Posted on 06/14/2015 11:09:03 AM PDT by RnMomof7
Question: Can fallen man do anything to please God? Can the natural man make choices all the time for things that are good and evil?
Response: All fallen, unregenerate human beings are endowed with many of God's common graces. God has blessed all men with a conscience and the capacity to promote virtue and civil righteousness. It is abundantly clear that many beautiful aspects of the world we live in have been brought forth by those which are unredeemed by God's regenerative grace. God has gifted natural men and women with the skill to create beautiful music, make profound works of art, to invent intricate machines and do countless things that are productive, excellent and praiseworthy. But even these "good things" are not done purely to glorify God. i.e. the source of natural man's affections and motives for doing things come from a polluted well.
Fallen man's many good works, even though in accord with God's commands, are not well pleasing to God when weighed against His ultimate criteria and standard of perfection. The love of God and His law is not the unbelievers' deepest animating motive and principle (nor is it his motive at all), so it does not earn him the right to redemptive blessings from a holy God. The Scripture clearly implies this when it states "...without faith it is impossible to please Him." (Hebrews 11:6a, NASB) and "whatever is not from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23)
So then even his "virtue" is considered evil in the sight of God. His purpose for doing good works are not from a heart that loves God. Being unspiritual, that is, without the Holy Spirit, "... men do not rise above themselves" (Calvin) But now through our justification and regeneration in Christ, we are enabled, for the first time, to be pleasing to God on the basis of Christ's work.
"Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." - Romans 8:7
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Quiz: If "Those who are in the flesh cannot PLEASE God" as Romans 8:7 declares, and "And without faith it is impossible to PLEASE God." (Heb.11:6) then how can those in the flesh have the faith necessary to PLEASE God? (Answer: 1 Cor 2:14, 1 Cor 2:12 & John 6:63, 65)
I’ve just always accepted that people who do really nice and descent things are good people and God is pleased.
My God’s not as harsh as yours :)
You’ll be lovingly caressed into Hell
I always thought God decided that :)
"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved"
Now that is true. I stand corrected.
In your personal opinion.
Nope ... scripturely concluded ... see above
Paul’s words. In his opinion.
Paul’s words by the leading of the Holy Spirit
Everyone may be finding out soon if we pleased God or not. Surely it’s not with our country’s treatment of His Word, his chosen people, and our lukewarm churches. http://www.patburt.com/
Interesting how the Church in Ephesus is praised in Revelations for rejecting false Apostles and Paul himself says that all the Asian churches have rejected him, don't you think?
Well for starters they can become Catholic
So pleasing God is conditional on what Church you belong to ?
Got a Catechism for that ?
He can repent.
Well, it does say that we will be judged on things like feeding the hungry...clothe the naked...” When did we see you hungry...when did we see you naked...”
YES, THEY CAN ACCEPT JESUS AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR.
THE FAITH OF THAT ACT PLEASES GOD.
God isn't going to judge me collectively, or by the actions of others.
nope...That is a prophetic Parable dealing with the distribution of rewards at the 2nd coming... note the sheep and the goats were already separated when the rewards were given ... The Goats were not rewarded
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