₦airaland Forum

muyoto:
@OP, now that you've succeeded in naming names, what next?

The sheep will run from the persons quite naturally.

italo:
No I'm not. Now, if you have scriptural evidence, out with. If you don't, go to bed or something!

In the past the Jesuits were known as Vatican Assassins, today, they are known for giving spins to scriptures. And they are good at it too.

Obviousy, you are blind to the fruit of your spiritual family.

italo:
I knew you were a big liar but I didn't know you were this despicable.

When or where has the Catholic Church ever said the righteousness of SAINTS is infused to believers?

This thread had little to do with the Catholic Church but you have dragged it in just to discredit it with your malicious lies.

May God help you.

You want to bury your cult?

Ironically that is my aim. Here goes:

[Quote]

Supererogation (Late Lat. supererogatio, payment beyond what is due or asked, from super, beyond, erogare, to pay out, expend, ex, out, rogare, to ask) is the performance of more than is asked for, the action of doing more than duty requires. Supererogatory, in ethics, indicates an act that is good but not morally required to be done. It refers to an act that is more than necessary, when another course of action, involving less, would still be an acceptable action. It differs from a duty, which is an act that would be wrong not to do, and from acts that are morally neutral. Supererogation may be considered as performing above and beyond a normative course of duty to further benefits and functionality.


In the theology of the Roman Catholic Church, "works of supererogation" (also called "acts of supererogation" are those performed beyond what God requires. For example, in 1 Corinthians 7, Saint Paul says that while everyone is free to marry, it is better to refrain from marriage and remain celibate to better serve God. The Roman Catholic Church holds that the counsels of perfection are supererogatory acts, which specific Christians may engage in above their moral duties. Similarly, it teaches that to determine how to act, one must engage in reasonable efforts to be sure of what the right actions are; after the reasonable action, the person is in a state of invincible ignorance and guiltless of wrongdoing, but to undertake more than reasonable actions to overcome ignorance is supererogatory, and praiseworthy.

According to the classic teaching on indulgences, the works of supererogation performed by all the saints form a treasure with God that the Church can apply to exempt repentant sinners from the works of penitence that would otherwise be required of them to achieve full reconciliation with the Church. Opposition and the abuse of this teaching was the main point of Martin Luther when he began opposing the Church, and thus a seed of the Protestant Reformation as a whole. The Anglican Church also denied the doctrine of supererogation in the fourteenth of the Thirty-Nine Articles, which state that works of supererogation "cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety: for by them men do declare, that they not only render unto God as much as they are bound to, but that they do more for his sake, than of bounden duty is required: whereas Christ saith plainly, When ye have done all that are commanded to you, say, We are unprofitable servants." Many later Protestant movements followed suit, e.g. in the Methodist Articles of Religion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supererogation[/quote]

The above article is excerpted from the book, '' The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink''. It is pasted in the hope that believers will have a better understanding of the subject.

A.W. Pink




The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink



4. The Foreknowledge of God

What controversies have been engendered by this subject in the past! But what truth of Holy Scripture is there which has not been made the occasion of theological and ecclesiastical battles? The deity of Christ, His virgin birth, His atoning death, His second advent; the believer’s justification, sanctification, security; the church, its organization, officers, discipline; baptism, the Lord’s supper, and a score of other precious truths might be mentioned. Yet, the controversies which have been waged over them did not close the mouths of God’s faithful servants; why, then, should we avoid the vexed question of God’s Foreknowledge, because, forsooth, there are some who will charge us with fomenting strife? Let others contend if they will, our duty is to bear witness according to the light vouchsafed us.


There are two things concerning the Foreknowledge of God about which many are in ignorance: the meaning of the term, its Scriptural scope. Because this ignorance is so widespread, it is an easy matter for preachers and teachers to palm off perversions of this subject, even upon the people of God. There is only one safeguard against error, and that is to be established in the faith; and for that, there has to be prayerful and diligent study, and a receiving with meekness the engrafted Word of God. Only then are we fortified against the attacks of those who assail us. There are those today who are misusing this very truth in order to discredit and deny the absolute sovereignty of God in the salvation of sinners. Just as higher critics are repudiating the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures; evolutionists, the work of God in creation; so some pseudo Bible teachers are perverting His foreknowledge in order to set aside His unconditional election unto eternal life.


