Man it breaks my heart how many people here have been lead astray with their Works Based Salvation False Doctrines. They think they need to add something to Christs already Perfect Work. They think their Filthy Rags have some kind of benefit to Gods Grace and Mercy. They think their Salvation is based on their performance, but then never actually take into account how terrible their performance really is.
One verse alone proves that all day every day you are riddled with Sin and NEVER can overcome it, therefore all the "Good Works" you are doing are completely tainted, day in and day out. In my opinion everyone that is pushing for either a Works Based Salvation or believes they can lose their Salvation are utterly full of Pride. And if you dont realize it, Pride is a Sin, and to think YOU are needing to keep or attain your Salvation by YOUR Works is an utterly Prideful thought and position to take. People act like Sin is just about things you do that you shouldnt but the fact is Sin encompasses so much more than that:
James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Do all of you who believe you have your hand in your Salvation realize the absolute depth and impact of this verse in that aspect?
Anytime you know you should do something and dont do it, that is Sin! If we start adding JUST that up, it would become innumerable, but it would take certain people to be brutally honest with themselves to understand the impact of that on your Works Based Salvation.
How often are we called to pray? ALWAYS, how many time a day are you NOT in Prayer? You cant even count it.
See someone begging for food, want to tell me the Spirit doesnt convict you to try and take care of them? It does me, but how often do you actually pull over? Probably little to none.
I work in the service industry, do you know how often I hear about others situations where I want to hug or pray or any number of things that cross my mind? If you are HONEST with yourself, that exact thing happens to you ALL DAY LONG, therefore ALL DAY LONG you are NOT following what you KNOW you ought to do and guess what every single time, its all SIN.
And you want to tell me you Repent of all of these things? Really? I mean if you are going to be HONEST then you know 100% you do NOT Repent of these things in any real manner, because you drive right past the next guy on the street making up some excuse as to how or why you cant pull over and help him.
You keep your mouth shut with the person who told you some hard time they are going thru or even overhear it. You get in a situation and dont pray about it and go on about your day.
Do you read your Bible every day? How about every moment of free time that you have? Well everyone on this site clearly isnt using all their free time to study and pray now are they? Therefore you KNOW you are not doing something you ought to be doing, therefore it is SIN.
We can take this down to thoughts if you really want to get honest with yourself and with us. How many thoughts a day do you have of what you ought to do, and then they get bypassed? How many times do you think I ought to do this, but dont? Again if you are HONEST then you would admit to yourself and us that its so many you can not possibly count it.
Therefore when we take into account all of this, and then try and merit OUR hand in Salvation, you can see how utterly hopeless and pointless every "Good" deed you do is. In fact if you really truly want to get HONEST how many of your "Good" deeds are actually done with a truly "Good" intent?
In fact lets take that down to the Gospel Truth of Good, is there anything you ever do that is actually Good?
Luke 18:9 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
So if there is only one who can be called Good and that is God Himself then are you ready to tell me the things you do are exactly as God would have them done 100%?
The facts are even our "Good" works are imperfect, because we who are not perfect are doing them. Whether it is because the intention is incorrect or moreover NOT perfect, or the action itself is NOT perfect, whatever it is, it is NOT perfect because only God is Perfect.
What I see on here are 2 sets of people, the first are people who think they are able to do Good Works and think they are Good Enough to add to whatever it is that it takes to receive and maintain Salvation. That of course contradicts Scripture and the fact that they are NOT Perfect so any Good Works are tainted to begin with and to add on top of that all day long they are NOT doing 99% of the things they KNOW they should be doing AND they are not actually truly Repenting of it, because it happens all day every day, so they are utterly and completely steeped in Sin.
They are the ones who are steeped in Sin, covered from head to toe in the blackness of Sin, trying to do Good Works that actually arent really any Good at all and they are standing in front of God with literal rags of Sin steeped in Sin and saying Look God what I have done today, dont I get to keep my Salvation, did I do whats needed today to keep it?
Then we have the other set of people, the ones who have completely recognized where they stand before God when it comes to their ability to offer anything to Him for Salvation. The ones who recognized that they are continually and totally fallen short of the Standard that is needed to even THINK of attaining or keeping Salvation. The ones who understand with zero doubts their own Goodness and the Goodness of their Works before a Perfectly Righteous and Holy God.
They stand before God looking exactly like the other set of people, steeped in Sin with Rags of Sin, however the conversation is different, instead of trying to get God to look at their "Good" works, they bow before Him and say something like Oh God I am not worthy, I know I am full of Sin and my Works are tainted, please dont look at me, please look at Jesus, He is Perfect, His Works are Perfect everything about Him is Perfect, please God let me stand behind Him!!
One set of people are Justified before God the other not, which set are you going to be in?
Luke 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
