Let's look at the 2 greatest commandments under the New Covenant for abiding in Him as His disciples.
1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
When I look at the 2nd commandment and find it difficult to love my enemies, and yet this is what Jesus is asking me to do and so then I go to the first commandment and believe in Him that He will supply the love I need to do this.
It isn't difficult to obey Jesus if you believe God and want to obey Him.
That is why I believe it is written simply the just shall live by faith. I used to look to myself in doing the best I can in keeping my commitment to make Jesus Lord of my life and failed because no matter how much the spirit was willing, he flesh was weak and therefore what is impossible for man, is possible with God but guess what?
A person doesn't receive the Holy Spirit unless they obey God.
If I cannot do overcome recurring sins even though Jesus Christ was in me earlier before I was led astray to make a commitment to make Jesus Lord of my life, and that was when it got hard because I was doing the best I can and when failing, I turn to Him for forgiveness and help, and then like an idiot, I go back to my religious flesh in doing the best I can out of appreciation to Him in keeping that commitment to make Jesus Lord of my life. Like a yo yo, a repeating cycle of using God's grace to sin in trying to keep a commitment until Jesus had set me free to rely on Him all the time thereby getting to know Him and the power of His resurrection when I see myself following Him a whole lot better than I was by doing the best I can in keeping that commitment.
That doesn't make sense. You are saying you heard the gospel of truth before about repenting of your sins and dying to the sins of the world and having faith that Jesus washes you clean, and you called on Jesus to save you, but you never received the Holy Spirit, but you did when you called obeying Jesus sin?
God only accepts people and saves them when their heart is right.
We are not to give up if we aren't saved yet, but we are to continue to do what Jesus says and wait on him.
Plus, there was a woman I used to work with that had believed she had to clean up her life first before coming to the Lord to be saved, and I told her she can come to Him as she is and He will save her from her sins. She did not believe me but later on, whomever the Lord used to confirm the word to her, the next time I saw her the joy of the Lord was in her face and she was so happy. Obviously the Lord forgave her and delivered her form whatever sins she was troubled with.
If you told her she doesn't have to obey and that she just had to believe, then you taught her wrong.
Now I know some sin addicts may be delivered right away while others testify that He helps them everyday in not giving in to temptations and leading them away to do good things instead, even I can testify that to my thoughts, and so that is Jesus Christ working in or lives as the Good Shepherd He is and not just as our Saviour for believing in Him to be saved.
There are so many addicts of all kinds that I know who believe they only have to obey by believing, and they have deceived themselves, and their blood is on the heads of those who say we only have to believe and not crucify our sinful nature with Christ and live to please him.
Paul is afraid that some of the Corinthians aren't really saved because they did not repent of their sins.
2 Corinthians 12:21 I am afraid that when I come again, my God may humiliate me before you, and I will grieve for many of those who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they have practiced.
I dare say is this, there are some sinners in the world that tried to stop sinning; even religious ones like Paul when he was under the law in doing the best he can to keep the law, but failed as Romans 7th chapter is all about.
That is because you don't understand the scriptures.
You don't understand the scriptures because God says He gives understanding to those who obey Him, and you go by a preacher who told you only believe.
Paul was speaking about those under the law who did NOT have faith in God. The old law was not based on faith. Some Jews had faith and some did not. Those who did not have faith had a hard time with the law.
Galatians 3:12 And the law is not of faith:
So when you preach the gospel to sinners, you better tell them that Jesus can deliver them from their sins and the works of the devil in their lives that is destroying their lives because Jesus Christ can help them to repent from all sins on a daily basis whether they sin, ask for forgiveness and help not to do it again
You don't sound like you know what it is like to obey and give up any sin. That is just how you sound to me. Doesn't sound like you know the power of obedience in doing what God says.
or when He leads us away from temptation as well as putting away any provision for the flesh or thoughts that are weights that causes us to sin.
You are the one who better tell them the truth that they have to repent of their sins and have faith and call on him to save them, and that if they are not saved right away, they need to keep obeying and make their heart right and wait for him, because there is nothing more important than being saved, and they have to know that.
I'm not against living a life of repentance
Living a life of repentance? You mean sinning every day, feeling bad for it, but keep doing it anyway, but feeling forgiven? That is not one overcoming.
when I see that as discipleship or running that race but they have to be saved first with Jesus Christ in them in order to get in that race & be able to run that race & all that is required is to believe Him.
Faith alone is dead and can't save anyone. You chose to go against the words of God, who says blessed if you obey, and a disciple, family member, and friend if you do what he says. What does Jesus say? He says to repent of your sins or perish.