1 John is written to born again believers. The context is walking in fellowship. Yes, 1 John 1:4 begins with 'if' . . . here's the thing: I am a child of God and I am walking along 'in the light' but then I stumble and fall - I was tempted and I followed through on that temptation . . . in that instant I am 'in darkness' . . . YOU say that then I am not a child of God and somehow at that time God takes away his Spirit from me and I am lost. Then I can't even be convicted of what I have done because I no longer even have the Holy Spirit there to convict me . . . I say that I stumble and fall - in that instant I am 'in darkness' but I am still a child of God; still have the Holy Spirit to convict me of my wrong and I ask forgiveness and I am back 'in the light'. And of course God has no greater joy than that his children walk in truth and that is what each and every born again believer, child of God desires to do. We desire to walk after his commandments - the thing is we live in this body of flesh and it is a battle - hopefully most times we will win but there will be times when we won't and he has made provision for that in 1 John 1:9. So no walking = conviction = forgiveness = saved.
The point John makes is for the Christian to maintain his salvation he MUST walk making salvation CONDITIONAL upon the Christian walk. Therefore if a Christian quits walking all together he becomes lost. Yet Eternal Security says the Christian walk does not matter, it's non-essential for a Christian to maintain his salvation.
James 5:19,20 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
James is writing to Christians and says if one of you err from the truth, let him know, that he which converteth the SINNER...
Note how James calls this erring one from the truth a SINNER and not a Christian.
Peacefulbeliever said:
I was made spotless 'to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace' - because of what Christ has done - in the flesh NO but in that new man that was created in me when I was born again - I cannot please God in the flesh. The Spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak.
peacefulbeliever said:
Then there are none that are saved. . . . The context is not saved or lost - It has to do with the Christian's walk. Our standing before God is as a child and will NEVER change but out state [as in fellowship/walk] will fluctuate.
peacefulbeliever said:
No, I didn't make salvation CONDITIONAL. I didn't say that someone HAD TO ASK forgiveness for salvation but to restore fellowship with the Father and the Son. I was giving a hypothetical example. I AM SAYING that my salvation is based on my confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and believing God raised him from the dead - PERIOD! At that point I am born again and the Spirit of God dwells within me . . . so even if I sin and don't realize it - I am still God's kid.
A Christian's sins can only be cleansed if he is CONDITIOANLLY walking in the light. The Christian's sins are not just automatically forgiven regardless of what the Christian does.
Peacefulbeliever said:
The Jews [the children of Israel] were not born again of God's Spirit . . . big difference there. We have been made partakers of his divine nature. That's what people don't seem to get - we have God in Christ dwelling in us via the gift of holy spirit . . . It can't be unborn . . . oh well. . . <sigh>