[Belteshazzar]

stfassisi wrote:
“Your analysis leaves everyone still searching with doubts automatically condemned.”

OK, you didn’t like John on this very point, how about Jesus? “He who believes in Him (Christ) is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:18-19)

The default position for all of us is condemnation, that is the reality of the fall into sin. On this I will trust St. John before Thomas Aquinas.

[stfassisi]

OK, you didn’t like John on this very point, how about Jesus? “He who believes in Him (Christ) is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:18-19)

This applies to those who willfully reject Christ(such as the Pharisees etc.),belt,not to those still searching and to the invincibly ignorant who love unconditionally.

If a person loves He abides in Christ and we can not posses authentic Love without Christ,this is reflected in 1 John many times.

We know that we can do nothing good without Christ abiding within us and the Spirit blows where He wills ,not where Belteshazzar from FR forum says the Spirit goes.