Agreed.
or he was relating the truth he'd stated before -
Right.
believing and confessing was the acceptance and participation in the sacrifice.
Wrong. That believing and confessing includes obedience to His commands. And His command, the way He wishes us to participate in his Sacrifice, is through the Eucharist.
Your ploy with "spirit and life" is your continuing carnal war with what the scripture says.
Yawn. Where does "spirit" mean "metaphor" again?
Tell me, do you physically live by eating words? Of course not. Living on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (matt. 4:4) is a spiritual thing. It relates directly to what Jesus is saying. "My words are spirit and life." Thus are you supposed to eat the words and digest them?
No. You are supposed to take Jesus at His word and do what He says. If His Words are spirit and life and He says that His Flesh is real food and I have to eat Him and that this bread is His flesh, by gum, I believe Him. What's so hard about that?
SD
The whole way through this chapter I do not even think you would say Jesus is talking of physical death, and physical life. I know even you understand that when he is speaking of everlasting life he is speaking of our spiritual life, even though he never says he is speaking of spiritual rather then physical. Why then do you think that when he speaks of eating his flesh it is literal, and then he says you will live forever it is spiritual life?
Becky
The whole way through this chapter I do not even think you would say Jesus is talking of physical death, and physical life. I know even you understand that when he is speaking of everlasting life he is speaking of our spiritual life, even though he never says he is speaking of spiritual rather then physical. Why then do you think that when he speaks of eating his flesh it is literal, and then he says you will live forever it is spiritual life?
Becky
Wrong. Obedience to His commands is part of the walk AFTER being born again. -You are adding something to being born again that was not required either by Jesus or the apostles. Believe and confess. I don't see anywhere in that verse "and obey all Gods commandments and you shall be born again." No. Believe and confess is the foundation. You're trying to tell use the foundation, the walls and roof are all put up in one shot. That ain't how they taught it, and it isn't how it works.
If one was just born again, they can take communion; but, it's a matter done for reflection. It doesn't make them any more born again than when they believed and confessed. Like I said, the catholic church doesn't even understand basic salvation and it shows in what you say here. You don't understand the spiritual work. If you did, you wouldn't be pushing this nonsense of you get born again then go participate in the sacrifice... Blasphemous garbage. If not for participating in the sacrifice through it's acceptance, not a single soul could ever be born again. WAKE UP!