Don't Make a Savior of Your Morality

Monergism ^ | 11/10/2014 | john_hendryx

[RnMomof7]

To utterly despair of oneself is infinitely more difficult for a man than to invent some kind of good works.generated self-salvation project. Human beings irresistibly gravitate toward a works or karma-based system because it gives man the false hope that his redemption is within his own reach. But a salvation that is all of grace, a gift earned by Someone else, is so utterly offensive to human nature, so humbling to our pride, that only a supernatural work of grace will bring a person to yield to it.

Contrary to popular and cultural concepts of God, the Bible declares that trusting (even partly) in our goodness, merit or works for salvation is one of the the greatest causes of man's damnation. Instead the Bible teaches that God came into the world as a flesh human being to satisfy the righteous requirements of the law and absorb the penalty we deserve for sin on Himself in order to redeem all who, by the grace of God, come to Jesus Christ in faith. And when Jesus died on the cross he actually nailed the ordinances of the law that stood against us to the cross; in the second chapter of Colossians we read that he blotted them out (Colossians 2:14). Yes Jesus actually fulfilled the law and satisfied the penalty of sin from our side. He didn't come to destroy the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). This means he did for us what we were unable to do for ourselves. We can do nothing to achieve salvation or add to His work (partly or fully).

This means that when we trust in following the rules, even if we are zealous for God in order that God would save us, we spurn God and His only means of forgiveness for us. It is to declare independence from God's way and establish ones own righteousness (Rom 10:1-4).  But the salvation of God is based solely upon His accepting us in His Son Jesus Christ. It is not that God does not want us to be moral. No, He does. But He does not want us to make a savior our of morality. It is because of Him that we are in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 1:29, 30). Therefore when a person trusts in Jesus Christ they cannot boast in anything: not their faith, and not their works.... because He accepts them by grace because of the work of Jesus unto faith and good works. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."  In other words, God accepts us by grace alone that He might mold and create children who, by His Spirit, walk after Him.  

To those who are in Christ, our record of our wrongs have been nailed to the cross and He has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the Saints. Now we can walk without fear of condemnation and can behold the face of Jesus and gaze into His beauty, knowing that one day, because of Him, we will be like Him.

"Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains." John 9:41
 

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Works won’t save you but sinful thoughts, words and deeds will condemn you. And the person who trusts Christ to save him is known by his works. Without them his faith is phony.

[Bayard]

Yeah. But “if you love me you will keep my commandments” Jn 14:15

[Salvation]

**Don’t Make a Savior of Your Morality**

Why not? Obey the Commandments.

[RnMomof7]

Works won’t save you but sinful thoughts, words and deeds will condemn you. And the person who trusts Christ to save him is known by his works. Without them his faith is phony

Heaven will be full of sinners ...as will hell ...the difference ??? The sinners in heaven have a Savior .. they are wrapped in the righteousness of Christ ...1 Peter 5:14; Philippians 1:1; Romans 8:1. Colossians 3:3

[American Constitutionalist]

Exodus 12:13

And the BLOOD ( blood of animals, a lamb, a sign, a foreshaddow of things to come )

Shall be to you for a token upon the houses ( earthy built houses in which we dwell, a foreshadow of our body, the spiritual temple of God, our hearts, in which the Holy Spirit comes to dwell )

Where ye are, and when I see the BLOOD, I will pass over you, and the plague ( death, judgement, the destroyer )

shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Eygpt ( Egypt is a type, a figure of the world, those in the world, the unsaved, those who are not covered under the BLOOD of Jesus Christ ).

Salvation BY the BLOOD was instituted before the law.

The BLOOD of the lamb covered the nation of Israel once a year , every year for thousands of years until the promised Messiah came.

Christianity is unique apart from worldly religions like Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, in that all those other religions are based on a works system to appease God some how to win the right to enter heaven.

True Christianity has God as loving, mercyful, gracious, and yes, compassionate, to actually come here to earth to dwell among us sinful human race in the flesh.

