Many errors occur due to the reasonings of men.
...you said before giving your own reasonings.
Look at the above argument.
Okay.
More specifically, eternal life, but, yes, it is.
Those in Him have it. Those without don't.
Correct.
John 3
36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Conclusion 1...as long as I have Christ, I have it.
Correct.
So I better keep myself in Christ.
We're told to abide in him in scripture, and that is with the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
1 John 2
24Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 25And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 26These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 28And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
Are you denying the Holy Spirit's ability to help us to abide in Christ as we yield to him?
It's a fair argument using only this text.
It's a fair argument using the entire Bible.
There are clearly in the bible other verses that seem to suggest the same thing. Some even suggest that we need to persevere to the end to attain it.
They don't just "SUGGEST the same thing". Instead, they flat out tell us the same thing, but a lot of people simply don't want to hear it.
It isn't.
Quite simply, it's wrong because nothing we do will ever merit salvation.
So, salvation isn't a covenant between two parties? Christ died to purchase our salvation from sin, and now we are commanded to abide in him in order to walk free from sin. As Paul said in Romans 6, we were once servants or slaves to sin, and now God expects us to be servants or slaves to righteousness via the new birth. Does this mean that we'll never stumble? No. It's a sanctification process, but we should be growing into maturity in Christ daily while seeking cleansing via his blood if/when we take missteps along the way.
By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
When did I say a single word about the works of the law? Never? That's what I thought.
This should make us all shout for joy. What I can't do for myself, God in Christ has done. I didn't put myself in Christ and I couldn't keep myself there if I wanted to. And even if I could, it wouldn't justify me. I would still be creating my own means of salvation.
No. You would actually be saved by being born again of God's Holy Spirit, and then by being holy as God is holy; even as he commands us to be under both covenants.
Why is it that someone believes God standard has changed.
It hasn't changed. He's always commanded us to be holy as he is holy, and such is attainable with the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Only perfect righteousness is acceptable to God. Do you realize how far our plumbline is from that standard. Sure, in Christ it is growing closer, but the chasm is too great for us. If you are trying to jump the Grand Canyon, will it make a difference if you formerly could jump 15 feet and now you can jump 25? Either way, you don't make it. Oh please, stop trying to jump a little farther, and just enjoy the One who jumped in your place.
In other words, we should just ignore such scriptural exhortations as this one?
1 John 3
6Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
Are you abiding in the true vine, Jesus Christ?
Is he a good vine or a bad vine?
We'll know a tree (or a vine) by its fruit.
Abide in Christ, and you'll be able to DO RIGHTEOUSNESS by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
It almost sounds as if you're denying Christ's atonement by making it insufficient to overcome what Adam's sin brought into this world.
If we've truly been born again, and if we truly and humbly rely on God's Holy Spirit for assistance, then we can truly walk in the manner in which God has always commanded us to walk.
