Well, i'd be quite concerned if you didn't know that Discipline of the Lord is to transform your character and conduct from what is wrong - If we are sinless perfectionists then why would there be Discipline - Especially Discipline is proof of God's love Hebrews 12
James 14:7
17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
1 John 3:4
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
Why would we need to examine ourselves if we are sinless perfectionists?
Some people treat Christianity as if it were not the reality of pressing on, failing, but continually pressing on towards the Goal - forgetting what is behind me - but not denying that it happened
I'm not sure where we are not in agreement.
2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
Notice this Scripture says examine to see if you are in the faith... not if you are still in the faith... that's why Paul says or do you not understand Jesus Christ is in you? He's pointing to their conversion.
So is John here:
1 John 3:
14We know that we have passed out of death into life,
because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
What I am saying is this: We are new creations. To the degree our mind is renewed we prove the will of God. We grow into the fullness of Christ. The discipline of the Lord is for us to grow into who we are in Christ.
Where are we not in agreement? I said believers can sin, with 3 points...
1. Believers do not desire sin.
2. Believers are not enslaved to sin (which means they don't have to sin).
3. As we understand Him and know Him, we discover ourselves.
1 John 3:
1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears[SUP]
a[/SUP] we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
C.