Sorry, but the verses you use (abuse) are written to explain the New Covenant and get past the idea (the stumbling block of the Jews) that one is saved by his works rather than faith alone in the work of Christ alone which comes by grace alone.
You have many problems with your proselytizing a works based salvation, bud. Beginning with that YOU are a sinner who CONTINUES in sin, unless you would like to call God a liar?
Friend, the point you miss, and it is a MAJOR point indeed concerning Progressive Revelation, is that NO-ONE is saved by their good works but rather by faith in what Jesus has done in the New Covenant! You're still stumbling on the Old. As it is written:
(Heb 10:4) For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
WORKS do not save, they NEVER did, ONLY Jesus, who did ALL THE WORK, who was the ONLY Person to ever not sin accomplished this! Even having been born again, saved, regenerate, YOU are not Jesus! The GOOD NEWS IS that grace is free!
Again, you've missed a major point of the Bible and a study of Progressive would definitely help you. 1st Corinthians 2:7-15 addresses this very matter and the correct understanding of these passages expose your error to me...
Maybe you would like to explain how these saints, who sinned and continued in sin where not "saved", "born again", "regenerate", I will use these terms interchangeably, and ask about these individuals.
To start with, for example Peter, Jesus called him Satan as he argued that Lord should not die, according the way you use scripture he was not saved, but I understand the meaning behind the scriptures you abuse to proselytizing a works based salvation here. Oh hey! I can't put it any better than my missed old buddy Ed Sutton did about grace being free when he asked about these 11 people:
Was
David saved when he was both a
murderer and an
adulterer? (II Sam. 11:24; Ps.51)
Was
Rahab saved when she was a
prostitute? (Jas. 2:25)
Was
Samson saved when he was one of the notorious '
womanizers' in history? (Jdg. 14:7; 16:1)
Was
Noah saved when he was
drunk? (Gen. 9:20-24)
Was
Jacob saved when he was the biggest '
cheat' and/or
swindler in the Bible? (Gen. 27:36; 30; 31)
Was
Gideon saved when he was one of the biggest
cowards of all time, scared of his own shadow, his neighbors, and even his own father, and who argued with the LORD that he was too weak to do anything, and even had to have his father protect him, after the little vandalism incident of casting down the altar of Baal, that actually belonged to his father? (Jdg. 6)
Was
Solomon saved when he was the greatest '
polygamist' in history (Compared to Solomon, the Eldorado bunch, are at best, fifth rate 'wannabes'!), with personal wealth that would make Midas look like a pauper, and with more wives than all the other kings in the line of the Lord Jesus of Israel and Judah combined, which was in direct disobedience to God's direct prohibition for a king to 'multiply' wives (and wealth) for himself? (Deut. 17:17, I Ki. 11:3)
Was
Jonah saved when he was
the most obnoxious bigot in Scripture, who did not want anyone to heed his message, instead wanting God to destroy Ninevah, where he preached a message of fewer than 10 words, from a street corner, effectively told the LORD, "Okay! I preached what you asked.", and was angry with GOd, when He did not destroy Ninevah, because they repented, said he'd rather be dead than to have to live with that crowd? [Jonah seemed to forget that he had already been physically dead, once before ('Living' people were not found in Sheol, the realm of the dead.) and he didn't like it, but still he was willing to be dead again, in order to keep down the 'population explosion' of 'undesirables' in Paradise, even if they were now among the 'redeemed'.] (Jon. 3:4-4:12)
These are just a few from the OT. Let's ask about a couple of folks you may have heard of in the NT.
Was
Thomas saved when he "
doubted" in that he refused to believe the testimony of 10 apostles who were eyewitnesses that Jesus had been raised from the dead, and said that unless he, personally, could jab his hand into Jesus' side,
"I will not believe!", the most notorious '
skeptic' in the Bible? (Jn. 20:25)
Was
Paul saved when he said he "
am 'chief' of sinners?" You do notice that Paul did not say he once was chief of sinners, I presume! (I Tim. 1:15)
And one more from the OT: Was that great 'role model', paragon of virtue, and whom I call the Biblical "saint of saints", because he is one of only two, or perhaps three individuals whom the Bible calls "righteous" or "just" three different times (and the
only individual in Scripture specifically identified as being among "the godly") - "Yep! You got it!" - 'Hizzoner', himself, Ol'
Lot, saved when he was
the Mayor of Sodom? (Gen. 19:1; II Pet. 2:7)
Yes, they were all saved. -all 11 of 'em, as well, according to what I read. The first 6 are even found in what is described as the "Hall of Fame of faith" chapter in Scripture - Heb. 11.
The way I got it figured, including Peter, that's a
Christ-denier, a
murderer and an
adulterer, to boot, a
hooker, a
womanizer, a
swindler, a
drunk, a
coward, a
polygamist, a
bigot, a
skeptic, the chief of sinners, and the
Mayor of Sodom.
Hey, Nice Crowd!
Incidentally, I challenge anyone to show me where the Bible ever says any of them 'repented'.
Of or
from anything!"
Likewise, I would challenge you to show where any of these "sheep" succeeded in no longer sinning due to repenting of their sins? You can't and you would be a fool to go before the JSOC and boast of your good and wonderful works before the Lord! Matthew 7:22-23.