Of course God coming in the flesh is also offensive to many in the works based systems, or salvation.

They tend to forget we are his begotten children in whom he created us in his image and likeness.

That’s one stumbling stone for them for God to cloth himself in human flesh.

Likewise so is grace, the blood, even Jesus Christ himself is a rock of offense, a stumbling stone to them.

Also the truth that mankind of totally depraved, in dispare, wicked, utterly wreached in of himself and can not, nor will he ever be able to save himself.

The resist the grace of God in the form of the Holy Spirit is to offend, grieve, done spite of the Holy Spirit.

To reject Jesus Christ, his Blood attonememt, God’s grace in the form of his son in unbelief is ( as the book of Hebrews chapter 10 says is : sin.

It’s sin to , in and through unbelief reject God’s offering, God’s way of salvation in grace, to count the BLOOD of Jesus Christ a unholy thing, to see it as worthy as the blood of bulls and goats ( which could never saved anyone, just covered them until Christ came ) worthy of damnation and judgement.

As St. Paul said, that the law was Israel’s school master until Christ came.

The law condemned us, and showed us how utterly hopeless, wreached, sinful we really are by breaking God’s law.

The Law Condemns

Jesus Christ saves

[American Constitutionalist]

That is the chapter of John, chapter 14 that Jesus Christ is having his last real talk with his disciples.

Need to read the whole chapter in get the full context of verse 16.

The discourse between Jesus and his disciples is about the 2 asking him where is that father and Jesus tells them that if they have seen him, they have seen the father.

That he was in the father and the father in him.

That he goes to the father and greater works ( healings, miracles, preaching the Gospel of Grace ) that they will do.

After verse 16 he tells them that he will send the comforter to them, the Holy Spirit.

He’s telling to “ Keep these teachings “ the things he tells them, keep them, don’t forget what he has said.

Even the FATHER had commanded his SON to come here, Jesus Christ fulfilled every command, every word the FATHER told him to do.

He’s telling to keep the words that he is telling them about him being in the FATHER and the father in him.

He’s telling them to keep his words, his sayings, his teachings that he will go to the father and that he and the father will be in them, and comfort them by the Holy Spirit, and that they too will do greater works than he.

[RnMomof7]

Need to read the whole chapter in get the full context of verse 16.

They do not understand the idea of context ...hermeneutics is a mystery to them

[American Constitutionalist]

Why did God reject Cain’s offering to God, but accepted Abel’s blood sacrifice of a animal offering to God ?

This was way before the law.

God rejected Cain’s offering because it was not a blood sacrifice offering, but of self works, of what he did, produced from the ground, flesh, earthly.

Also Cain didn’t offer to God in faith, but of human effort.

That’s a foreshadow of things to come of those of reject the blood grace sacrifice offering to God and those that who do receive God’s grace in his son Jesus Christ.

To reject Grace is to reject Jesus Christ and his blood atonement, For Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.

[Clay+Iron_Times]

AMEN

He who knew no sin, became sin so that you and I might actually become the righteousness of God.

[mikeus_maximus]

You’re mixing the concepts of “earned” and “required.” Grace is God’s offer; faith is Man’s acceptance, and it’s a matter of free will. But faith in the biblical sense is more than naked belief.

This may help:

“The subject of faith and works is thoroughly biblical, vitally important, and one about which much error is taught. Let’s look at faith and works briefly in the light of scripture. Jot down the Bible passages and read them prayerfully from your own Bible.

To get a good view of faith and its influence upon those who truly possess it, please read the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews. Verse 1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. The Apostle Paul says in Romans Chapter 10, verse 17: faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.