When the solemn and blessed subject of Divine foreordination is expounded, when God’s eternal choice of certain ones to be conformed to the image of His Son is set forth, the Enemy sends along some man to argue that election is based upon the foreknowledge of God, and this "foreknowledge" is interpreted to mean that God foresaw certain ones would be more pliable than others, that they would respond more readily to the strivings of the Spirit, and that because God knew they would believe, He, accordingly, predestinated them unto salvation. But such a statement is radically wrong. It repudiates the truth of total depravity, for it argues that there is something good in some men. It takes away the independency of God, for it makes His decrees rest upon what He discovers in the creature. It completely turns things upside down, for in saying God foresaw certain sinners would believe in Christ, and that because of this, He predestinated them unto salvation, is the very reverse of the truth. Scripture affirms that God, in His high sovereignty, singled out certain ones to be recipients of His distinguishing favors (Acts 13:48), and therefore He determined to bestow upon them the gift of faith. False theology makes God’s foreknowledge of our believing the cause of His election to salvation; whereas, God’s election is the cause, and our believing in Christ is the effect.


Ere proceeding further with our discussion of this much misunderstood theme, let us pause and define our terms. What is meant by "foreknowledge?" "To know beforehand," is the ready reply of many. But we must not jump at conclusions, nor must we turn to Webster’s dictionary as the final court of appeal, for it is not a matter of the etymology of the term employed. What is needed is to find out how the word is used in Scripture. The Holy Spirit’s usage of an expression always defines its meaning and scope. It is failure to apply this simple, rule which is responsible for so much confusion and error. So many people assume they already know the signification of a certain word used in Scripture, and then they are too dilatory to test their assumptions by means of a concordance. Let us amplify this point.


Take the word "flesh." Its meaning appears to be so obvious that many would regard it as a waste of time to look up its various connections in Scripture. It is hastily assumed that the word is synonymous with the physical body, and so no inquiry is made. But, in fact, "flesh" in Scripture frequently includes far more than what is corporeal; all that is embraced by the term can only be ascertained by a diligent comparison of every occurrence of it and by a study of each separate context. Take the word "world." The average reader of the Bible imagines this word is the equivalent for the human race, and consequently, many passages where the term is found are wrongly interpreted. Take the word immortality. Surely it requires no study! Obviously it has reference to the indestructibility of the soul. Ah, my reader, it is foolish and wrong to assume anything where the Word of God is concerned. If the reader will take the trouble to carefully examine each passage where "mortal" and "immortal" are found, it will be seen these words are never applied to the soul, but always to the body.


Now what has just been said on "flesh," the "world," immortality, applies with equal force to the terms know and "foreknow." Instead of imagining that these words signify no more than a simple cognition, the different passages in which they occur require to be carefully weighed. The word "foreknowledge" is not found in the Old Testament. But know occurs there frequently. When that term is used in connection with God, it often signifies to regard with favour, denoting not mere cognition but an affection for the object in view. "I know thee by name" (Ex. 33:17). "Ye have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you" (Deut. 9:24). "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee" (Jer. 1:5). "They have made princes and I knew it not" (Hos. 8:4). "You only have I known of all the families of the earth" (Amos 3:2). In these passages knew signifies either loved or appointed.


In like manner, the word "know" is frequently used in the New Testament, in the same sense as in the Old Testament. "Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you" (Matt. 7:23). "I am the good shepherd and know My sheep and am known of Mine" (John 10:14). "If any man love God, the same is known of Him" (1 Cor. 8:3). "The Lord knoweth them that are His" (2 Tim. 2:19).


Now the word "foreknowledge" as it is used in the New Testament is less ambiguous than in its simple form "to know." If every passage in which it occurs is carefully studied, it will be discovered that it is a moot point whether it ever has reference to the mere perception of events which are yet to take place. The fact is that "foreknowledge" is never used in Scripture in connection with events or actions; instead, it always has reference to persons. It is persons God is said to "foreknow," not the actions of those persons. In proof of this we shall now quote each passage where this expression is found.


