When Christ changes believers into a new creation they are changed forever.
If they sin He deals with them as sons and does not cast them away. However if they were born again they do not want to sin, they hate sin and want to be cleansed when it emerges from their flesh.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
When we became born again we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise. When Christ changed us into a new creation He did that and we cannot change back to what we were.
Ephesians 1:13-14
"13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise,
14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."
2 Corinthians 5:17
"17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new [a]creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
Satan knows that when people feel comfortable and safe they are less likely to see their need for Christ. Even when believers feel comfortable and safe they drop their guard against the wiles of the devil and become more like unbelievers in their walk, having little or no testimony for Christ. They even buy into all the false ideas that psychology brings, again that make them feel comfortable and proud of themselves.
The church is full of real wheat (those who belong to God) and tares, those who are of the devil, pretenders who are not saved.
Matthew 13:24-30 "24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Many people will think they were saved but they never trusted in Christ, they trusted in their own ability to be good enough and added Christ on the end of their efforts.
Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’"
God never said they were once saved and lost, He said He "NEVER" KNEW THEM.
Those who have trusted Christ and believed in Him will never lose their salvation. However they will be disciplined by God to bring them back to obedience. The Holy Spirit in every believer never jumps in and out of them, He is place there to teach, train and expunge sin as it raises its head. We battle the flesh, the Spirit in us wars against our flesh.
Galatians 5:17-25
"17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."
Before we were born again we had no defenses against sin and enjoyed it. After we were born again we hate sin and fight against it through prayer and obedience as Christ in us disciplines and repairs what is wrong.
Proverbs 3:11-12
"My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; / for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights."
Revelation 3:19
"Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent."
Do not despair when you have been changed by Christ. The sin we hate and are ashamed of is evidence that we belong to Christ because the unsaved are not ashamed and will even defend their sin.
Those who are born again have an advocate the unsaved do not.l
1 John 2:1 "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;"
God gives us a way of cleansing from the sin we hate, that is this:
1 John 1:9 "1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
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