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Old 12-01-2008, 07:04 AM
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MC1171611 MC1171611 is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Western Ohio
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What most people don't understand is that while the Born Again Christian is a new creature, the old creature is only dead in trespasses and sins: the OLD MAN still remains. As Paul spoke of many times, even he struggled with sin and wickedness in his flesh. It was not a sign of an unregenerate person: it is proof that every Christian has TWO natures, the nature of Adam, or a sinful, wicked nature, and the mind and heart of Christ, which is the New Man.

The only thing that really changes at Salvation is the regeneration of our souls and the Holy Spirit coming to dwell inside of us. Yes, He will lead us into all truth, but we aren't forced into following! A saved person is capable of anything and everything that a lost man is capable of; the difference between us and them is that we have the Holy Spirit of God in us, and we are commanded not to quench the Spirit. If we can quench the spirit, then obviously we are able to sin.

People take the Epistles of John and try to apply them doctrinally to us today; this is fallacy since they are located in the books written to the Tribulation saints, to whom also are written the Gospels (Gospel of the Kingdom, etc.). Most "Lordship Salvation" preachers use Matthew ("endure to the end") and Hebrews through Jude to peach that people who live in sin aren't saved. This simply isn't the case. It is true that many people who don't exhibit a change after salvation truly aren't saved, but I know of people that got truly born again and either backslid or never "got in." They show no fruit, and they'll have absolutely no rewards in Heaven, but they're just as saved as you or I.