I know this diverts away from the thread but in some ways is connected as well. For the subject came up.
I thought of Saul who converted on the road to Damascus.
Saul was NOT saved on that road to Damascus.
Not on that road to Damascus, for he asked Jesus what shall you have me do, and Jesus said where to go and it shall be told him.
Then Saul went where Jesus said to go, and Paul didn't eat or drink for three days while he spent that time praying.
Can you imagine what those prayers sounded like?
He must have begged God to forgive him.
He was only saved after repenting of his sins.
If Paul would have been saved for just believing, then he would have been saved on that road but he was not.
Yet Paul still acknowledged his daily struggles. See Romans 7:14-21
That IS NOT what Paul said about himself AFTER being saved.
Paul was explaining what it was like for Jews under the old law and without faith.
The old law was NOT based on faith it was based on the purification works of the law.
God did not like it that the Jews would sin, do a righteous work of the law like sacrifice an animal, but NOT really be sorry for their sins.
Some Jews had faith and some did not.
Jesus came and made a new covenant that was based on faith.
The conflict of the flesh and spirit is there in every child of God.
Well not the way you explain it.
God begun the good work will bring to completion.
We have to obey.
When anyone wants to be saved, then they have to DIE to the sins of the world.
That shows the process we are in.
We have to train ourselves, but just you comparing Romans 7 to Paul describing himself as a saved sinner is well...just disgusting...there is NOTHING GOOD IN PAUL AFTER being SAVED...he ONLY DOES EVIL AFTER being SAVED? Come on now, let us reason together.
We wear the righteousness of God that renders us justified. Not in our merits but the complete work of Christ.
Underneath the garment of Christ is the work of being changed in Him, from glory to glory
We are supposed to be clothed in Christ and you say an under garment????
If we say we have no sin we lie and the word is not in us
That scripture and the way you explain it is not from God it is from men and teachings of false teachers.
We desire to do good and can do for He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world.
WHAT? ! You can't do good?!!!!! You are speaking like a Calvinist/Luther/faith aloner.
Yet we all stumble in many ways.
Says James.
Now you are talking about something else. James says we stumble, but you wrongly quote Paul talking about someone NOT saved and WITHOUT faith saying they can do NOTHING GOOD AND ONLY EVIL.
We come up against our fallen flesh and must put this to death and live victorious in Christ.
Only grace can enable us to do this. By actively submitting to the Holy Spirit within the relationship with our spirit and Him. By living by God and not the flesh.
That is more Calvin/Luther/faith alone doctrine falseness.