Listen I truly agree with most everything you said here, but now all of a sudden, for the first time, you are saying things like "Our desires change", "One should indeed seek to live a life pleasing to the Lord", and "God will chastise them as any good Father will". I couldn't agree more, but why and how do these things change? what is different about us that changes us. BTW "do you not understand that the things we do because of the gift of salvation, the very things you're talking about here are the "works" I'm speaking about. I even said I "hate" calling them works because they are now really just my desires, only by His grace.
Sorry, I thought it was rather obvious. Our only point of contention Jim, seems to be one "proving" salvation via good works. That a Christian will automatically do them.
We still have our free will. God doesn't override that at conversion. Christians can choose to be carnal. Just like the believers at Corinth that Paul chastised. Never once did he say by their behavior were they not believers.
By our free will, we choose to sin - daily. That's not an excuse, just an obvious fact.
I do not believe the Christian should ever want to give sin power over Jesus. You don't think that's what you are doing, but that is what you've been standing on this whole conversation. On "we still sin", as if it's the most important message.
It actually is in regard to this conversation.
So many that point to their good works never want to acknowledge that they still sin
regularly. And they won't accept the biblical fact that even if one sin attributed to them after conversion isn't covered by Christ's shed blood on the cross, they are lost with no hope, because Jesus isn't coming back to shed more blood for any unforgiven sins. Without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission. Which is why I keep saying, either Jesus paid for every sin - past, present, and
future - or he paid for none.
What's the use of paying for 99.9% of sins if even one attributed sin to us will damn us?
I believe we should be proclaiming the freedom from the bondage of sin and the power of Christ to change the world,
The unsaved cannot say no to sin because it's their only nature. We, having now two natures, have the power to say no. But even when we don't, our salvation is never in question.
Please tell me in 1 sentence the main problem I have with what you're saying.
You seem to be saying that those Christians who produce little or no good works are only giving "lip service" to Christ and are not saved.
You are saying that the Christian is always saved not matter what and will always sin.
Yep. Your own life bears the truth of that. If not, let me know when you have stopped sinning completely.
what is different between the saved and unsaved.
The saved have the indwelling Holy Spirit, the unsaved do not.