Deep Late Response #3
Let me go ahead and throw out a response to that one, since I'm not sure if it makes sense or not. We are NOT saved by anything we can do or have done on our own. Being "saved" needs to be re-thought, and eternal destination isn't the only part of this that needs to be addressed.
"Saved" for most evangelicals means "saved from the penalty, power, and eventually presence of sin", or "saved to spend eternity in heaven instead of hell". Being saved means a get-out-of-hell-free card from Jesus, all according to His death and atonement on the Cross. But it's got to be more than that, at least according to scripture. We're "saved TO" something even more than being "saved FROM" the burning sulfur of hell. In Jesus, we're "saved TO" be used, saved to being able to approach the Father, saved to new life and new meaning. More than once-saved-always-saved, we're saved towards a life that honors and brings renown to the name of God.
All of this is the work of God - our righteousness is filthy rags, meaning that the best we can hope to do in our own strength, which I've come to define as "sin" in previous posts, is nasty grungy mucky goopy oily stained towels. So no, there's nothing we can do to earn our way into heaven, and there's nothing we can do under our own oomph to live rightly right now.
But - are our sins what really keep us from God? Do our sins condemn us? If we're not saved by works, are we then condemned by them? I'll post "response #3.5" when the sun comes up. And after some coffee - it'll take a good strong cup, I'm sure.
posted by Rick @ 12:59 AM
6 Comments:
Loved this post. I usually vote for you, even though I am not Christian. I believe in a God/ess Something, but don't ascribe myself to a particular religion.
However, your religous posts are so non-judgemental and well thought out, I appreciate them. :-)
Good luck in the battle, you fellow coffee lover, you!
really kind words, y'all - made my running-late-and-need-coffee-before-my-thirty-minute-commute morning.
Jesus has judged sin unto Himself on the cross. today, He reigned in Heaven exalted. we are the body of Christ on the throne (Bayma seat of Christ) Bayma is greek, it means award. it is like the baymathos. the award-giving stand for the champion, 1st and 2nd runner. on the bayma seat of Christ, there is only award to receive.
by the way, hasnt Jesus rose completely perfect? sinless? pure and perfect? if sin has been judged by Jesus on the cross, it has no power over us. no power. God's grace is MORE POWERful and more than enough than sin. where sin abound, grace much more abounds.
hi, sonofEl - i'm trying to make your response fit my question, but can't. i'm asking this: does our sin/s condemn us? do our deeds pave the way for hell? even as Jesus has provided for heaven in spite of our deeds and shortcomings?
i am just trying to say that sin cannot condemn us. for Jesus has given us a perfect conscience, that is to be conscious of His righteouesness and not sin
i am also saying that Jesus' work is perfect. eternal redemption is not a lie. Heb 9:12
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