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Agreed. We are either dead or alive. There is no in between. And yes, we were dead in sin. Dead, not somewhere in between. And the penalty for sin is separation from God, death and hell. We were separated from God. We were dead in sin. We were headed for hell the second this body died too.
We were all that. Totally, absolutely, 100% agreement.
BUT, Then Jesus.
-- Then Jesus came to earth as a human being, and lived his entire life sinless.
-- Then Jesus lived in the perfect will of the Father, showing us what that looks like, and giving full glory to his Father in the process.
-- Then Jesus took a punishment he did NOT deserve, as the Law showed us he could with the two sacrificial goats -- one bleeding on the altar for our sins and the other one laid hands on for our sin and then set loose. (Scapegoat.)
-- Then Jesus was separated for the one and only moment in "forever" from his Father. The full union of the Trinity was broken for one moment for our good and God's glory.
-- Then Jesus died the horrible death we all deserved.
-- Then he went to hell and released the ones his Father had given him.
-- Then, of all things, he rose again, to show the Father accepted his offer in our stead.
And always, always, always to show what John 3 is!
Then Jesus. He changed everything! We were dead in sin. He gave us new life, second birth, regeneration. He justified us! We did not give us that. He did!
We were all that. Totally, absolutely, 100% agreement.
BUT, Then Jesus.
-- Then Jesus came to earth as a human being, and lived his entire life sinless.
-- Then Jesus lived in the perfect will of the Father, showing us what that looks like, and giving full glory to his Father in the process.
-- Then Jesus took a punishment he did NOT deserve, as the Law showed us he could with the two sacrificial goats -- one bleeding on the altar for our sins and the other one laid hands on for our sin and then set loose. (Scapegoat.)
-- Then Jesus was separated for the one and only moment in "forever" from his Father. The full union of the Trinity was broken for one moment for our good and God's glory.
-- Then Jesus died the horrible death we all deserved.
-- Then he went to hell and released the ones his Father had given him.
-- Then, of all things, he rose again, to show the Father accepted his offer in our stead.
And always, always, always to show what John 3 is!
Then Jesus. He changed everything! We were dead in sin. He gave us new life, second birth, regeneration. He justified us! We did not give us that. He did!
That is not what I see. I see God offering salvation to all people. But not forcing his salvation on anyone, thus he gives it only to those who desire it.
I see everything which you said, and agree, up to the point of your last sentence
Then Jesus. He changed everything! We were dead in sin. He gave us new life, second birth, regeneration. He justified us! We did not give us that. He did!
Here is what I think, Yes, he changed everything, We were dead in sin, with no hope. no way to get outselves out of that debt we owe God (death) then Jesus died, and took that debt for us, And since he did this, because he loved the whole world. And died for it, WHOEVER BELIEVES in him has past from death to life (will never perish, but has eternal life = new birth)
eternal life is new birth, He just added the word eternal to it to show us this new life is eternal, it will never be lost. it is what Jesus meant when he said you must be born again, and although he died for the world he loved, he only gives it to those who believe.