The meaning of "mature"
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Quite the opposite. "Born of God" are those who are babes in Christ. So they need to mature. The word "perfect" in the KJV could have been translated as "complete" which is also another way of saying mature. And Peter tells Christians how they may mature in Christ:
2 PETER 1: HOW TO MATURE AS A CHRISTIAN
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 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:
4 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.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 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.
2 PETER 1: HOW TO MATURE AS A CHRISTIAN
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 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:
4 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.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 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.
You need to read some of my other posts to understand.
My contention is that 1 John 3:9 is hyperbole...exaggeration to make a point.
What point?
That the one who is born of God has repented of his sins...made a 180-degree turn away from sin, death, hell, and satan, towards righteousness, life, heaven, and God. Therefore he is walking in a new direction.
Even as it is written,
Pro 4:18, But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
I do not claim to be without sin.
However, what Paul said on this matter, I will also take up.
1Co 4:3, But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
1Co 4:4, For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
My contention is that 1 John 3:9 is hyperbole...exaggeration to make a point.
What point?
That the one who is born of God has repented of his sins...made a 180-degree turn away from sin, death, hell, and satan, towards righteousness, life, heaven, and God. Therefore he is walking in a new direction.
Even as it is written,
Pro 4:18, But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
I do not claim to be without sin.
However, what Paul said on this matter, I will also take up.
1Co 4:3, But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
1Co 4:4, For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
That is not the proper way to interpret this verse. Does not PRACTICE sin is more accurate, and here is how it was explained by John Gill in his commentary:
"doth not commit sin; does not make it his trade and business; it is not the constant course of his life; he does not live and walk in sin, or give up himself to it; he is not without the being of it in him, or free from acts of sin in his life and conversation, but he does not so commit it as to be the servant of it, a slave unto it, or to continue in it; and that for this reason."
This corresponds to "SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU".
"doth not commit sin; does not make it his trade and business; it is not the constant course of his life; he does not live and walk in sin, or give up himself to it; he is not without the being of it in him, or free from acts of sin in his life and conversation, but he does not so commit it as to be the servant of it, a slave unto it, or to continue in it; and that for this reason."
This corresponds to "SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU".
We all need the help of the Holy Ghost to be able to understand any doctrine that is spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Yet I have not previously said that you needed anyone's help.
My post is not against God's word.
The Trinity is actually a simple doctrine and easily understood once you come to accept it as it truly is, as a doctrine.
(2 Corinthians 11:3)
Yet I have not previously said that you needed anyone's help.
My post is not against God's word.
The Trinity is actually a simple doctrine and easily understood once you come to accept it as it truly is, as a doctrine.
(2 Corinthians 11:3)
So, if I commit the same sin over again, once every two weeks, and each time I say, "it is only just this one time; so I am not practicing it", eventually I am going to discover that I was practicing it all along. But its going to take longer because I am succeeding at lying to myself about my practice because of the infrequency of the matter.
More accurately, than "does not practice it," would be to say, "does not work iniquity in the practical sense."
1 John 3:9 may indeed be hyperbole (exaggeration to make a point).
What point?
That when we are born again, we make a 180-degree turn away from sin, death, hell, and satan, towards righteousness, life, heaven, and God. So, we are walking in a new direction.
As it is written,
Pro 4:18, But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
More accurately, than "does not practice it," would be to say, "does not work iniquity in the practical sense."
1 John 3:9 may indeed be hyperbole (exaggeration to make a point).
What point?
That when we are born again, we make a 180-degree turn away from sin, death, hell, and satan, towards righteousness, life, heaven, and God. So, we are walking in a new direction.
As it is written,
Pro 4:18, But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
I'm just letting you know that chapter and verse is a form of numerology yes lawful but not precise.Many things where simple doctrine yet john sent a letter to Jesus from jail asking if he was the christ and that after seeing the dove on him and being told that he was.and Jesus rebuked them, the ones he taught directly for their lack of understanding.If you think it is simple doctrine to understand then i suspect you still have a issue with pride.It should be simple after all it's based on love but alas he is indeed more like a hidden treasure.
[Mat 10:16 KJV] 16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
[2Co 11:3 KJV] 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
[2Co 11:3 KJV] 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The problem that I think that most people have, has to do with the doctrine that Christ is eternally begotten (as though God created an eternal mirror in heaven). Such a doctrine preaches at least two Gods.
The reality is that Christ was begotten in the incarnation (Luke 1:35); and that He is the same Spirit as the Father (who is a Spirit without flesh); albeit He is come in the flesh (1 John 4:1-3, 1 John 1:7).
The Person without flesh and the Person in flesh being distinct from each other; yet the same Spirit.
For there is one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4).
The Father is a Spirit (John 4:23-24); and the Son, being God, is a Spirit (John 4:24).
Therefore, since there is one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4), they are the same Spirit.
The reality is that Christ was begotten in the incarnation (Luke 1:35); and that He is the same Spirit as the Father (who is a Spirit without flesh); albeit He is come in the flesh (1 John 4:1-3, 1 John 1:7).
The Person without flesh and the Person in flesh being distinct from each other; yet the same Spirit.
For there is one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4).
The Father is a Spirit (John 4:23-24); and the Son, being God, is a Spirit (John 4:24).
Therefore, since there is one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4), they are the same Spirit.
