Since you like to carry analogy of grapes, figs, apples, etc., let me ask you some simple questions. Can you plant different seeds in the same soil? Can the same soil bear fruit from those different seeds? How do other seeds get into the soil? Who plants them?Hill Top wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2019 11:17 pmIf "the whole of the writings" includes tolerance for sin, I want nothing to do with it.luchnia wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2019 7:51 pmActually, quite the opposite. It might help you to study farming, seed, soil, etc. From reading all your post it appears you are not open to understanding the whole of the John's writings much less the chapter that has the verse you continue to post out of context.
Answer this question...Can apple seed bear something besides apples?
No?
So why can the seed of God bear something besides Christlike beings?
Frankly...it can't.
Spend some serious time studying farming as I mentioned in a previous post and learn about seed and what seed does to the soil it is planted in. Along with studying farming, study the parable of the sower. Without understanding that parable you won't be able to understand how the seed works. The seed of God cannot bear anything dark at all and certainly cannot bear sin that is why 1 Jn is perfect for aiding in understanding this. An apple tree cannot bear olives, but the soil can bear fruit from whatever seed planted there. Many continue to put seed into soil that is tainted and then at some point the seed is lost for a variety of reasons (old wine skins - Matt Chapter 9).
The apple tree can be scorched and withered, choked, removed, and so on. The same with the seed of God. It can be withered, choked, removed, etc. It is all dependent on the soil! Understanding farming was something that Jesus knew people could understand and He also let the disciples know that if they did not understand the parable of the sower they could not understand the rest.
The seed of satan bears the unrighteous actions of the sinner. You may ask yourself how does the seed of satan get into the soil? I gave you James chapter 1 because it was very simple in understanding the process of how sin enters and figured you might get a hold of that, yet the scriptures show us in many places how this happens in the individual and why one must stand against that.
The fact taught in God's word that a saint can fall away is a difficult concept for some as in your case, yet it is simple to understand why Jesus taught it and the purpose of why God made it that way. It is all about man loving God. That is another subject though for another thread.