For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: (Matthew 15:19)
Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. (Malachi 3:18)
We as Humans clearly have knowledge of Good and Evil, we see the crimes of Hitler, Mao or Stalin and we see evil personified in them in their deeds, the vile wickedness of the heart manifesting in overt evil actions.
What we do not discern is the everyday actions of virtue and righteousness from a person as opposed to actions that outwardly seem virtuous but are done for evil motives or under duress and or coercion that are not truly virtuous but rather self serving.
For example, a Muslim Believes under the coercion of the sword as they believe for their own self preservation. They Obey their pillars for the same reason, for personal preservation and gain.
True virtue comes only when a person is given the freedom to choose between virtue and wickedness and they choose virtue. The New Covenant gives all sinners this choice, Which the Gospel (good news) gives us.... There is no coercion or manipulation involved in accepting the Gospel, as it is a free gift to be received or rejected.
Religion is built on the knowledge of Good and Evil (Think of the tree Adam and Eve ate of), and fear is the motivation for submittance. Christianity is built on the knowledge of the evil intents of the heart and knowing there is nothing we can do to change this, Only the transforming power of the Blood of the lamb can transform our hearts from acting on the knowledge of Good and evil (Law of sin and death), to acting from the heart of righteousness that is possible by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in us (Law of the Spirit of Life). When he sanctifies the heart, we not only do good deeds because of personal benefit to us, but because our heart desires to obey the one who has redeemed us by His Grace.
Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. (Malachi 3:18)
We as Humans clearly have knowledge of Good and Evil, we see the crimes of Hitler, Mao or Stalin and we see evil personified in them in their deeds, the vile wickedness of the heart manifesting in overt evil actions.
What we do not discern is the everyday actions of virtue and righteousness from a person as opposed to actions that outwardly seem virtuous but are done for evil motives or under duress and or coercion that are not truly virtuous but rather self serving.
For example, a Muslim Believes under the coercion of the sword as they believe for their own self preservation. They Obey their pillars for the same reason, for personal preservation and gain.
True virtue comes only when a person is given the freedom to choose between virtue and wickedness and they choose virtue. The New Covenant gives all sinners this choice, Which the Gospel (good news) gives us.... There is no coercion or manipulation involved in accepting the Gospel, as it is a free gift to be received or rejected.
Religion is built on the knowledge of Good and Evil (Think of the tree Adam and Eve ate of), and fear is the motivation for submittance. Christianity is built on the knowledge of the evil intents of the heart and knowing there is nothing we can do to change this, Only the transforming power of the Blood of the lamb can transform our hearts from acting on the knowledge of Good and evil (Law of sin and death), to acting from the heart of righteousness that is possible by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in us (Law of the Spirit of Life). When he sanctifies the heart, we not only do good deeds because of personal benefit to us, but because our heart desires to obey the one who has redeemed us by His Grace.