So then The word of God tells us of God’s purpose for our lives and of His desires about our eternal destiny. He tells us about man’s perfect beginning, of his fall into sin by following the advice of Satan, and of man’s bondage in sin until he is redeemed by a Saviour. God’s word tells us how Jesus Christ died: “the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God”, and how we may have salvation in Him, I Peter 3: 18. God’s word also tells us of heaven as the great home for which we may hope because of our trust and reliance, or faith, in Christ, and because of our obedience to Him, Hebrews 5: 9.

Now if “faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen”, and if this “faith comes by hearing the word of God”, then we are going to accept what God says as truth, respond to what He commands as necessary for our salvation, hope for the fulfillment of His promises, and accept His word as evidence about the unseen realms of heaven and hell.

Hebrews, Chapter 11, is God’s inspired record of how men and women felt, acted, and obeyed, and lived in view of their faith in God. Some people teach that there is no place for works in salvation; that it is all a matter of faith, and faith alone. The Bible clearly teaches that man is not saved by the works of the law of Moses (Romans 3: 28; Galatians 2: 16). Nor is he saved by his own works as if they could make him righteous. (Ephesians 2: 9) Paul said in Philippians, Chapter 3, verse 9, that he wanted to be in Christ, “not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith”. Now, to see how to have that righteousness which is by faith, read Hebrews, Chapter 11, verse 7: “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith”.

The Bible is very consistent; if a person has faith, he will manifest it by his attitudes and actions even as God prescribes. In James, Chapter 2, verse 22, the response of Abraham’s faith is described this way: “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?”.

If a person has faith, or hope, or love, he or she will act accordingly. Faith and works go hand-in-hand as one responds in trust and obedience to God. This belief and response are seen clearly in Jesus’ great commission to his apostles (Mark 16: 15,16). “And He said unto them, Go you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”. The Apostle Paul also said to the Christians of Galatia, Galatians 3: 26,27, “For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ”. As you now read Hebrews Chapter 11, note how unfailingly these great people of God were moved by their faith to God’s will. The realization of this principle motivated James to say, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2: 24). It is obedient faith that saves.”

[American Constitutionalist]

Hey Vav, Hey Yud ( Yod ).

As the high priest would say as he could not speak the full name of God’s unspoken holy name as he stands infront of the Ark of the Covenant.

As he sprinkles the BLOOD on the Ark of the Covenant he is saying Hey Vav, Hey Yud , Hey Vav, Hey Yud, Hey Vav, Hey Yud, and he repeats this while he is sprinkling the BLOOD on the Ark of the Covenant.

In Hebrew it’s read from right to left.

What does it mean, Hey Vav, Hey Yud ( or Yod ) ?

The Hebrew alphabet has a numeral meaning and a pictural meaning.

Yud, or Yod, means , hand.

Hey, comes from the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

The number 5 means grace, Hey means : Grace, Behold, Look, See.

Vav means : spike, or nail.

Behold, look, see the nail, Behold, Look, See the Hand [ Hey Vav, Hey Yud ( or Yod ).

God’s very name means salvation, grace, the very way and means of a BLOOD sacrifice on the Cross of Jesus Christ that God would save us and redeem us, by his BLOOD.

[American Constitutionalist]

Hey Vav, Hey Yud ( Yod ).

As the high priest would say as he could not speak the full name of God’s unspoken holy name as he stands infront of the Ark of the Covenant.

As he sprinkles the BLOOD on the Ark of the Covenant he is saying Hey Vav, Hey Yud , Hey Vav, Hey Yud, Hey Vav, Hey Yud, and he repeats this while he is sprinkling the BLOOD on the Ark of the Covenant.

In Hebrew it’s read from right to left.

What does it mean, Hey Vav, Hey Yud ( or Yod ) ?

The Hebrew alphabet has a numeral meaning and a pictural meaning.

Yud, or Yod, means , hand.

Hey, comes from the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

The number 5 means grace, Hey means : Grace, Behold, Look, See.

Vav means : spike, or nail.

Behold, look, see the nail, Behold, Look, See the Hand [ Hey Vav, Hey Yud ( or Yod ).

