While it is your topic and reserve the right to point which way it is intended to go, I disagree. Grace is the only way we will look "good" in the eyes of God, and his opinion ultimately is the only one that matters. Furthermore, I am surprised tou didn't enjoy my comments when the whole paragraph is noted. I said grace is all that is needed, but we still don't have to live in debauchery.
I did enjoy your comment and do not stop. Now go look up the differing beliefs as to what Grace is and what it does.
It is a very interesting topic, but too involved for this thread.
Again, I do agree with you on that point. We can be "good" by human standards and should.
Human standards? What else is there, here on earth. I know, that you know, that Bible is not about practicing and applying Christianity after we are in heaven....it is about the here and know...this topic can go so many directions.
Are we obligated to obey the morals of the New Testament?
Christ is our example that is true...but as He said we are the light of this world....the salt of the earth....do we show the way, do we set the example by being god awful sinners...
Do we preach that Grace is a license to sin. That heaven will not be fit for God or anybody that is good....more or less trapped for eternity with all manner of despicable characters and evil....how is that heaven?
Even so, there are some dangers to this line of thinking and these include: 1. Thinking out fleshly actions account for holiness or evidence of holiness; 2. Pride. And that last one is just as dangerous as the first.
We are not going to be holy....the New Testament does not tell us to be holy. The New Testament tells us to obey Christ ... this is not an opinion....it is a fact....period.
James 1:22 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
Luke 6:46“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
John 14:23 "Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."
Romans 6:16 "Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?"
John 14:21 "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
Luke 11:28 "But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
1st Peter 1:14 "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,"
2nd Corinthians 10:5 "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,"
Romans 1:5 "Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,"
Acts 5:29 "But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men."
1st John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome."
Matthew 7:14-20 "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Particularly relevant to the OSAS heresy."
2nd Corinthians 2:9 "For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything."
John 15:10 "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love."
John 15:14 "You are my friends if you do what I command you."
Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Another scripture particularly relevant to the new age OSAS heresy.
Ephesians 6:6 "Not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,"
1st John 2:3-6 "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."
1st John 3:22 "And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him."
1st John 3:24 "Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us."
1st John 5:2-3 "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome."
James 1:22 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
2nd Thessalonians 1:8 "In flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus."
Philippians 2:12 "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,"
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
Luke 6:46 "“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?"
Matthew 7:20-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Does this look like an opinion?
Come to think of it, being judgmental to the point that you are unforgiving is just as bad.
Judgmental of sin....oh yes. Judge the sin not the sinner.
What they believe is between them and Christ, I just stand against sin and try to protect others.
Now if you want scriptures that we should judge sin or avoid sin let me know.
