Posted on 02/23/2015 7:40:36 AM PST by RnMomof7
Most people understand that doing evil can keep us out of heaven. But few realize the Bible also teaches that doing good cannot get us in. None of us could ever gain enough merit to deserve heaven. We are sinful, and God's standard is utter perfection. Jesus said, "Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). He added, "you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Then who can be saved?
The disciples asked Jesus this same question (Matthew 19:25). His answer? "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (v. 26). In other words, our salvation is not something we can accomplish. It is something God must do for us.
What if I stopped sinning now and never sinned again?
We are hopelessly in bondage to sin and could not cease sinning no matter how hard we tried. Scripture says even our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). In other words, we are sinful to the core. Furthermore, a single sin would be enough to destroy us forever: "Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10). But even if we never sinned from now on, we still bear the guilt of our past sins. And "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
Is there any way to be free from the guilt of sin?
The Bible says, "The blood of Jesus ... cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
How can Jesus' blood cleanse our sins?
When God forgives, He doesn't merely overlook sin. Atonement must be made. Christ's death made full atonement for those who trust Him. His dying counts in our stead if we believe. However, that only erases the guilt of our sin. Remember, we still need perfect righteousness in order to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20).
Where do we get that perfect righteousness?
The full merit of Jesus' righteousness is imputed, or credited, to those who trust Him alone for salvation. Scripture teaches that God "justifies the ungodly" by reckoning Christ's righteousness to them (Romans 4:5). They are clothed in His righteousness, and God accepts believers solely and exclusively on that basis. That's why Paul was willing to discard all his own efforts to earn God's favor, preferring instead to stand before God robed in a righteousness that was not his own (Philippians 3:8-9).
If you are not a Christian, you need to lay hold of this truth by faith: the sin that will keep you out of heaven has no cure but the blood of Christ. If you are weary of your sin and exhausted from the load of your guilt, He tenderly holds forth the offer of life and forgiveness and eternal rest to you: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
How can I be sure Christ will save me?
No one will be turned away: "The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37). All are invited: "The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17).
Most liberals have this belief that because they advocate for certain “good” things, this counts towards their righteousness.
Most believe “I’m good enough to get into heaven”.
The question they need to be asked is “how do you know your ‘goodness’ outweighs your sin?”
There is no way to know, even if it was actually measured this way, whether good deed X is worth 10 points and bad deed Y is worth -10 points and they cancel each other.
This “scale” is not published anywhere.
So how does the lib know? They’re risking eternity on their guess !
Don’t worry about it , everyone goes to the same place
IB4SIPAIEAY PING!
Explain.
Preezy Obola says this stuff all the time.
Am I right, Scott Walker? Up high!
It depends on how many charity marathons you run in and how much pink stuff you wear.
I recently went to confession, face to face with the priest, not in the confessional. I thought I was pure as the wind driven snow. Don’t know if I should worry or not.
God’s grace is awesome.
“’Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.’ . . . As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.”
Most religions of the world teach that you can work your way to heaven. Islam teaches that your good and bad deeds weigh against each other and that you can murder your way into heaven.
So, is a post on FR a good deed X or a bad deed Y?
Does the poster or the postee get the final ruling?
Even worse, due to my question of “how do you know” how much your good and bad weigh,
Islam teaches that the only way to be sure IS to murder your way into heaven.
You can’t just be “a good Muslim” and be assured.
Which circles back around to the question for libs -
who defines the scale?
“This “scale” is not published anywhere.”
Sounds like ‘How long do I have to wait to swimming after eating a meal?’ Is a tuna sandwich 10 minutes and pork and beans 2 hrs. My late Italian mom seemed to know all this info
to swimming = to go swimming
Scales worry me. What if that blindfolded lady accidentally drops me or bangs me in the head with one of the baskets?
Correct.
Amen.
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
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