I say that because I believe in a personal God who is active in our lives. Therefore, He does prevent some sin from ever being committed by His elect. The regenerated heart is a changed heart. Some sin I committed before I was saved I no longer commit and I give God the credit for that, not me. I was just trying to be consistent. :)
...if you don't love your neighbor as yourself, and God more than anything in the world, you may just be imagining things.
This may surprise you, but I completely agree with this. You describe a regenerated heart, so a saved person will look like this. I just believe the Bible is full of promises that allow us to also be able to know it.
After our conversations, I am still wondering at WHAT POINT are you considered "regenerated"? Since you don't believe in Baptism as being "born from above", and we have both concluded that your "sinner's prayer" does not necessary indicate that one is of the elect - and that it might not have taken (to be determined by Monday morning QB's in the future, I presume), how does a Protestant of your bent know he is "regenerated"? Is it a subjective feeling? Is it a certain number of good works that makes you conclude you are of the elect? What objective criteria can you use to say "I am absolutely saved and of the elect"?
Thanks for trying to clear this up...
Regards