David did not "practice" murder, rape and adultery. It was a one time deal that David repented of. The Bible does not say that David continued in murder, rape or adultery as his willful, habitual lifestyle.
To "practice" describes one's lifestyle or bent of life. No repentance, just bring it on.
Genuine, born again Christians repent when they backslide. Those who never repent demonstrate they were not genuine believers.
So you are one of those I was referring to in post #551 who believes that you "must confess each and every specific sin that you commit as you commit them" (keep a specific inventory) as an "additional requirement" to "remain cleansed" and "if we forget a sin we are toast!" *Notice that - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (vs. 9) is
IN CONTRAST TO - If we
say that we
have no sin, (present tense) we
deceive ourselves, and
the truth is not in us (vs. 8) and - If we
say that we
have not sinned, (past tense) we
make him a liar, and
his word is not in us (vs. 10).
Believers speak the same/acknowledge/agree with God's perspective about their sins and have a settled recognition and acknowledgment that one is a sinner in need of cleansing and forgiveness.
Believers can know they have eternal life. (1 John 5:13) Prior to my conversion several years ago while still attending the Roman Catholic church, I had absolutely NO assurance of salvation because I was trusting in works for salvation. The day that I finally placed my faith (belief, trust, reliance) in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, I knew without a doubt that I had become born again. I don't worry about thinking I'm fooled into thinking I'm a genuine believer, but am not. I know without a doubt that I am a genuine believer. Praise God!
My argument doesn't go out the window and you seem very naive to the fact that in any group of professing believers, it's not hard to find make believers. Did Judas Iscariot remain in the vine? (John 15:2-6) or was he cut off? Was Judas Iscariot a genuine believer or an imposter? Just because letters in the NT are addressed to "believers" does not mean that everyone in a group of professing believers is a genuine believer.
Example: Hebrews 4:1 - Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have
come short of it. 2 For indeed
the gospel was preached to US as well as to THEM; but the word which THEY heard did not profit THEM, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3
For we who have believed do enter that rest..
1 John 2 is addressed to,
"My little children" (believers) yet in 1 John 2:19, we read -
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for
if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but
they went out that they might be
made manifest, that
none of them were of us.
So "you" in Romans 11 is addressed to believers, yet that does not mean that everyone in the group must be a genuine believer. We see this all throughout scripture. Those who do not continue and are cut off demonstrate they are not genuine believers. One more example:
Hebrews 3:14 - For we
have become [past tense Gk. verb, gegonamen, meaning we have become already] partakers of Christ, (demonstrative evidence)
if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. Notice that this is essentially a repeat of verse 6, where we have read: but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house -
whose house we are, (demonstrative evidence)
if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. The wording is not - "and you will become partakers of Christ (future indicative) if you (future indicative) hold fast." It is rather -
"you have been, and now are, partakers of Christ, (demonstrative evidence)
if in the future you hold fast."
The point is that not all of these Hebrews have become partakers in their promised Messiah and the only ones in the end who will be identified as truly born again Hebrew Christians who are partakers of Christ, will have been those who have held fast to the end. What about those faltering Hebrews who depart from God, yet begin with loud confidence and profession of loyalty. But later?
Future perseverance is proof of genuine conversion. Jude 1:5 - Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later
destroyed those who did not believe.
If we are truly born of God and are new creations in Christ, then why would we want to permanently reject our Lord? Makes no sense.
Rejecting Christ is unfathomable to me and I don't feel like a puppet.
I like that!
It's one thing to stumble, fall and rise again, yet it's another thing to permanently reject Christ.
These warnings are not superfluous because it's not hard to find make believers mixed in with genuine believers. If "truly saved" people can truly lose their salvation, then these promises are superfluous. (Psalm 37:28; John 5:24; 6:37, 39; 10:27-29; Romans 8:30; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 1:1, 24 etc..). BTW I'm still looking for the specific words, "lost salvation" in the Bible.
Proverbs 24:16 - For a
righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.
