Huh?
Huh?
I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on the John's audience.
As to the rest, I was somewhat confused by your response, such as,
"'But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.'
-2 Peter 1:9 [KJV]
Which version are you using?"
"Old", "Past", "Former" -- it doesn't matter which version you read they all say the same thing.
As to the rest, let me go at this a different way. In Rom. 5 12-13, Paul writes:
"12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- 13for before the law was given, sin was in the world."
According to this, even those who did not have the law committed sin. In fact, they received the penalty or "wages" for sin -- death. However, Paul makes this strange statement next in v. 13:
"But sin is not taken into account when there is no law."
Since these guys didn't have the law, Paul says the sin wasn't imputed to them, even though he just stated they sinned. What the heck?!! He gives us a clue in the next verse:
"14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come."
Paul says they didn't sin by breaking a command, as in an audible or written command. So if sin is transgressing the law, how can these guys sin without the law and at the same time receive death but sin not be counted against them?
The answer -- we have 3 different but similar laws at work in this passage.
1. Adam's law - don't eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil - penalty is death
2. OT (Israelite) law - 613 laws - several penalties (curses), including death
3. God's law - good and evil - penalty (wages) is death
Adam breaks the one command he received from God and received the penalty of death. His offspring continued to indulge in sin by breaking God's law and received the penalty of death; however, since the OT law had not be given yet, they didn't receive the other penalties found in the OT law.
Do Christians have a law they are supposed to follow once they are saved? Yes, for Paul tells us in Rom. 13:
"8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
We are to fullfill the law of love. If we disobey this law, is the immediate penalty death or exclusion from Christ? No. Unbelief is the only thing that can separate us from God. If we live a lifestyle of disobeying the law of love, we will eventually reach the point of unbelief. Also we can decide to not believe anymore, which is usually based on traumatic or hurtful events. It's not an excuse to no longer believe but I've seen it happen.