Sin unto death is being eternally lost. The Bible only gives us two eternal fates; salvation or condemnation. In Romans 6:16 Paul puts forth those two options showing we each are going to either be lost by serving sin unto death or be saved by serving obedience unto righteousness.
unto death = condemnation
unto righteousness = salvation
So it remains that the only way to be righteous (right doing) is by being obedient to the will of God. Continued disobedience to the will of God never made anyone righteous......continuance in wrong doing will never lead one to right doing. It is obedience UNTO righteous, that is, obedience leads one to being righteous. Paul never said obedience because one is righteous, that is one obeys because he already is righteous. Such an idea is impossible, not logical for again, how can one ever get to be right doing (righteous) by continually doing wrong (unrighteous)? It's not possible.
honestly I have struggled with this topic and others like it over the past couple days. Wondering if I’ve been seeing it as clearly as I thought so hesitate to even respond. Obviously (imo)what we consider flesh returns to dust. Christ Jesus though said His body is of
His flesh and
bone. Thought a lot of that flesh which is His. A verse I’ve been meditating on which has thrown me is: A psalm of David, when he was I the wilderness of Judah. Psalm 63:1
[1] O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee,
my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
This also: Philippians 3:21
Who shall change our vile body, that
it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to
the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
“the working” where He is able to subdue all things...who shall change our vile body. It is the sin which makes it vile, yeah? ”O, God, Thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longest (groans) for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”
and Hebrews 1:11-12 which tells of men waxing old as does a (moth eaten)garment...as a vesture God folds them up, and they are changed...But God is the same and His years fail not...without seam and everlasting(enduring-woven through and through). The reason for bringing this up is .do we fully recognize what “that it (the body)may be fashioned like unto his glorious body”means expecting a beautiful body in outward appearance? is that not the point but the vileness of pride, arrogance, hatred, steal kill and destroy which makes it vile. What is beauty when one can have outward beauty and is empty. Yet Another be considered “stricken of God” in bearing our chastisement and infirmities...and considered undesirable. It is important in what does growing closer to His image mean? What is growing closer toward bearing the heavenly image rather than the earthly image? What is the “righteousness” of growing anywhere closer to “perfection” being fashioned into His glorious body which doesn’t wax old...when we argue our own righteousness over others and focus all day own our own good name and proving ourselves when the Word says charity seeks not her own. To sit here all day defending our right to be holy and righteous ...yet never once putting others above ourself. We all have a good portfolio and high opinion and image of ourselves. We sure can tell others how righteous we are. Do we ever putting the same effort toward proving others instead of ourself? it seems important because in saying any are “righteous” ...the speech and actions say we are self-consumed. What is the be fashioned into the likeness of His glorious body???
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Matthew 5:43-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. [44] But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; [45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? [47] And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others ? do not even the publicans so? [48] Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
