I assume you'll be explaining this as we proceed. I completely disagree with this assessment. I do see the walk in the light as provisional as I think is clear in what I said and the walk in the light is fellowship. If the walk is not abiding, then discipline, which is still relationship.
I got confused somewhere by something I thought you said, but I can't find it now. I'm glad to see I am wrong on this point.
I understand your position. I disagree with it and think the language is very clear as I've already explained it.
I also think you're looking at this from a human perspective of what we can and cannot do, instead of from a divine perspective of what can be done in Christ in Spirit under the leading and guiding of the Spirit. IOW in the dynamic relationship we have with Him he can impress upon us what He wills and requires from us. This coupled with being taught His Word and His ability to enlighten us from His Word when He wants us to learn and to know something all works together to raise and train us at His pace as we do our part in abiding faithful submission to Him which is also enabled by Him. I also include being tested in this growth within relationship.
IOW the line of demarcation is His to draw and not ours. We live in Christ with the mindset provided us from His Word and His Spirit doing what we know He wills us to do, including admitting our know failures which ultimately, He has made us able to know, and He is at work in us providing capacity for us to both will and work for His good pleasure.
I'm confused again. I was pushing back against someething that I thought was human-minded. Then you responded that my push-back was human-minded. Looks like we might actually agree that we walk by faith and not by sight.
Whether looks or taps on the shoulder of conscience, He can perfectly get our attention. An issue with taking sheep metaphors too far is that we are not sheep and don't always need the rod to redirect us. Another metaphor in Scripture is of strong and powerful war horses that are so highly trained that it only takes a slight shift of the body or slight touch of the reins to redirect us.
As a child becomes trained, at times it only takes a look and there is no pain except for possibly a twinge in mentality/spirit that is self-critical for the failure - failing the one we love and look up to (to put it mildly).
I agree that walking in lock step with the Spirit is not painful. Actually, it is quite pleasant. And I have found by experience that it is much better to walk as He leads instead of suffering His correction when I don't.
There is also associated with all this provision to deal with sins the ability to approach our great High Priest in times of need which in context has to do with Him knowing everything about sins Heb4:15-16. I take this to mean and have used it for decades to approach Him if I'm struggling mentally with some sin. I've consistently found that the mental struggle ceases.
I've not remotely gotten into anything touching on loss of relationship and see no need to go there from these few verses.
Again, I'm glad my perception was wrong.
Disagree with your first sentence as already explained. If there's no need for His correction, then we never sin which contradicts these 1John verses. In a perfect walk, I'd agree with you, but IMO this is what this section of Scripture is discussing - we are not experientially perfected.
Ok, this may be a point of disagreement. I was taught that unlike "relationship", "fellowship" is interrupted when we sin, but is restored when we repent. But now I am thinking this is not a Scriptural point of view. I will need to seek God's wisdom on this point.
I agree with your second sentence in regard to these verses re: the relational and think I've made this clear re: His disciplining His sons.
If we are not ultimately corrected when we fail to walk in the light, then different levels of discipline have not worked, and it seems to be your view that we were never saved. Yet there are other views that say we were, and we're simply taken home prematurely. And there are others who say salvation can be lost. Again, IMO this is not under discussion in these verses.
No, it is not my view that if discipline does not work, the person was never saved. It is clear that the discipline spoken of in Hebrews 12 is for children only. I do ascribe to the "taken home prematurely" POV, though there is only one verse to support this as far as I know. And finally, I agree with you that the verses in 1 John under discussion do not bring up these subjects.