1. for 1 john 3:9 i'm just reading it as it is. It says continuous sin...not discrete sin.
My chosen version is
Does not Sin
Can not Sin
You seem to express there is a possibility for one to Sin...After he is Born OF God.
Man is Born OF God BY receiving Gods Seed in his Heart.
The Word of God was Born OF God when Gods living Word came forth out from Gods mouth.
A man having received the Seed of God is called; A son of God.
The Word of God, revealed in the likeness as a man, is called; the Only begotten
Son of God; and called by the Name Jesus.
{begotten because Only he came forth Out of God}
By your rendition and implication
Any Son / son OF God seems to try really hard to Not Practice Sin.... but that there IS a Possibility He / he Might Sin.....
Is that accurate ?
Because if so...
I totally disagree with you.
2. Look your whole argument about...going from follower to....some more perfect being doesn't even matter. The point is that the letter...was written to Christians who had an understanding. 1 john 3:9 and 1 john 2:1 were written to the same group of people at the same exact time. This is all within one letter for one group.
There is no level 1, 2, and 3 in this letter. Sure I agree levels exist...the bible mentions new born babes supping on the milk of the word but yeah that's not the case here. Every Christian can have an advocate with the father if they sin.
3. The biggest biggest flaw in your argument is the argument that the disciples didn't have the HOly Spirit so they lacked an understanding.
The reason why this argument isn't a good argument to claim that 1 john 2:1 applies to people such as the disciples who didn't have the HOly SPirit yet and lacked an understanding is becuase of this.
Every single letter that Paul wrote to was to Christians that have already experienced the acts 2:38 experience. They aren't the equivalent of those confused disciples that didn't have the HOly Spirit to teach them all things and bring all things to their remembrance. These people that received 1 john already had this understanding.
Being crucified with Christ is one thing
That concerns a physically alive body that IS spiritual Dead to God becoming washed, in Jesus' Blood, Sanctified, Annointed By God,
and reserved i.e. set Aside I.e. Kept with Christ, testified OF In Heaven, In Gods Records, In Gods Book of Life that that body is Justified TO BE Redeemed and Changed Into a glorious body., thereafter Forever fully aware of being with the Lord.
In the meantime that physically Alive body is spirituality Alive IN Christs Jesus' Body.
Being saved is one thing
That concerns restoration of ones soul.
Being born again is another thing
That concerns the quickening of ones Spirit.
If you recall God created man Very Good, In Gods LIKENESS.
What Changed ?
Belief IN God.
How?
By Man Rejecting Gods Word and instead accepting one of Gods creations word, that was In Conflict with Gods Word.
And What IS Disbelief IN God called?
Sin.
And How does a man Sin?
By Rejecting Gods Word and instead accept mans word that Is in Conflict with Gods Word.
And ? So man became "NOT GOOD".
And mans seeds reproduces more of his not good kinds of things.
And ? Boo hoo mankind is doomed?
No. yeah, yeah, God has provided His Way for a mans, body, soul, & Spirit to be made Whole and acceptable To God.
That Is effected By a mans Freewill to choose to Believe In God, Trust His Word is True, and Do what His Word Says.
When God Forgives a man - He is Forgiving a man FOR NOT having Believed IN Him and For Not having Trusting His Word over His creations Word that conflict with His Word.
ONCE a man HAS Freely chosen To Believe in God and Trust His Word over His creations Word that conflict with God.....
And -
God has made the man Whole.....
Restored the man back to Good.....
Keeps the man Whole and Good BY the supreme Power of His Spirit....
What....Power IS Greater that can EVER cause that man To ever Again Sin?
NONE! ZIP! NADA!
Such a man IS forever FREED From Sin and Can Not Ever Sin Again.
Sin is only Against God.
And Only God forgives Sin.
Does Scriptures call Acts of man Against man A Sin? Yep.
Why?
Because UNDER Mosaic Law Every disobedient Act a man did Against The Law was called a Sin.
Why?
Because IT WAS BY Obedience TO the Law,
Hoe a man revealed He Believed IN God.
And that carried forward from the Hebrews To the Tribes of Israel to the Jews of this day where BY some of the Tribe of Judah continue and some of the other Tribes faulted, yet while they all are of the same Race of Hebrews separated from the Race of Gentiles.
I am a Gentile. My history did not begin being subject to mosaic law, steeped in knowledge of their God, their customs, traditions. My history begins with the Word of God, whom I Trust IS my God With me. Every thing asked of me To Do and Believe has Been By and through Him.
I have accomplished BY my Own choosing to submit my Life To Him and fully Trust He is Faithful to have made me Whole and FREED From Sin.
Paul taught to mixed crowds. You call them Christians.
A Christian in Scriptures is simply a follower of Christs teaching.
No different today.
A born again Christian Is not merely a follower, but rather a man who has Committed his Life To Christ the Lod Jesus.
Huge Difference.
Paul's crowds...mixed Jews & Gentiles -
All hearing Paul's same words.
All believing ? No.
What was familiar Knowledge to a Jew?
Everything they did WRONG was for, 4 thousand years called A Sin.
And ?
For a Gentile? {never having been subject to mosaic law}
Disbelief in the Word of God, who IS God, Is A Sin.
So How did with one Speech teach to Jews and Gentiles in the Same crowd.
The Same Way as Jesus taught. Speaking The Truth in A Fashion that a mixed crowd could understand what He was saying BY terms that were Familiar To Them.....
While Also revealing Truths that neither the Jews or the Gentiles Had Ever Heard.
It was Jesus' revealing such Truths that would DIVIDE...Jews & Gentiles FROM Him or
Congregate....Jews & Gentiles TO Him.
When you read Scriptures Discover Who Paul is addressing- men steeped in mosaic law or Gentiles.
The divided or the ones submitting.
And the ones submitted...then what?
Done deal?
As far as their Salvation... Yes.
As far as their Behavior and Works ? No.
Their Behavior and HOW TO do works to Glorify God are continually taught and reprimanded when one is found in conflict to be doing something reflective of being a poor reflection On Gods begotten "Son" and on Gods quickened "sons"!
When reprimanding a Jew, the familiar term of SIN is their familiar understanding of not doing something Correctly.
When reprimanding a Gentile, the familiar term IS you're Not Behaving "Christ-Like".
Then we have the Gentiles WHO...have submitted their Life to Christ, become Forgiven of their Sin Against God, become reconciled To God ...but, but, but....
Have ADOPTED a Jews historical understanding of SIN....
Oh my you drank too much...you Sinned
Oh my you didn't eat with sinners...you Sinned
Oh my you ate with sinners...you Sinned.
Oh my you said you would wash the dishes and you didn't....you Sinned.
Good grief Gentiles get a clue...you are Not Jews Proving your Belief in God by Following Jewish law or subject to their terminology that every imperfect work you do is a sin.
Stop preaching Gods Word is dependent Upon a mans Behavior!
Know what your Sin Against God Was and Thus You would Know What God Forgave.
Stop with the nonsense God Forgave your Sin but but but - somehow IS waiting On the sidelines Waiting TO See If You will Trump His Word With Your Behavior Of Stop Believing In Him!
Acknowledge your reprimands of not Behaving Christ-like and Fix that and move On, improving your Behavior to that which glorifies God.
It doesn't mean you have STOPPED Believing,
Which IS what God Already Forgave.
It simply means your works are crummy and not up to par...So fix it....what do you think the Power of God is in you For?
Hello? It's There to strengthen you... so get busy and ask for His strength to improve your works!
Stop preaching the undermining OF Gods Forgiveness. His Word Spoken Is TRUE regardless of what you Do.
God Bless,
SBC