Judged by the law and works
- Thread starter phipps
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Yes, we've all sinned. We have all broken the law. “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Because we've all sinned, we all deserve to be judged guilty in the judgement. We all deserve to go to hell and lose our lives eternally because “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). If the wages of sin were a ten-year prison sentence, then we could pay that penalty ourselves. But the wages of sin is eternal, permanent death.
But thankfully God has provided a way for us all to escape the penalty/wages of our sins. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins in our place so that we don't have to.
However, we have to accept Christ's gift of salvation and we do that by accepting Christ as our personal Saviour. We realise we are sinners, then we repent which is to be sorry for the sins we’ve committed that we turn away from them. What makes us repent? The Bible says that it is the goodness of God that leads a person to repentance (Romans 2). There are many calls to repent in the Bible because this is one of the things we must do to be saved.
Once we've repented then we confess to God and others we've hurt in our lives. We ask for forgiveness, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
This is the beginning of our Christians journey of believing and having faith in Christ. We surrender to the workings of the Holy Spirit in our hearts to transform our sinful nature so that we can, by the power and grace of God, become like Christ—to ultimately have a Christ-like character. “He who says he abides in Him, ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6). This means that we will live the way Jesus did.
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 that when we receive the Holy Spirit, we become a new creation. “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” The Holy Spirit creates in us a new mind, a new Spirit, making everything new. Then He will enable us to follow Christ in righteous, holy living; something we could never do ourselves.
This is why the final judgement is based on works. We are saved by grace, but we must then exhibit the corresponding works of a transformed life. Our works are an outward expression of an inward change. Without the transformation of the Holy Spirit, we will continue to live a life according to the flesh and our works will, in the judgement, condemn us, because it will be clear that we have not received the Holy Spirit.
Jesus has said that no one can be in the kingdom of heaven unless they have received the Holy Spirit. “ ‘… Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ … ‘… Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God’ ” (John 3:3, 5).
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. … But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16, 22-25)
We can only receive the Holy Spirit if we choose to follow and obey Jesus. But when we receive the Holy Spirit, when He enables us to live a new life of faith, then in the judgement, when our works are examined, they will not be found to be the works of the old unconverted man, but the works of a life transformed by the saving power of the Holy Spirit.
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Of course your uncle was not as bad as Hitler in my human estimation. But we are not God who can see everything. No one knows us better than God since He is the one that created us that the Bible says He knows how many hairs we have on our heads. He knows our thoughts and the intent of our hearts.
God judges how we live/lived our lives and if we lived our lives according to His Word and law based on what we knew. The Lord is just and His judgement sure.
elsbet's cat ^. .^
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Nope.
We're all born with a sin nature.
Besides... you know Dante didn't author the bible. There are no levels of Hell; not to my knowledge. Unbelief will net the same results, though.
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MORNING DEVOTION.
OBEDIENCE IS THE FRUIT OF LOVE.
MEMORY TEXT: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me."—John 14:21.
Let those who feel inclined to make a high profession of holiness look into the mirror of God’s law. As they see its far-reaching claims, and understand its work as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, they will not boast of sinlessness.
There are those who profess holiness, who declare that they are wholly the Lord’s, who claim a right to the promises of God, while refusing to render obedience to His commandments. These transgressors of the law claim everything that is promised to the children of God; but this is presumption on their part, for John tells us that true love for God will be revealed in obedience to all His commandments. It is not enough to believe the theory of truth, to make a profession of faith in Christ, to believe that Jesus is no impostor, and that the religion of the Bible is no cunningly devised fable. “He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments,” John wrote, “is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him” (1 John 2:4, 5).
John did not teach that salvation was to be earned by obedience; but that obedience was the fruit of faith and love. “Ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins,” he said, “and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him” (1 John 3:5, 6). If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in the heart, our feelings, our thoughts, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God. The sanctified heart is in harmony with the precepts of God’s law.
