Don't Make a Savior of Your Morality

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

That’s true, but we still need remind ourselves that should not judge, or judge a book by its cover by outward appearances for some God could be, or is working on someone’s heart.

The prodigal son is the perfect example of this.

Can a true born again believer in Christ still have rebellion in their heart ?

The answer is yes, they may not be going to hell for it, but they sure will get a spanking from it, God’s chastisement as their father.

Those whom he loves he chastises.

I am not sure the prodigal son is an example of a wayward Christian. I would need to restudy that to decide what I think on that specifically.

True Christians will stumble. They don’t fully reject everything.

As for judging, we cannot send anyone to hell. God is the judge. We are not to be vengeful; vengeance is God’s. But we are told we will “know them by their fruits.” That we should “gently and humbly” help those who go astray. That we should be discerning regarding false teachings/teachers. That we should not keep company with wayward professors of faith. That we should follow church discipline for sinning brothers/sisters — kick them out, though with the aim that it will lead them to repentance. In that sense there is judgment. We are to examine our own hearts. That is judgment. And in sharing the Gospel of God with its call to repentance, there is judgment. It is not that we are the judge. But we are proclaiming the judgement of God when we proclaim the good news of His grace.

As Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you will likewise perish.”

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

I have. I don't see why following the commandments is something imply's only that "He’s telling to keep the words that he is telling them about him being in the FATHER and the father in him"

You've made a study of scripture, and you would know that a passages context does not always begin with the chapter number, which was an index added later than when the scriptures were written down.

His commandments are pretty clearly understood to be things to be practiced after he has Gone to the Father.

For example, Jesus earlier says this in the same discourse:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Jn 13:34-35

I agree on John 13:34’35.

But do we do that perfectly and faithfully to the letter ?

Of course not.

Where we are weak, he is strong.

Does everyone in any specific church love each member as them selves as Christ also loved us ?

Of course not.

But when Christ does come back he is coming back for a bride without spot or wrinkle.

You make it sound like works is a dirty word. It isn’t. It is meant to convey all human effort to please God. Of course that is not an evil thing. It is just that we will always fall short. Where it is evil is when it becomes self-righteousness, in other words we think we have earned righteousness apart from Christ or even in addition Christ.

We have no righteousness of our own. The theology of that statement is widely debated. Let’s just take it at a beginning level. We are saved by faith, not works. We cannot love God or love our neighbor enough to earn salvation. Even the most devout falls short of the glory of God. The effort shows us our need for a Savior. To those without God’s law, their own conscience — God’s law written on their hearts — reveals their need for a savior. That is the role of the law. Only through faith in Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit can we truly please God. That of course means obedience to God’s law, but it is because we love Him. We cannot save ourselves through works.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.