The believer remains guiltless even though he or she continues to sin.

Here is one of the great misunderstandings of our time.

Notice the condition in the verse above, "if we walk in the light." There is no greater error in Christian thinking than the concept that no matter how the Christian behaves, the blood of Jesus continues to purify him from sin.

This is the "state of grace (forgiveness)" that often is mentioned. It does not exist. There is no such thing as a state of grace (forgiveness). There is no such thing as a dispensation of grace (forgiveness). We have been deceived.

The Lord Jesus Christ did not come to earth to excuse the sinning of the elect. Christ came to earth to forgive our sins and then to enable us, through His Holy Spirit, to gain victory over sin.

The goal of salvation, the end product, is not a forgiven sinner but a transformed personality. Until this is preached clearly in America, no amount of revivals will make a lasting impact on the churches. Under the blessing of the Spirit many believers may repent and resolve to turn away from sin. But as soon as things settle down, they will hear from the pulpit that God loves them, and forgives them, even though they keep on sinning.

Given the tremendous demonic oppression in America, the believers will not turn away from their sins with enough determination until they are persuaded they are killing their own spiritual life.

Notice the following verse:

In order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)

When we use the familiar term "imputed righteousness" we mean the righteousness Christ gained by keeping the Law of Moses perfectly is ascribed to us. It is as though we had kept the Law of Moses perfectly.

But, as in the case of I John 1:7, there is a condition. The condition is that we do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

The New Testament is clear that if we keep on sinning we are removing ourselves from the new covenant.

The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:41,42)

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6)

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. (James 1:26)

If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. (II Peter 2:20,21)

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know he appeared so he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. (I John 3:4-6)

Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know no murderer has eternal life in him. (I John 3:15)

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. (Jude 1:5)

To be continued.