God’s very name means salvation, grace, the very way and means of a BLOOD sacrifice on the Cross of Jesus Christ that God would save us and redeem us, by his BLOOD.

[American Constitutionalist]

Hey Vav, Hey Yud ( Yod ).

As the high priest would say as he could not speak the full name of God’s unspoken holy name as he stands infront of the Ark of the Covenant.

As he sprinkles the BLOOD on the Ark of the Covenant he is saying Hey Vav, Hey Yud , Hey Vav, Hey Yud, Hey Vav, Hey Yud, and he repeats this while he is sprinkling the BLOOD on the Ark of the Covenant.

In Hebrew it’s read from right to left.

What does it mean, Hey Vav, Hey Yud ( or Yod ) ?

The Hebrew alphabet has a numeral meaning and a pictural meaning.

Yud, or Yod, means , hand.

Hey, comes from the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

The number 5 means grace, Hey means : Grace, Behold, Look, See.

Vav means : spike, or nail.

Behold, look, see the nail, Behold, Look, See the Hand [ Hey Vav, Hey Yud ( or Yod ).

God’s very name means salvation, grace, the very way and means of a BLOOD sacrifice on the Cross of Jesus Christ that God would save us and redeem us, by his BLOOD.

[American Constitutionalist]

Sorry about the multible post, I hate that when that happens, either bad connection or the browser froze up.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

I agree. But the difference does not reduce condemnable sins down to one. Those in Hell will be there for all their violations of God’s law. It is very important to remember that. Otherwise you taint God’s grace and Christ’s work into being a facilitator of evil.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Works cannot save you. They are only evidence of God’s redemptive work in your heart.

But the unsaved who reject Christ’s atonement for their sins will face judgment for their violations of God’s law.

God’s Law is still in force. It never could save anyone because no one but Christ could keep it perfectly. Christ’s atonement puts God’s holiness and His love in perfect harmony. He made atonement for us. This tempts some to think the only sin still in existence is rejection of Christ. But that is a terrible error and actually degrades the entire meaning of Christ’s sacrifice.

[American Constitutionalist]

Excellent summery Maximus.

We agree with what you have said.

Faith is the water pump at the water well, nothing will happen, or get the water out, unless you put it into action ( works, working, action ) into it, actually pump the water pump.

Works, action, is actually putting what God has said, his orders, his will, his commamd of what he has told us what to do accordingly to his will or purpose collectively or personally in out lives.

We never said that works were not important, or want to ommit them, it’s that our salvation, our redemption, sanctification, our entry into the Kingdom of God and heaven does not hang on it, or hang in the balance over it, our works.

But of course we all fall and fail, where God is always faithful, his mercy is new every morning.

God has got our back and has got us covered.

[American Constitutionalist]

All mankind from Adam to this day has broken God’s law, and all are worthy of hell and damnation.

Yes, those who have broken God’s law will find themselves in hell,

However ? That’s for the ones who have rejected Jesus Christ and God’s only way of Salvation in him, through the Cross of his sacrifice.

The bible tells us, St. Paul says in the book of Galations that if anyone breaks even one of God’s law, they have broken all of God’s law.

Those who keep God’s law shall be required to keep all of it, and to reject Jesus Christ and God’s pardon and grace ?

Well, they would have had to have kept it perfectly since birth, a impossible task considering that even at birth, all are born into sin , all mankind is tainted.

Jesus said, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, in no wise, no way can anyone enter into, or see the kingdom of God, heaven.

That’s a impossible bar to uphold even for the most strict, most faithful.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

I think obedience is very much a part of sanctification. It is still a miraculous work (gift) of God in our hearts. But it is obedience to God’s moral law. “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” His sheep hear His voice and obey. It does not save us. But it is evidence of His work in our hearts. If it is absent, our faith is a fraud. That does not mean we won’t stumble. It does mean that His law is still to be obeyed and true believers will want to obey it because they love it as they love Him.