The first occurrence is in Acts 2:23. There we read, "Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." If careful attention is paid to the wording of this verse it will be seen that the apostle was not there speaking of God’s foreknowledge of the act of the crucifixion, but of the Person crucified: "Him (Christ) being delivered by," etc.


The second occurrence is in Romans 8;29,30. "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image, of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called," etc. Weigh well the pronoun that is used here. It is not what He did foreknow, but whom He did. It is not the surrendering of their wills nor the believing of their hearts but the persons themselves, which is here in view.


"God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew" (Rom. 11:2). Once more the plain reference is to persons, and to persons only.


The last mention is in 1 Peter 1:2: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." Who are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father? The previous verse tells us: the reference is to the "strangers scattered" i.e. the Diaspora, the Dispersion, the believing Jews. Thus, here too the reference is to persons, and not to their foreseen acts.
Now in view of these passages (and there are no more) what scriptural ground is there for anyone saying God "foreknew" the acts of certain ones, viz., their "repenting and believing," and that because of those acts He elected them unto salvation? The answer is, None whatever. Scripture never speaks of repentance and faith as being foreseen or foreknown by God. Truly, He did know from all eternity that certain ones would repent and believe, yet this is not what Scripture refers to as the object of God’s "foreknowledge." The word uniformly refers to God’s foreknowing persons; then let us "hold fast the form of sound words" (2 Tim. 1:13).


Another thing to which we desire to call particular attention is that the first two passages quoted above show plainly and teach implicitly that God’s "foreknowledge" is not causative, that instead, something else lies behind, precedes it, and that something is His own sovereign decree. Christ was "delivered by the (1) determinate counsel and (2) foreknowledge of God." (Acts 2:23). His "counsel" or decree was the ground of His foreknowledge. So again in Romans 8:29. That verse opens with the word "for," which tells us to look back to what immediately precedes. What, then, does the previous verse say? This, "all things work together for good to them. . . .who are the called according to His purpose." Thus God’s foreknowledge is based upon His purpose or decree (see Ps. 2:7).


God foreknows what will be because He has decreed what shall be. It is therefore a reversing of the order of Scripture, a putting of the cart before the horse, to affirm that God elects because He foreknows people. The truth is, He "foreknows" because He has elected. This removes the ground or cause of election from outside the creature, and places it in God’s own sovereign will. God purposed in Himself to elect a certain people, not because of anything good in them or from them, either actual or foreseen, but solely out of His own mere pleasure. As to why He chose the ones He did, we do not know, and can only say, "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight." The plain truth of Romans 8:29 is that God, before the foundation of the world, singled out certain sinners and appointed them unto salvation (2 Thess. 2:13). This is clear from the concluding words of the verse: "Predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son," etc. God did not predestinate those whom He foreknew were "conformed," but, on the contrary, those whom He "foreknew" (i.e., loved and elected) He predestinated to be conformed. Their conformity to Christ is not the cause, but the effect of God’s foreknowledge and predestination.


God did not elect any sinner because He foresaw that he would believe, for the simple but sufficient reason that no sinner ever does believe until God gives him faith; just as no man sees until God gives him sight. Sight is God’s gift, seeing is the consequence of my using His gift. So faith is God’s gift (Eph. 1:8,9), believing is the consequence of my using His gift. If it were true that God had elected certain ones to be saved because in due time they would believe, then that would make believing a meritorious act, and in that event the saved sinner would have ground for "boasting," which Scripture emphatically denies: Ephesians 2:9.


Surely God’s Word is plain enough in teaching that believing is not a meritorious act. It affirms that Christians are a people "who have believed through grace" (Acts 18:27). If then, they have believed "through grace," there is absolutely nothing meritorious about "believing," and if nothing meritorious, it could not be the ground or cause which moved God to choose them. No; God’s choice proceeds not from anything in us, or anything from us, but solely from His own sovereign pleasure. Once more, in Romans 11:5, we read of "a remnant according to the election of grace." There it is, plain enough; election itself is of grace, and grace is unmerited favour something for which we had no claim upon God whatsoever.


