John is talking about the two natures. One, the flesh, with it's sin and sinful desires, verses the new nature we have via Christ, which does not sin, nor can sin. Our salvation, and how we are judged, is based on our new nature in Christ. That's why we can never lose our salvation, nor can we ever come into condemnation again, despite the fact the old nature still sins, and desires to do nothing but.
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BUT, yet again, how we live our lives has no bearing on whether or not we keep our salvation. That matter was settled at the cross. Our salvation is based entirely on the finished work of Jesus. We are holy, righteous, and sinless because that is what He is, and what His nature in us proclaims. It's imputed, imputed, imputed.
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BUT, yet again, how we live our lives has no bearing on whether or not we keep our salvation. That matter was settled at the cross. Our salvation is based entirely on the finished work of Jesus. We are holy, righteous, and sinless because that is what He is, and what His nature in us proclaims. It's imputed, imputed, imputed.
The gnostics did not believe this. They believed that they were saved by their spiritual nature, just as you do; and that the conduct of the body was irrelevant to salvation, just as you do (and even said so in your post).
Budman: how we live our lives has no bearing on whether or not we keep our salvation ... We are holy, righteous, and sinless because that is what He is, and what His nature in us proclaims
Gnostics (per Irenaeus): [the gnostics] hold that they shall be entirely and undoubtedly saved, not by means of conduct, but because they are spiritual by nature... it is impossible that spiritual substance (by which they mean themselves) should ever come under the power of corruption [of sin], whatever the sort of actions in which they indulged.
Gnostics (per Irenaeus): [the gnostics] hold that they shall be entirely and undoubtedly saved, not by means of conduct, but because they are spiritual by nature... it is impossible that spiritual substance (by which they mean themselves) should ever come under the power of corruption [of sin], whatever the sort of actions in which they indulged.