So let's credit John for that wonderful teaching in 1 John. Christians, especially Gentiles in Christ, should relate to John's references to words of Jesus.
1 John 2:7-11 (KJV)
[SUP]7 [/SUP] Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
[SUP]8 [/SUP] Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
[SUP]9 [/SUP] He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
[SUP]10 [/SUP] He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
[SUP]11 [/SUP] But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
That is far superior to the stark verse chiseled in stone, under the old covenant. The whole chapter ought to be read now to bring his OP into full view, that is STOP SINNING. 1 John 2:1 (KJV)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
But if and when you do sin, there's a way to fix that. Jesus taught to repent. Repent means to find out that what you are doing that separates you from God must simply be stopped. If repenting, then Jesus our Advocate (Supreme Defense Attorney appointed by none other than Father God) stands for us before the Father, citing our turning away from that sin (repentance) unto his righteousness, thereby requiring forgiveness of yet another sin POST CALVARY, by reason of JESUS BLOOD.
But if a sinner chooses rather to prefer a worldly D.A. (Humanism, claimed genetic predisposition, ignorance of morality, mental illness due to a life of sin, etc.), the sin case will have to be worthy of even a hearing based upon something greater than Jesus' blood. That's a case where I believe "luck" is a valid though hopeless thought stacked against an habitual sinner.
So it is that under the Old Covenant and under the New Covenant, a sinner is not awarded a blank spiritual check to fill in covering whatever he or she does day to day. Sin remained of primary concern to God, and ought to be so with His children.
If that sounds unlike your doctrine, then I'll ask what you think of Peter's inspired word in 2 Peter 1:2-11 (KJV)
[SUP]2 [/SUP] Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
[SUP]3 [/SUP] According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
[SUP]4 [/SUP] Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
[SUP]5 [/SUP] And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
[SUP]6 [/SUP] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
[SUP]7 [/SUP] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
[SUP]8 [/SUP] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[SUP]9 [/SUP] But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
[SUP]10 [/SUP] Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
[SUP]11 [/SUP] For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Peter was hand selected by Jesus, so ya better listen to him. Jesus is indeed well able to keep you from falling, but if you sleep in while he and some disciples get up and follow him early morning, you are not with him that day. It matters not that you might pull the blanket over your head and say "Lord, I'll follow later.". How ya gonna figure out where he went?
James 2:19 (KJV) [SUP]19 [/SUP] Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
So if you are OSAS, how are you different from the devils? How do you KNOW? Will those devils not notice living in unrepented, unforgiven sins? Do you realize they will be at your trial before the Lord one day, eye witnesses, accusing you of deliberate, habitual sins like theirs? Will Jesus' blood cover those? If so, how could that deal with repeated sin after knowing it is sin, while John will be there too testifying to the Word commanding NOT to SIN?
How many unconfessed sins will be on your account that wasn't entirely washed clean? How else can Jesus represent you unto an acquittal?