Concerning "staying reborn", and the need for obedience, I find this is addressed by John.LOL, it was a question, I was asking someone if there are any conditions to being reborn and staying reborn.
Was told just "Believe using the faith HE has given us"
So that was my question to him.
The concern is, IF we are permanently saved, where is the motivation to live holy lives? I mean, if we don't lose anything if we don't live holy, then why bother?
Some teach that you have to remain obedient to remain saved, so there's the carrot and the stick. Obey or die. There's your motivation.
The Old Covenant was that way, a list of rules, you obey or die. That this ordinance continued was shown in the sacrifices, which were perpetual, because they could not remove sin, and so you had to obey, or die, though the sacrifice would cover your disobedience if offered to God in faith, looking for His mercy.
The New Covenant is not a list of rules, however, it's a changed man. Now we are not bound to an external list of rules, we are conformed in the inner man to a new Way, a new life.
What is it that makes us want to make the effort to live the new way? John answers with this:
1 John 3:1-3 KJV
1) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3) And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Here it is, the one who "purifies himself even as he is pure", who is this? It's the one who has "this hope". What hope is it?
We know that when he shall appear, we shall be like Him. This is a simple declarative statement. John's Greek is very simple, I don't really know another way to interpret his words here. We know that when he appears we will be like Him. Who is "we"? The sons of God. Those who are regenerated. Reborn.
If we are reborn now, we will be like Him when He appears. No other qualifications. If you are His child, you will be like Him when He appears.
Every man who has "this hope", that is, an expectation of what is coming based on your believing the Word of God, purifies himself.
Biblical hope is when we believe what God promises, and therefore expect that it will happen. Jesus said He will raise us from the dead, we have the hope of the resurrection.
Here, God has promised that He will make us like Him, and as we believe this promise, we expect that it will happen.
We expect that God will complete our transformation to be like Him, and because of that, we go on to purify ourselves. And isn't that what we truly want?
Much love!


