Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Neanderthals

With respect your assessment falls short and needs to be expanded on. It can give the wrong impression. Love is required, but it’s only through the spirit that we produce it.

What you’ve written can cause people to falsely assume they are capable of earning salvation on their own fruition, or through works. We, in our fallen nature, are incapable of the kind of love that Jesus is talking about. That love is only present within us through the working of the Holy Spirit. The only way we possess the Spirit is through faith in Jesus.

We can’t earn salvation through good works. There’s no amount of love you can produce on your own that justifies you before God. It’s impossible for us to do it ourselves, that’s why faith is essential.

Thank you for posting this. This is the perfect illustration of what Jesus was talking about.

Here’s an interesting video I think some may like or find beneficial. It popped up on my FB feed this am.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DevFLacDN/?mibextid=wwXIfr

I think folks always want to gravitate toward some strict interpretation of certain verses over others because religion has been used so much in the past as a tool for controlling the masses……It seems like many times what folks are more concerned with than anything is the concept of someone “bending the knee” and conforming……coming down to the front of the church and getting on your knees……raising your hand…..saying these words I tell you to say….. professing your faith ….. getting dunked under the water…..yada…yada…yada…all of these ritualistic things that one must do to submit and conform……..If not then well…..you’re doomed to a fiery pit of hell because there’s only one way…….I just think that’s the “religion” coming out in us trying to condemn others for not conforming

For what its worth I take that verse blade quoted as meaning the same thing that was said in many other ways……The way to Heaven is through Jesus and what Jesus “is”……is beyond just a man…..its an idea and a blueprint for how one should seek to live their life…..Its the same as saying that the way to Heaven is through genuinely seeking goodness and love in your heart while having grace, mercy, and compassion for others……. What I take “not being works based” to mean is that you cant seek evil in your heart and then just do a few kind gestures to make up for it……This is why I cant get on board with this idea that religion likes to put on everyone that its not enough just to be a good person……you must also conform to x,y, and z……..…..From how I read it what truly matters is what’s in your heart and if that’s seeking goodness then there is no threshold of good works that one must accomplish.

I agree with most of what you said, but i do believe that you can't just be a good person. You have to have faith and believe in Jesus as the path to salvation.

To all the people who have brought "works" into the discussion, I have never even mentioned works in any of my posts. If you truly love others as yourself, you are going to want to do good things for others. That's the only place where any kind of works come into play.

I agree with you……. But I guess the way I look at it is….having faith and believing in “Jesus” as the path to salvation is not so much about idolizing the physical man as it is about the bigger idea behind his teachings…..Its having faith and believing that the blueprint he laid out before us is “the way”……It feels like to me that religion is hung up on it mattering more that someone raise their hand and proclaim Jeeeesus as KING!!!!.....than if that person lived a truly righteous life……How many people speak the words but don’t truly live them in their heart??

Too dang many. That’s always convicted me. None of us are perfect but Jesus said if we love him we’ll keep his commandments. Not perfectly obviously. That’s impossible. But far too many ppl claim him with their mouth but forget entirely about the obedience part. I don’t think you can have one without the other. You must have faith, but you must also demonstrate your faith by your works and deeds. No works? That’s a dead faith.

Matt, I know I fall so short of living the faith out as Jesus intended. I know the place that i fail most miserably is telling people about Jesus. That's the part that bothers me the most. If i knew that someone's house was going to burn tonight, I would do everything in my power to get to them and either stop it or keep them from being in it. Yet I have the answer to keep people from going to hell and rarely share it with others. especially outside of a Church building.

salvation and service are 2 very different things. People confuse discipleship with salvation.

CNC, how do suppose one can live a truly righteous life?

By studying and understanding the example that Jesus set for us and trying to hold ourselves to that standard even if we fall short

Maybe some of you that can explain things good should bring up the parable of the sower

That's a really good start CNC, and in this flesh we will constantly fall short. So, what can we do about the "Flesh" problem and always falling short?

Jesus would say in John 3:3, John 3:5 "that unless a man be born again, he shall not see the Kingdom of God" and "unless a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God."

Jesus also would say in Mathew 5:20

"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

You said in a previous comment (Against my better judgement thread) that a big hurdle for you was "believing" and you were unsure whether you could go as far as believing Christ paid the price for our sins and rose again.

If our righteousness has to exceed that of the great law keepers of the that time. How is that possible for us? I mean these guys kept the law, they even made more laws on top of what God had laid out. Just so they wouldn't come close to breaking God's law.

There is only one way and that's by believing Christ is who He said He was and done what He said He was gonna do.

2 Corinthians 5:19 "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them"

5: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

It is only by the righteousness of Christ my friend.

Your efforts no matter how righteous they may be at times is not enough. Live your best life, give to the poor, study the scriptures till you know them by heart, it isn't enough.

You must believe to receive Christ's Righteousness.

Man has always tried to justify himself before God. All the way from the garden to revelations. Adam covered himself in fig leaves and on and on.

It's so hard to write something like this in few words, but I'll just cut it short and let it go. I won't let you go, but too much to write here.

amen. well said