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To: xzins; Dr. Eckleburg; annalex; CTrent1564; blue-duncan; Uncle Chip; OLD REGGIE; Alex Murphy
Thank you all so very much for sharing your insights and especially, thank you Dr. Eckleburg, for those beautiful Scriptures!!!

Truly if even one man could have been "good enough" to get to heaven then Christ died for nothing.

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. - Galatians 2:21

We are not righteous, Christ is. It is not possible for a man to say or think or do perfect things.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; - Romans 3:23

But because Christ is perfect it is possible for a man to "be" perfect by abiding in Christ and Christ in him. Indeed, on our own we can do nothing.

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. – Matthew 5:48

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. - John 15:4-5

Moreover while we are yet "anchored" to the flesh, we will sin. But Jesus is our intercessor, He hears our confessions and His blood heals us. The Blood of the Lamb is never inadequate.

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. - I John 1:5-10

And so the bottom line is always the One and Only Great Commandment, love God surpassingly above all else. Give Him the glory. The righteousness is His not ours. The fruits are His not ours.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. – Matthew 22:37-38

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23

A man who seeks to achieve righteousness on his own efforts - who wishes to earn forgiveness for his sins - can always turn to the Law - but he will fail.

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all. - James 2:10

Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. There is no substitute. The Blood of the Lamb is always sufficient. There is no condemnation to those of us who live in Him and follow Him:

[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace.

Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. – Romans 8:1-9

And that is our blessed assurance because when we keep the one and only Great Commandment, we do not need to "sweat the details."

To God be the glory!

1,033 posted on 05/26/2008 6:47:39 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Alamo-Girl

What a great post, Sister Alamo.

We love Him because He first loved us. So, even that is grace. :>)


1,043 posted on 05/26/2008 8:36:43 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain -- Those denying the War was Necessary Do NOT Support the Troops!)
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