It thus appears that it is highly important for us to have clear and scriptural views of the "foreknowledge" of God. Erroneous conceptions about it lead inevitably to thoughts most dishonoring to Him. The popular idea of Divine foreknowledge is altogether inadequate. God not only knew the end from the beginning, but He planned, fixed, predestinated everything from the beginning. And, as cause stands to effect, so God’s purpose is the ground of His prescience. If then the reader be a real Christian, he is so because God chose him in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), and chose not because He foresaw you would believe, but chose simply because it pleased Him to choose: chose you notwithstanding your natural unbelief. This being so, all the glory and praise belongs alone to Him. You have no ground for taking any credit to yourself. You have "believed through grace" (Acts 18:27), and that, because your very election was "of grace" (Rom. 11:5).

http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Attributes/attrib_04.htm

OLAADEGBU:
For them to give birth to Islam, Nazism and Communism deserves a Nobel peace award and to think that they are now trying to gather all religions in the ecumenical meetings says so much about them.

No evil is beyond this church cult.

italo:
Even 5solas hasn't given scriptural proof that the Catholic Church is anti-Christ. So much for 'sola scriptura'.

Simply read Matthew 7:15-20.

plappville:
Exactly, his declearation in this video shows how confussed he really is.
But, If he can deny Jesus openly, of what point does it makes to pray for him? Just wondering!

Have you considered that he might not be saved? A number of persons taught Sunday school lessons for years, before knowing the truth about justification-that it is of faith, without works.

The world hates this doctrine, as it hates that of Justification By Faith,
Without Works.

The Doctrine of Imputed Righteousness

by Brian Arend


But we are as an unclean thing. And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away--Isaiah 64:6.

But you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;
and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall.

          Malachi 4:1

     

Christ's Righteousness is Imputed to Believers

        Dear friends, have you heard such a statement in any of the recent sermons lately? Christ's righteousness is the heart of the gospel message. It is a grand and glorious truth, but if it is not preached, it will not be heard, if it is not printed, it will not be read.

        Therefore, I ask you, how will the heathen be converted if the heart of the gospel is left out of the printed page, and the preached word?

        All of the past worthies have made the doctrine of the imputation of Christ's righteousness a central theme in their gospel presentations. Let us look at the vitality of this doctrine. This we shall do in three ways: first, various scriptures to be considered, secondly, confessional statements, and thirdly, some concluding remarks and quotations.

        Various Scriptures to be considered

        "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies;" Psalm 103:3-4

        "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy to them that fear Him." Psalm 103:10-11

        "In those days, and at that time, will I cause thy Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness." Jeremiah 23:6

        "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputed not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." Psalm 32:1-2

        "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep." John 10:11

        "And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Philippians 3:9

        "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:19

        "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21

        "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

        "But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption:" 1 Corinthians 1:30

        "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Galatians 2:16

        "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith." Romans 1:16-17

        "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Romans 3:24-28

        "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." Romans 4:6-8

        "And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification." Romans 4:22-25

        "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" Romans 5:1

        "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness of everyone that believeth." Romans 10:3-4

        "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:10

        "Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Romans 5:9

        "Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." Romans 5:18-19

        Confessional statements

        "God imputeth the righteousness of Christ unto us for our own: so that now we are not only cleansed from our sin, and purged, and holy, but also endued with righteousness of Christ." Confession of Helvetia

        "When therefore we do say, that we are justified by faith (Romans 5:1), this is our meaning: that we do obtain remission of sins, and imputation of righteousness, by mercy showed us for Christ's sake." The Augsburg Confession

        "Casting away all opinion of virtues and merits, we do altogether rest in the only obedience of Jesus Christ, which is imputed to us, both that all our sins may be covered, and that we may obtain grace before God." The Confession of France

        "Christ Himself is our righteousness, because that by His merit we have remission, and God doth impute His righteousness to us, and for Him doth account us just." The Confession of Saxony

        "We are accounted righteous before God only for the merits of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by faith; and not for our own works or deservings, wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine and full of comfort." The Church of England

        "Christ Himself is our righteousness, which imputeth all His merits unto us: faith is but the instrument, whereby we are coupled unto Him." Confession of Belgia

