>>Glad you quoted John 17:3. It shows eternal life is in a relationship,
>>not just a time period (future tense).
So, you’re saying it truly is who you know /Humor
The only way to have a relationship with god is to be like him (I’m not going to bother quoting scriptures about tolerance for sin, you could quote them just as fast as I could).
>> Did you know eternal life is now because it's based on a faith relationship of
>>who you know and not based upon performance?
Performance = sin or righteousness (It’s really that simple).
Are you like your parents? Probably. Did you have a choice in determining your "likenesses" to them? A few, yes. Most? Probably not. That's also the way it works in the spiritual, born-again world.
Once we're born again, we indeed are like him in significant ways. We continue to grow to be like him just like on earth; as we grow, in increasing ways we become alike (and yet distinct) from our parents.
Performance = sin or righteousness (It’s really that simple).
God reckoned [accounted; credited] his faith as righteousness (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3-6, 9-11, 22; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23). If we don't understand these verses, we might as well chuck them...cross them out w/a pen. Because to too many works-based folks, they are like another language.
Hey, if I got ahold of your bank account and put a whole lot of $ in it (if I had it) based upon how much faith you had in me to put it in (if you had such faith), that explains reckoning...accounting...crediting. You would have to know me enough to trust me (faith). And if I was magnanimous & gracious enough, you would not have to be worthy enough for me to put it in.
Our spiritual bank account is bankrupt before an all-holy God. But if we believe His righteousness can be placed in our account, and we can draw off of it not only in the life to come but now [inside-out righteousness lived now], then "performance" is really a question of..."Is God's $ deposited in your life account being invested well in the personal righteousness being lived out?" [Obviously, stewards can have what was there's to manage taken away from them; they can lose it].
It's NOT an issue of our own meager resources as much as drawing upon God's massive resources. Note that it's the fruit of the Spirit's tree...it's NOT the fruit of your tree that Paul told the Galatians to develop. The Spirit's fruit is a bumper crop. Yours? Well, I don't know yours, but I do know it's no comparison.
In my theological thinking, who gets the glory? The Holy Spirit (it's HIS fruit). God (it's His resources in my account, thereby highlighting HIS graciousness). I would also rather have a church w/ millions of "Christ-ones" who displayed Christ's very own righteousness live out through them than billions of others trying to muster their own righteousness.
In your theological thinking, who gets the glory? You said it: It's your performance. (I'll call ahead & tell God to move over; another god is acomin'.)