There are many who, though striving to obey God’s commandments, have little peace or joy. This lack in their experience is the result of a failure to exercise faith. They walk as it were in a salt land, a parched wilderness. They claim little, when they might claim much; for there is no limit to the promises of God. Such ones do not correctly represent the sanctification that comes through obedience to the truth. The Lord would have all His sons and daughters happy, peaceful, and obedient. Through the exercise of faith the believer comes into possession of these blessings. Through faith, every deficiency of character may be supplied, every defilement cleansed, every fault corrected, every excellence developed.—AA, 562-564.
HAPPY FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK BRETHREN.
OBEDIENCE IS THE FRUIT OF LOVE.
MEMORY TEXT: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me."—John 14:21.
Let those who feel inclined to make a high profession of holiness look into the mirror of God’s law. As they see its far-reaching claims, and understand its work as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, they will not boast of sinlessness.
There are those who profess holiness, who declare that they are wholly the Lord’s, who claim a right to the promises of God, while refusing to render obedience to His commandments. These transgressors of the law claim everything that is promised to the children of God; but this is presumption on their part, for John tells us that true love for God will be revealed in obedience to all His commandments. It is not enough to believe the theory of truth, to make a profession of faith in Christ, to believe that Jesus is no impostor, and that the religion of the Bible is no cunningly devised fable. “He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments,” John wrote, “is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him” (1 John 2:4, 5).
John did not teach that salvation was to be earned by obedience; but that obedience was the fruit of faith and love. “Ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins,” he said, “and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him” (1 John 3:5, 6). If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in the heart, our feelings, our thoughts, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God. The sanctified heart is in harmony with the precepts of God’s law.
There are many who, though striving to obey God’s commandments, have little peace or joy. This lack in their experience is the result of a failure to exercise faith. They walk as it were in a salt land, a parched wilderness. They claim little, when they might claim much; for there is no limit to the promises of God. Such ones do not correctly represent the sanctification that comes through obedience to the truth. The Lord would have all His sons and daughters happy, peaceful, and obedient. Through the exercise of faith the believer comes into possession of these blessings. Through faith, every deficiency of character may be supplied, every defilement cleansed, every fault corrected, every excellence developed.—AA, 562-564.
HAPPY FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK BRETHREN.
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Was your uncle a believer in JESUS? I thinking hitler probably wasn't wolf in sheep clothes type claimed christian i do think or at least went to the churches but again a facade... Its the faith in CHRIST that will save him not pretending to go to church etc...people struggle with issues all the time but its the sincereness of the heart that matters. Look at what King David did or Noah or Solomon or even Moses...
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I dunno if my uncle believed in Jesus, but it's possible he knew he turned water into wine and possibly thought "Booze is okay then"..
Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
“All things” includes obedience and perfecting of our characters. We cannot do it by ourselves, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). God said to Abraham, “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).
“All things” includes obedience and perfecting of our characters. We cannot do it by ourselves, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). God said to Abraham, “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).
We are but jars of clay ...after all
elsbet's cat ^. .^
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Obedience is the grand test of love and loyalty.
From the very beginning, God has made obedience the grand test of love and loyalty. No one can say that God was unconcerned over the behavior of our first parents. Their outward actions mirrored a divided heart. This is also why Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
Every soul will receive the seal of God or the mark of the beast. Again the test will be over obedience to the law. The major characteristic of the redeemed, according to the book of Revelation, is that they keep the commandments of God. The condition that God set up for man to remain in Eden becomes the condition for man to return to Paradise. “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17).
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14).
The bottom line is that God must have a people who can be trusted with eternal life.
John 1:1-3, 14, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." These verses tell us that Jesus is the Bible. It was inspired by Him through the Holy Spirit, its about Him too.
The theme of the Bible is Jesus. He said, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39).
Whatever subject is written of in the Bible, whether it mentions Jesus or not, its all about Him.
The Bible tells us where we came from and why we are in this world. It shows us how to live. It reveals God’s will and teaches us lessons we can apply to all parts of our lives. It tells us how much God loves us, and how we can live out His love in our own lives. In other words, its the roadmap for our lives, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105).
The Bible teaches us the right way to live. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
We can all read and study the Word for ourselves. The teaching of the Bible is unchangeable. The opinions of human beings differ, but the Bible always says the same thing. The Word of God is from everlasting to everlasting.