FHII said:
1. "A handful of simple rules".... Well there's a big understatement since no one has ever kept them! This Romans 3 says it clearly as does John. And remember the words of Jesus when he said, "therefore he that breaks the least of these laws and shall teach men to do so, the same shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven".
And even James said something similar.
He that breaks the least of these laws and shall teach men to do so, the same shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.
That's quite a mouthful, isn't it?
Once again, take a look at the Ten Commandments. I could post them again, I suppose, if you need me to do that.
Anyhow, please tell me which of these commandments it would be okay for us to ignore.
I could probably predict your choice, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
2.are you offended because i called you srlf righteous? Have you read YOUR posts to me? Remember the words of Jesus: "thou hypocrit! First cast out the beam in your eye; then thou shalt see clearly to cast the moat out of your brother's eye".
Did you ever notice that everyone who posts this verse sees him/herself as the party with the moat, while it is the other guy who is walking around with the beam in his eye?
Read the chapters Barrd! Paul was clearly indicating fault in the form of hypocracy and self righteousness to them that were pushing the law. And he didn't accuse them of wearing a stiff white shirt or being brainwashed either (to which i am grateful for my brain washing).
That was stuffed shirt, not stiff...and who said it was white?
What did Paul really mean when he said this:
Rom 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Or this:
Rom 7:12 Wherefore the law
is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
3. I'm not asking you to post 2 whole chapters. Lord have mercy on my sanity if you did! I'm asking you to consider them as part of your thinking when you isolate one single verse like Rom 3:31.
Don't be so sure that I haven't done so.
The conclusion is the conclusion...
4. Speaking of which... I don't know how i missed it, but that verse alone counters you belief in works!
"Do we make the law through FAITH? God forbid, yea we establish the law."
How? Through works? No, he's still on the subject of faith. This verse is saying we establish the law by faith. Please show me where it says we establish the law through works. Can't be done.
First of all, where did you get the notion that I have a belief in works?
We establish the law through our faith in the One Who gave us the law. We strive to obey Him because we love Him. We are servants to the One to Whom we give ourselves to obey, whether we obey sin unto death...or whether we obey Jesus unto eternal life.
Remember, neither Paul, nor James, nor Matthew can give you eternal life. Only Jesus can do that. That being so, it might be a good idea to spend a bit more time in the red writing...and a little less trying to make sense out of Paul's conflicting statements.
5. Only in the eyes of men is faith without works is dead. James himsrlf pointed that out when he said he would show is faith TO MEN by his works and Romans 4:2 plainly confirms it.
Did Abraham show his faith by his works?
What about Moses?
Or Samuel?
Or Elijah?
Or David?
I could go on...but I think you get the point...