I am not cherry picking and you are using the typical attack the poster tactic to not answer the question.
Who's attacking you? Oh, that's right...you're the guy who reported me because I "offended" you when I correctly noted that you didn't know what you were talking about on another thread. Report me again, then. No worries. Both God and I know that you're in error and you certainly won't be reporting Him anytime soon. In fact, you'd be wise to straighten out your mixed up theology before the day comes that you have to answer directly to Him for the same. Also, unlike many, I never avoid answering questions, so please stop lying about me or I'll report you myself.
Again, who is the man who's LAWLESS deeds are forgiven and who's sin is covered? Who is the man who's sin the Lord will not take into account?
Exactly who Paul said it is:
"Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." - Romans 4:6-8
And? How does this change anything? Again, the same Paul warned the same exact Romans later on in this very same epistle that they needed to "fear" and "take heed" lest God "cut them off", too, and they be "spared not". Now, what do you suppose that THAT means? That people are "eternally secure" without ever having to do anything but believe? Don't kid yourself. After all, you're not kidding me and you're certainly not kidding God.
With regards to the verse you posted, Paul tells us immediately after:
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what [
o]benefit were you then [
p]deriving [
q]from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22
But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you [
r]derive your [
s]benefit, [
t]resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
Jesus paid for our sins. ALL OF THEM. He died for us WHILE we are STILL sinners. Believers have been JUSTIFIED by His blood. I will posit to you that ALL believers with saving faith still sin BUT we have an advocate in heaven that hears our confession. However, justification is a ONE TIME event from which a new creation emerges. Justified today, not justified tomorrow, justified today, not justified tomorrow, etc. etc. would be the act of a God that changes His mind but God does not change His mind nor is He contingent on YOUR works to remain saved.
Which is why Paul later warned these same Romans to "fear" and to "take heed" lest God "cut them off" or they be "spared not", right? Again, don't kid yourself. Those whom God deems righteous are those who "do righteousness" after having been born again and attached to the good Vine of Christ. Those who don't "do righteousness"? Well, we both know what John had to say about the same in his first epistle, don't we? Yes, we do...even if only one of us seems to be taking it to heart. In fact, I'll be so bold as to declare that God warns about people just like you in John's first epistle. You know, those who seek to deceive others into believing that they can continue to sin after coming to Christ. Read it for yourself. It's in I John chapter 3.
And those with saving faith are NOT servants of sin BUT they STILL sin. Do you sin?
Yes, I do still sin at times, but certainly not in the cavalier, flippant or fearless manner in which some others seem to here. Even then, God immediately strives with me to bring me to a place of genuine repentance when I do sin so that I sin no longer in that specific area. Is such foreign to you? Does your definition of repentance match the Bible's definition of the same? Definitions such as the following?
"Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." - II Corinthians 7:9-11
And yet, John tells us in the first chapter of the same epistle:
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
How do you reconcile John's own words with YOUR interpretation of the passages of John that you posted?
How do you reconcile YOUR interpretation of the passages you posted based on the beginning of chapter two of the same epistle?
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an [
a]Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the [
b]propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for
those of the whole world.
What's to reconcile? Nobody can say that they've never sinned and John told us exactly why he wrote these things, even as you just quoted:
That we sin not.
Now, go and do likewise.
Do you know what propitiation means? Do you know what it means that Jesus Himself is the propitiation for our sins?
Yes, I know what it means. Christ became our "mercy seat", in effect. And? Do you realize that those who sin willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth are going to die without mercy (Heb. 10:26-31)? So much for your allegation that Christ died for all of our sins...as if that covers future willful sins as well. It doesn't.
That's a funny question...especially since you just thought that you needed to teach me what "propitiation" means. Anyhow, as John wrote, "he that doeth righteous is righteous even as He is righteous", so I didn't "boast". Rather, I merely affirmed that the Word of God is true (in contrast to your error) and that Christians can and ought to be "doing righteousness" as a direct result of their truly abiding in the good Vine of Christ. Again, Jesus said that a good tree cannot produce corrupt fruit, yet you spoke of "filthy rags"; pulling that verse out of its context and seeking to apply it to Christians. Anyhow, do you need help understanding what it means to abide in Christ and to sin not? It means what it says, whether you like it or not.
Eph. 2
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [
h]that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
The believer is CREATED in Christ for good works and the works that we are to do have been prepared beforehand for us to do. This means that we are to do these works FROM salvation not FOR salvation since God is the creator of these works that we have to do. I will posit to you that all believers with saving faith do these works out of their love for Christ. But no all do the same works or even the save quantity of works. That is up to God, not up to you.
Again, and? My point is that God will judge us in accordance to our works, just as the Bible teaches:
"And if ye call on
the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." - I Peter 1:17-21
Etc., etc., etc.
