Yeah, God wants our obedience and love in serving Him. But that can only happen if we have full unconditional love and payment for our sin. We are dead in sin without Him. So any kind of reducing of sin b4 conversion is just putting perfume on a corpse.
Sounds like this point
“But
God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
we have now received the atonement.”
Romans 5:8-11 KJV
Which is
glorious and true and should always be considered but then there’s this maturation point and tbat doesn’t change this , this adds to understanding and it shouldnt be tbat we see it as a conflicting doctrine but the same doctrine more exposed and moving into it’s effective state of operation as we let this type of thing add to the other God makes us grow up and strengthens our feeble and weak knees
at he first part is what God did for us this part is what we’re commanded to do now that that’s established
“
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and
walk in love, as Christ also hath
loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
But
fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. ( this part of the message is really really important too once we become a believer in the basics )
For
ye were sometimes darkness, but
now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness and righteousness and truth proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. But
all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but
understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but
be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
Ephesians 5:1-11, 13-21 KJV
We can’t say either is not true but one thing is meant to produce a babe a new believer in Jesus the other is for that babe to begin to learn from and grow up in some rings are milk other things are meat and solid food
we’re always able to trust that Jesus is going to save us , but we can’t also reject what he’s saying and then claim other forms of salvation either that’s just showing we actually don’t believe him
We come to poonts like this and Jesus is really gentle and able to make these thought provoking points that don’t condemn us if we’re not perfect but they also call is sternly to action with a warning and also a promise and blessing
“And
why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? ( this should touch the heart of a Christian that believes in and loves Jesus but maybe they have never really even considered what the term lord means )
Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: he is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and
laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
But
he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”
Luke 6:46-49 KJV
We simply have to accept the lord and what he said is his word and it’s always going to prove true in the end no matter what we think ourselves it’s w hard thing to conclude but it’s the last hurdle for a Christian if Jesus taught us something when he was here it’s always going to prove true whether w blessing or warning it’s why he came as well as to pay for our sins and give us new breath of life
In the end simplified as we hear Jesus word we need to consider this also
“Wherefore
lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
But
be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
James 1:21-22 KJV
If we convince ourselves our actions aren’t required we could become hearers only and not doers of the word and deceive ourselves into thinking we’re saved because we said we believe but then we reject what we’re told in the scriptures meant to do this
“I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance.”
Luke 5:32 KJV
why is that important to Jesus our savior ?
“I tell you, Nay: but,
except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Luke 13:3 KJV
He doesn’t Will that anyone of us perishes but that we be saved and he knows sin is death so he’s given us the gospel and patience
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 KJV
Vwe all still have time d none is perfect but we need to change the things we know we are doing th at are sinful if we are we have to start taking it seriously our actions are really important to salvation when we become believers not really beforehand but when we convert to Christ our actions matter very much