And THAT is works righteousness.
We can’t do a THING to be allowed into the kingdom except throw ourselves on the mercy of God.
It’s ALL Christ and His righteousness credited to our account.
Jesus told us God’s will. Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Not a one of us can attain that. Not even close.
THAT is why Christ had to die for us.
The Law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
God will not send the regenerate believer to hell. No Christian is going there.
But plenty of people who call themselves Christians and think they’re Christians because they do the do’s and don’t do the don’t’s, who are really trusting themselves, will be there.
....”It’s ALL Christ and His righteousness credited to our account”.....
What is it about “paid in full” some people don’t get? HE took it all or he took nothing at all....and then wiped the slate clean.
NOW...not sometime in the future, but now we are forgiven and God sees us through his son....like looking in a mirror seeing the face of Jesus.
Nothing has changed from Paul’s day. What Paul wrote of his fellow Jews remains true for much of the religious world in our day. They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. In their zeal they have attempted to establish a righteousness of their own through their works rather than submitting unto the righteousness of God. They don’t understand that He is our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). They don’t see that anyone who wants to add to Him and His work doesn’t really trust Him. They don’t understand that the Bible makes it clear that grace and works cannot be mixed. It is either all of works or all of grace, it cannot be both (Romans 11:6).
Romans 10:1-11
10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness!! I can’t open any man’s eyes to really see what that passage means, but I will pray the One who can would be pleased to do so.
We can’t do a THING to be allowed into the kingdom except throw ourselves on the mercy of God.
It’s ALL Christ and His righteousness credited to our account.
Jesus told us God’s will. Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Not a one of us can attain that. Not even close.
THAT is why Christ had to die for us. . . .
_____________________________________________________________
Christ did not have to die for us. He Chose to die for us because He loves us. He died for us because we are imperfect and only perfect beings can reside with God. To be less that perfect requires a punishment, the punishment is banishment from the face of God and death.
Christ was and is perfect. He did not deserve either death or banishment but He suffered both so that when we stand before the judgment seat of God and the books are opened and we are found to be sinners Christ can say, “yes, he is a sinner and I have already received his punishment, he/she stays with Me.
The attitude expressed here and in many replies strikes a discordant nerve with me. Since not one of us can attain perfection I guess we shouldn’t even try? We should all be whore mongers, thieves and murders? Even Jesus Christ Himself told the adulteress to go and sin no more. He didn’t tell her He forgave her, only not to sin anymore. We must ask for forgiveness. We don’t simply recognize Christ as Savior and expect the miracle of Grace to have effect in our lives.
Believing that you can receive the Grace of God without trying is a sure fire way to end up in Hell. Believing that you can receive the Grace of God without trying as hard as you can to be perfect is just as sure a way to end up in Hell.
No matter how hard you try you will not reach perfection, if you have sinned once you might as well have sinned a million times, but, if you have sinned and repented of the sin with sorrow in your heart and then tried to right the sin and beg Jesus Christ for forgiveness then I would expect that His Grace will be sufficient for you. If you can’t do this I suggest you move to the Sahara desert and start getting used to the heat.
Unfortunately for them, you are correct MM. I suspect, the vast majority of religious people, like you describe, have absolutely no assurance of salvation, or, at best, have false hopes of salvation. It doesn't have to be that way. It is SO simple, a three year old can understand it.