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My issue ..is that some people on this site ( in other threads ) seem to be contending that the "we" as we are part of us, can and should be without fault or sin...and getting perfected..the more we try.
I do understand about the 'old man' fighting to dominate and refusing to die.
I am reminded of an old story. (There are many versions, and I shall paraphrase to simply get the gist of it):
A child is out hunting with his grandfather. That day there had been a fight amoungst the residents of the village. The child asks his grandfather, why do people fight? The old man replies we all have two wolves within us, they are constantly at war with one another. The child thinks about this as his grandfather continues. There is a white wolf and a black wolf. The black wolf is filled with malice, disobedience, envy, arrogance, greed, jealousy, and fear. The white wolf is filled with "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control". They battle constantly for control.
The child thinks upon this and asks, grandfather, which wolf wins? To which the grandfather replies, The one I feed.
IMO: This also is representative of us in Christ. We have our old nature, and we are a new creation. Which shall come out on top? Which shall be the overcomer? We have a choice, which of our natures shall we feed. Sounds easy from such a story, but it isn't that simple, and it is a lifelong battle. My biggest weakness, is in how I treat / love my neighbor at times.
However, there is another version, which also may have some merit from my perspective:
A grandfather tells his grandchild, there are two wolves in each of us, and there is a constant battle between them. The black wolf, is filled with malice, disobedience, envy, arrogance, greed, jealousy, and fear. The white wolf, is filled with "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control". The same battle rages throughout every one of us.
The child thinks about this and asks, grandfather, which wolf wins? The grandfather replies, if you feed them right, neither wins, and they may work together for the greater good. If you feed only one, the other may become more than you can bear and be waiting for you to become weak or distracted. For the one needs the other, and working together, they may both serve you well, in that you may be stronger for it.
The key, is to be at peace, for those who are content, need for nothing. But those constantly at war within themselves, end up with nothing.
Which, in many ways represents most of us. If we are always at war with ourselves (and each other), in the long run, we can end up with nothing. For we are neither at peace, and neither shall we inherit the kingdom.
We could liken this to big bad "law" v grace epidemic.
With regard to those who uphold the Instruction, most of us balk and have no peace with the thought of living by the Instruction given by YHVH. Once we start to do so, as we see so prevalently, we demand others also do so, or they are not saved, or not christians.
However, if we are at peace, we do not feel the need to demand such of others. We may share with them from our perspective with regard to it, but we need not wage war over it. It is those who are not at peace, they feel the need to wage war over it.
The inverse is also true: For those of us who are of the grace only camp. If we are at peace, then such as those who demand, shall not give us offense. And we shall have no need to wage war over it.
However, for those of either side of it, if it pricks our conscience, we must then decide from whence the prick came. Is it merely our old man, our old nature rising up, or is something from our loving Father by His Spirit.
Yeah, I know, I butchered this. But it's the best your gonna get tonight. I am tired.
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I always thought I had got this all sorted out...but now I am being told by a couple of people that I can't be a christian because I do not believe that this is right, or that we 'earn' righteousness by what 'we' do...and not by what Jesus Christ has DONE.
I'm kinds getting confused here...
Well I for one never stated such a thing.
For myself, when I was young, I did become quite "legalistic", I think such is only natural for the human nature to do. Based upon "position" of some with regard to this, I can generally tell approximately how long they have held such a position / belief. Or, perhaps I should say, how mature they are in it.
As Paul wrote, we do not "earn" our "righteousness". It is through our actions, that we are "justified". Righteousness is by faith. Faith however, is not mere "belief". Nor is faith mere "action". Faith, is believing, and then acting upon said "belief".
If we are depending upon our actions as in our own works, then we also stumble and follow in the footsteps of Israel:
Rom 9:31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
Rom 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling;
If we choose to adhere to the Instruction, it is because we believe what YHVH hath said, and we act upon said belief.
Jam 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. 23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: 24 for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.
Didn't mother always tell us to "think" before we "act"? What we think upon, shall direct our actions.
