If we have the reality, is the symbol still necessary? Was Jesus teaching that the symbol is absolutely required for salvation?

Having sinful, selfish tendencies is not the same as acting them out. In Christ, believers are empowered to subdue their unholy tendencies. While abiding in Jesus, they do not act them out. No sin, no foul.

There are exceptions - the thief on the cross was unable to comply. Also, people who know nothing of Jesus and the Bible, but who live in harmony with the convicting influence of the Holy Spirit, will be welcomed into Heaven with open arms. However, whenever it is possible to learn of Jesus, to learn to live in harmony with everything He commanded, to get baptized - it would be wrong to refuse. Such refusal would bar the gates of Heaven.

The order of events is clear and consistent:

1. The old ways, the hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up.
2. The new birth consists in having new motives, new tastes, new tendencies.
3. Those who are begotten unto a new life by the Holy Spirit, have become partakers of the divine nature.
4. In all their habits and practices, they will give evidence of their relationship to Christ.

The idea that Jesus withholds truth and allows people to retain certain sinful habits, to ignorantly practice certain sinful habits, to unknowingly walk in darkness is not biblical. Advocating this idea hinders the proclamation of "this gospel" and serves to delay the return of Christ.

In what way are you empowered? I would think that children of light are naturally drawn to the light, not that suddenly and abruptly they now delight themselves in light. The children of light were ALWAYS children of light from birth but come to the light when the light shines in their darkness.

Have you ever thought of Rom. 9:22-24 in that way? "What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?"

It is not for us to judge who are children of light or darkness but to treat everyone with love and respect and call everyone to the saving grace of salvation. And leave the matter of judgment to God.

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We have reached our point of divergence again, but much faster this time. You believe sin is a matter of action, while I believe it is a matter of thoughts and feelings.

John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Jesus mentioned no exceptions. Where do we get the authority to add exceptions to Christ's requirements? And while we're at it, can we also add an exception for some who are not born of the Spirit?

Or perhaps our evangelists have misinterpreted this verse, teaching it to refer to baptism by water immersion, while it actually refers to something much more important.

Yes. That's why MM thinks Jesus had sinful, selfish tendencies. But selfishness is sin, whether acted out or not.

Rosangela - did Christ have our same heredity?

APL,
Did Christ take our sinful tendencies?

He had not taken on Him even the nature of the angels, but humanity, perfectly identical with our own nature, except without the taint of sin. {16MR 181.4}