine desire to change, we would have every reason to doubt the sincerity of his faith. Such a person is like the demons mentioned in James 2:19: they "believe" the truth but refuse to grant it their personal allegiance.
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/fa...lful-sin-after-salvation-and-eternal-security
All About Following Jesus
Spiritual Maturity - A Definition
Spiritual maturity is a process that begins when a person accepts Jesus Christ as Savior. He or she is born again of the Holy Spirit and then chooses to live "in Christ." The Apostle Paul said that spiritual growth is an ongoing process. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14). Even the Apostle Paul had not arrived, yet he continually pressed toward the prize.
. . .
Spiritual maturity should be a priority for you. "Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:13-14). As a believer, you are not to be milk-fed. Instead, you are called to chew on the "meat" of God's Word. Discover God's truth by in-depth Bible study and feed yourself spiritually. Then apply that sustenance to your life as you walk in the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual Maturity - Living In Christ
In order to experience spiritual maturity, you must also understand that growth comes by grace and it is God alone who is your resource. 2 Peter 1:3-9 reminds you that God is the source. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins."
When you became a child of God, you were given all you need "in Christ" to become a spiritually maturing believer. However, you are responsible to make a choice! Will you choose to use and apply God's principles to your life? The wonderful thing about being in submission to God's maturing process is that you will be changed! You don't have to worry about becoming mature. God does the changing! He will conform you to the image of Jesus Christ as you humbly surrender to His Holy Spirit and learn His Word.
. . .
https://www.allaboutfollowingjesus.org/spiritual-maturity.htm
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So yes, I have not arrived yet, but will at the Resurrection, but I am spiritually more mature than I was 40 years ago.
And I can affirm that I SIN far less than I did back then, because now I call on HIM to help me to escape Temptation.
Do I Mourn when I commit a new Sin? ABSOLUTELY! When was the last time you cried because of your sin's?
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I agree. John says in 2 John that many deceivers who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. I believe that they are those who says that WORKS of any sort such as OBEDIENCE TO GOD is not a part of salvation or not essential or necessary.
God sent His only begotten Son into the world as the WORD that became flesh, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. This is to demonstrate His own love for us; that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Why would God have to send Jesus Christ if we can be saved by FAITH alone? Does the prophets and God's people from the beginning have no faith? I'm sure they have. If their FAITH ALONE can save them then why did Jesus still have to come and die for us? One reason is to set them (those who were called) free from the sins committed under the first covenant and to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.
Another reason to consider is that the Holy Spirit which would empower and enable those included in the body of Christ to do the will of God will not come unless He goes away. It should be clear that the life that Jesus lived here on earth should set an example for Christians on how to live as He did and thereby receive the promised eternal life and in order that we may also share in His glory that He prepared in advance for the objects of His Mercy.
Who therefore is John referring to as deceivers and antichrists? Are they those who teach that we should WALK as Jesus did, to WALK IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMANDS or to WALK IN LOVE. Those who teach about purity and holiness or is it those who say that no one can obey God's laws and commands and therefore Faith alone saves without the addition of any works including obedience to God.
It should be clear now that Jesus came in the flesh that we may know that man can do everything He did and become like Him and be there also where He is right now because WITH GOD, nothing is impossible. So let us not be deceived by those who say that faith alone saves and does not acknowledge that Christ came in the flesh by not acknowledging His life in submission, love and obedience to God's will.
FAITH is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. Jesus came in the flesh to make evident the things of God and His words fulfilled, to give us hope and to make our hope sure.
FAITH comes from hearing the message and without Jesus coming in the flesh, no message would ever come to us GENTILES and there will be no MERCY and GRACE reaching us. And what is the message that we have heard from the beginning? It is to love God by loving one another.
2 John 1:5-6
And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
Those who do not acknowledge this LOVE which is to WALK IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMANDS does not acknowledge Jesus as coming in the flesh.
1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
2 John 1:7-11
Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
God sent His only begotten Son into the world as the WORD that became flesh, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. This is to demonstrate His own love for us; that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Why would God have to send Jesus Christ if we can be saved by FAITH alone? Does the prophets and God's people from the beginning have no faith? I'm sure they have. If their FAITH ALONE can save them then why did Jesus still have to come and die for us? One reason is to set them (those who were called) free from the sins committed under the first covenant and to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.
Another reason to consider is that the Holy Spirit which would empower and enable those included in the body of Christ to do the will of God will not come unless He goes away. It should be clear that the life that Jesus lived here on earth should set an example for Christians on how to live as He did and thereby receive the promised eternal life and in order that we may also share in His glory that He prepared in advance for the objects of His Mercy.
Who therefore is John referring to as deceivers and antichrists? Are they those who teach that we should WALK as Jesus did, to WALK IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMANDS or to WALK IN LOVE. Those who teach about purity and holiness or is it those who say that no one can obey God's laws and commands and therefore Faith alone saves without the addition of any works including obedience to God.
It should be clear now that Jesus came in the flesh that we may know that man can do everything He did and become like Him and be there also where He is right now because WITH GOD, nothing is impossible. So let us not be deceived by those who say that faith alone saves and does not acknowledge that Christ came in the flesh by not acknowledging His life in submission, love and obedience to God's will.
FAITH is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. Jesus came in the flesh to make evident the things of God and His words fulfilled, to give us hope and to make our hope sure.
FAITH comes from hearing the message and without Jesus coming in the flesh, no message would ever come to us GENTILES and there will be no MERCY and GRACE reaching us. And what is the message that we have heard from the beginning? It is to love God by loving one another.
2 John 1:5-6
And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
Those who do not acknowledge this LOVE which is to WALK IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMANDS does not acknowledge Jesus as coming in the flesh.
1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
2 John 1:7-11
Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
