Quote:
Originally Posted by Sons to Glory!
It could be believers or unbelievers - or put a better way - regenerated or unregenerated. Being a Christian just means who we have been made (sons of God) in Christ, with His life in us. It doesn't speak to our behaviors, which can be all over the map and look exactly like what we were saved from. However, the reality is our old man has been crucified, and now we are encouraged to walk according to the new reality of who we really are.
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I don't read those verses that way at all. You think there are genuine, regenerated believers in Christ, who have the life of Christ in them, who are still....
...continuing in sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexual relations, thieving, greed, drunkenness, verbally abusive, and cheating people?
That would be false believers if I ever heard one!
Paul's point is that they WERE those things, BUT then they got saved.
In the preceding chapter, Paul says:
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.
10I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
11But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
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claims to be a brother but is [list of sinful actions]....." In other words, claims to be saved but the fruit of his life shows he really isn't.
We can associate with sinful people who acknowledge they aren't regenerated, but not people who claim they are brothers but really aren't, but live as if they aren't.