[P-Marlowe]

I was rescued from a works based cult. The fact that Jesus actually did all the work was anathema to them. The work that Jesus did for them was only step one. It was a small step. After that it was "obedience to the laws and ordinaces of the gospel" that was necessary to acheive your salvation. But the gospel is supposed to be good news. The Good news is that "It is Finished." The good news is that whosoever believes on Jesus shall not perish but have everlasting life.

The bad news is that if you believe it is not enough. The bad news is that unless you fit someone else's definition of a striver for righteousness that your salvation is in question. Hey nobody has to strive for righteousness because nobody can achieve it. We are righteous not because we keep the 10 commandments to the letter, we are righteous because we are covered by the blood of Jesus.

It's a hard thing to realize that there is nothing you can do to assist Jesus in your salvation. But it seems very few are willing to actually concede that fact.

[jwh_Denver]

"But the gospel is supposed to be good news. The Good news is that "It is Finished." The good news is that whosoever believes on Jesus shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Your post brings such joy to my heart and I believe your post is of the holy spirit. Just this week it was revealed to me what the Good News of the Gospel really is. With that understanding I realized why whenever somebody mentioned or I saw in the Scriptures the words "Good News" I cringed. What Good News? Laws, rules, regs, bondage? Even though I have witnessed to hundreds and hundreds of people I didn't believe my own rap. Why should I heap more weight on somebody else? But now I feel the message should be shouted from the rooftops that the Good News is REALLY GREAT NEWS. Believing what God did through Jesus Christ as you call the "Finished Work". God gave us the outright audacity to call Him our Father. We are righteous because of the work of Jesus Christ. We walk by faith (believing). We can bask in God's unmerited favor (grace) towards us without the bondage of laws because Jesus fulfilled all the OT law including our own "laws". Even though we sin we have the RIGHT at any time to go to God without any sense of sin, guilt, or condemnation and talk with God Almighty our Father and for God to build a loving relationship for us with Him. And this is only the beginning!

I also was in a cult but God taught me many things from that experience, therefore I have no regrets.

[ET(end tyranny)]

We are righteous not because we keep the 10 commandments to the letter, we are righteous because we are covered by the blood of Jesus.

Wrong. God doesn't want 'human' sacrifices. That's why God, in Genesis 22, replaces Isaac with a Ram! What more 'visual' do you need? God wanted to see if Abraham would 'obey'. When God knew that Abraham meant to follow through and sacrifice his only son, God called out to Abraham, and stoped him. Then God brought forth a Ram, to be sacrificed.

Hosea 6
6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Leviticus 16
10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

The goat was sent into the wilderness. It was NOT killed. Atonement is about life, NOT death.

Notice that Aaron CONFESSED over the goat, the sins of Israel.

[Gamecock]

The bad news is that if you believe it is not enough. The bad news is that unless you fit someone else's definition of a striver for righteousness that your salvation is in question. Hey nobody has to strive for righteousness because nobody can achieve it. We are righteous not because we keep the 10 commandments to the letter, we are righteous because we are covered by the blood of Jesus.

Great observation. My preacher talks about the "two thieves" of the cross: works and the feeling that my sins are so bad cannot be forgiven.

Folks get so wrapped around one of these that we don't look at the Cross. The bottom line is we need to preach the Gospel to ourselves everyday to overcome the thieves.

The works thing is insidious; we constantly add little rules to our lives and we aren't even aware that we are doing so!