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NASB | Matthew 7:24 ¶ "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 7:24 ¶ "So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, will be like a wise man [a far-sighted, practical, and sensible man] who built his house on the rock. [Luke 6:47-49] |
Subject: Are the declared righteous righteous? |
Bible Note: Joe, I agree with you, declaring us righteous IS NOT pretending. That is exactly my point, bro. My record (and yours) says, because of what Christ has done, RIGHTEOUS. My record used to say SINFUL - GUILTY. That was given to Christ and His righteous was given to me. So my record now has big, bold, letters that say RIGHTEOUS. I am forever thankful for that. You wrote: "I have demonstrated the biblical support of my position, and responded to every verse you have brought up." You did not address 2 Pet 1:4 that I recall. It says that we are partakers of the divine nature. You have admitted that you have a new nature in Christ (which, in all reality, is not part of justification). Is this new nature righteous in constitution? If it is divine (coming from God), then wouldn't it be so? You wrote: "Why is it so important that you see yourself as already arrived at righteousness, no matter how much real-life and biblical evidence is presented to the contrary?" I am not 100 percent righteous, Joe. I still have flesh with indwelling sin, just like you. But, as being born in Adam imparts a sinful nature to us, being born in Christ imparts a righteous nature to us. Lastly, "real-life" is not the standard of truth. God's Word is. And they is certainly biblical evidence to support that we are partakers of a new divine and righteous nature. My spirit is alive because of righteousness - Rom 8:10. In fact, according to Eph 4:24, my new self, which I obtained at new birth, was created (past tense) in righteousness and holiness. This does not come from me or my efforts, it comes from God on the basis of faith - Phil 3:9. So why is it so important that I see myself as having a righteousness (that did not come from me but is now attributed to me in Christ) that I can count on? Simply, because it is true. My new nature is righteous. My actions and thoughts are not always so. We live what we truly believe. As long as we believe that we are just sinners and unrighteous, that is how we will live. When we come to see yourself as God does - righteous, holy, joined to Christ, saints - then we will start living up to what we really are. It's that simple. Unfortunately, it's not "acceptable" by much of the Christian community that believes that the only difference between the Christian and the sinner is that the Christian is forgiven. Christ came that He might be our life - Col 3:4. He is not going to indwell an unrighteous person. So He much make that person righteous in order to live there. It is interesting that the average Christian believes that Christ comes to live in them, but they think that He joins Himself to an unrighteous creature. God never dwells where there is sin - Psalm 5:4. You have stated that you are not yet righteous. Yet you believe that Christ is in you. How can this be? McGracer |