Results 1 - 7 of 7
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Are you a follower of Jesus or a church? | Matt 10:32 | flinkywood | 108764 | ||
CDBJ, Good evangelical post. As you know, that verse from Romans 3:10, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" comes from Psalm 14:1-3, which in the context of Romans could mean "no one" as in "everyone is unrighteous", but is this really what Paul meant to say? The verses that follow (Psalm 14:4-5) indicate otherwise: "Do all the workers of wickedness not know, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon the Lord? There they are in great dread, For God is with the righteous generation." (Psalm 14:4-5). The psalm says that indeed there is a righteous generation whom God is with. The psalm does not say that one was righteous, and Paul can’t be ignorant of this. This ever-presence of righteousness accords with God's answer to Elijah's lament in 1 Kings 19:14: (“…even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”): “Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him." (1Ki 19:18), and also with Paul’s deliberate citation of Isaiah in Romans 9:27: “Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:” (Rom 9:27) Who are the unrighteous of David’s age? Most likely the enemies of David, comprised of those who want his head (Saul), and many of David's northern brethren, the Iraelites. So, in context of Psalm 14, some Israelites were clearly righteous. How did they get that way? Probably by loving God and following the Ten Commandments as best they could (an interesting question, actually). This may not have gone down well with their Baal-breathing brethren, but it certainly went down well with God. In view of this, I don't think Paul meant to say that all of humankind has been historically and universally unrighteous, rather he meant to illustrate God’s fealty to the lost and scattered Israelites, a righteous remnant of whom He intends yet to save. Colin |
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2 | Are you a follower of Jesus or a church? | Matt 10:32 | Aixen7z4 | 108862 | ||
Good post. Period. Righteousness comes by faith. The ones who are counted righteous are the ones who believe God. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. The same goes for Moses and David and all the righteous of the Old Testament age and the New. So, in context of Psalm 14, some Israelites were clearly righteous. How did they get that way? Probably not (not probably, certainly not) by loving God and following the Ten Commandments as best they could. It was by faith. Romans 1:17 The just shall live by faith. Romans 4:5 To him that works not, but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Romans 3:22 The righteousness of God is by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. Romans 3:25 God has set forth faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past. Romans 4:9 Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. Romans 4:11 He received the sign, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had. Romans 4:13 The promise was not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. Romans 9:30 What shall we say then? The Gentiles have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. Romans 10:6-10 The righteousness which is of faith speaks on this wise, “That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness”. Philippians 3:9 … be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. (Hebrews 11:7) By faith Noah, became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Hebrews 11:33 Through faith (they) wrought righteousness, God declares us righteous when we trust in Christ. He accomplished death, burial and resurrection on our behalf. That work fulfilled all that God requires, and it avails for us when we trust in him. But that faith is prompted and preceded by repentance. Repentance plus faith equals salvation. Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. |
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3 | Are you a follower of Jesus or a church? | Matt 10:32 | flinkywood | 108865 | ||
Aixen, thanks for your reply. Could you clarify "So, in context of Psalm 14, some Israelites were clearly righteous. How did they get that way? Probably not (not probably, certainly not) by loving God and following the Ten Commandments as best they could. It was by faith. Romans 1:17 The just shall live by faith." Are you saying that the righteous did not need to love God or follow the Ten Commandments in order to live by faith? Colin |
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4 | Are you a follower of Jesus or a church? | Matt 10:32 | Aixen7z4 | 108872 | ||
My dear friend: Your question has been asked in a thousand ways on a thousand different forums. The gist of it seems to be that there is something we can do to earn acceptance with God. I will make just one effort to show that this cannot be, and it is not so. By ourselves we cannot please God. When he is in control, we do. God requires two things of us, and these combine to establish a right relationship with him. One is repentance. The other is faith. We have to come to the end of ourselves, and stop relying on our wisdom and our strength. We have to realize that we are sinners by nature and that we do not have what it takes to please God. We then cease that reliance on ourselves and turn instead to him. When we have turned to him, he requires that we trust in him. He is able to do what is necessary, and he has done it. We have to submit to him in simple faith, and trust him. When we do that, he changes us. He changes our heart. He changes our nature. As new creatures, we are able to obey him and to produce righteous acts. The good that we try to do without repentance does not count. We must surrender to God to do things his way. When we surrender, God declares us righteous, and we are saved from ourselves, from our sin, and from the eternal consequences of sin. We are then free to be righteous in our ways. We are also free to do bad things, but those are contrary to our nature. We will not continue doing them. There have been people, from the time of Abel to this day, who have put their faith in God. They are righteous, and it is because of their faith in God. This is what I understand, and this is what I have experienced. Am I saying that the righteous did not need to love God or follow the Ten Commandments in order to live by faith? I am saying, because I believe it is what God says, that when we believe God we are declared righteous and we will keep his commandments. This is a part of living by faith. It is not a means to an end. The essence of it is trusting God. We do that even when we do not know or understand. We look to him for knowledge and for guidance in what we do. We depend on him to teach us and to show us, to be patient with us, to work with us and in us, to will and to do his good pleasure. We depend on his promise that he will never leave us or forsake us or fail to guide us and protect us. Knowing all he has done for us, we love him, and we do the things that please him. |
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5 | Are you a follower of Jesus or a church? | Matt 10:32 | flinkywood | 108876 | ||
Thanks, Aixen. You wrote: "...when we believe God we are declared righteous and we will keep his commandments. This is a part of living by faith. It is not a means to an end." In the New Covenant our righteousness depends on belief in Christ, without whom our "good" works, our attempts at self-justification, are dead. In the OT, however, something interesting is going on. In Genesis 12:1-2 God tells Abram, then 76-yrs-old, to go forth from his country "...to the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, and make your name great..." But it's not until Genesis 15:6 when Abram is 99, before the birth of Ishmael, that we read "Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness." 23 years had passed from God's first promise to Abram. Why was Abram's righteousness so long in coming? What of all those prior years? Colin |
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6 | Are you a follower of Jesus or a church? | Matt 10:32 | Aixen7z4 | 108919 | ||
Although it is not stated in Genesis 12, it is evident that Abraham believed God when God told him to go and he went. It was by faith that Abraham obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went (Hebrews 11:8). That faith is pointed out again in Genesis 15 and again in Genesis 22 when God said, “Now I know”. Some will say that it was only then that he was saved, as the sacrifice of Christ was prefigured. But his righteousness was declared in Genesis 15, and I submit that it had been bestowed in Genesis 11 when he obeyed and arose and went. Righteousness never did come by the law because the Law did not have that power. The law judged and condemned. It led men to look to Christ even before he was manifested in the flesh. They laid hold on the promise that he was coming and they trusted in him. When they did they were saved. In the New Covenant our righteousness depends on belief in Christ. And it was the same in the Old. Why was Abram's righteousness so long in coming? It may be it had been there without his realizing it. It may be that intellectual assurance comes with time, but justification is instantaneous when faith is exercised. There is a certain settled peace which we may not recognize at first or ever fully understand. I wonder if Abram had that peace as he left his home not knowing where he was going. That is one reason God gives us his word. And we should wait to hear what the Lord will speak, but the Lord will speak peace to his people. At the moment of faith we have that righteousness imputed. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Sooner or later we will know it. |
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7 | Are you a follower of Jesus or a church? | Matt 10:32 | flinkywood | 108920 | ||
Aixen, thanks for your considered reply. Colin |
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