        "What believest thou concerning the forgiveness of sins?" "That God, for the sake of Christ's satisfaction, will no more remember my sins, neither my corrupt nature, against which I have to struggle all my life long, but will graciously impute to me the righteousness of Christ, that I may never be condemned before the tribunal of God." The Heidelberg Catechism, Question and Answer 56

        "Justification is an act of the grace of God, judging and proclaiming man to be righteous, through imputing to him the righteousness of Christ, which is received by the sinner through faith. " The Welch Calvinistic Methodists' Confession

        "Those whom God effectually calleth, He also freely justified, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous, not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in His death, for their whole and sole righteousness." The Philadelphia Confession

        "What is justification?" "Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein He pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone." The Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question and Answer 33

        Concluding Remarks and Quotes

        The age old question, "Shall man be just with God?", must be spiritually revealed to us by God.

        "What then must a sinner do to be saved? He must believe in and rest upon that Savior who was, by gracious imputation, made sin for us, that we by a similar exchange, might be made the righteousness of God in Him. At so much pains is a Pharisee in going about to establish his own righteousness, rather than embrace the bible-way of salvation by submitting to the righteousness of God the Son." [1]

        "Therefore He is made wisdom and sanctification to us effectively by illuminating and regenerating us; but righteousness imputatively by imputing to us His righteousness." [2]

        "Positively, that the ground of justification can be found only in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is imputed to the sinner in justification" [3]

        It is important, when studying the righteousness of Christ, to understand the obedience of Christ in our place. At times, we may need to distinguish between His active obedience and His passive obedience, but never to separate the two. In His active obedience we understand that He, as our representative, obeyed the law perfectly. In His passive obedience, He bore our punishment and paid our sin debt, but that He did it voluntarily, intertwines the active and passive obedience of Christ.

        "He, therefore, was sin, that we might be righteousness, nor ours, but God's, nor in us, but in Him, as He demonstrated sin, not His own, but ours, nor in Himself, but in us constituted in the likeness of sinful flesh, in which He was crucified." [4]

        "In justification, righteousness is imputed, accounted, or reckoned. Faith distinguishes those to whom righteousness is imputed: it is unto all, and upon all them that believe, but it is not, in itself, either in whole or in part, the meritorious cause of justification. We are thus justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us." [5]

        "The declaration that the sinner is restored to God's favor, has its ground, not in the sinner's personal character or conduct, but solely n the obedience and righteousness of Christ, to whom the sinner is united by faith." [6]

        "If not on works or on faith, on what is the justification of the sinner founded? It is founded on the work of Christ alone. Its basis is not anything done by the sinner, nor anything wrought in him, but what was done for him." [7]

        "The righteousness by which a sinner stands accepted is called the righteousness of God, because it is in opposition to the righteousness of men, because God provided and approves it and none other, and because He puts great honour upon it. It is called the righteousness of Christ, because our Lord Jesus Christ, being made under the law, was obedient to all its precepts, and suffered its dreadful penalty for us, and so Himself brought in everlasting righteousness of us." [8]

        When the gospel is preached, the righteousness of Christ is revealed. The first sign of regeneracy is that the sinner becomes convinced of his or her unrighteousness, and the need for a perfect righteousness. The gospel declares to them the source of that perfect righteousness, which is the person and work of Christ alone.

        "The gospel reveals the righteousness of Jesus Christ as the foundation of our justification. By His life, death, and resurrection Christ Jesus accomplished all that was necessary for our complete justification. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to our account or record, while our sins were imputed to Christ's record. God declares us not guilty before the moral universe and pronounces us righteous in His sight." [9]

        "We delight to renounce all personal righteousness and call Him 'the Lord of righteousness.' Having established righteousness for us, Christ was 'obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,' as our substitute; and by His death He put away our sins." [10]

        "What he says, what ever He means is obviously that our own righteousness in every item and degree of it is wholly excluded from the ground of our salvation, and the righteousness provided by God in Christ is the sole ground of our acceptance in His sight." [11]

        "Till we have called Jesus Christ the Lord our righteousness, that is, heartily owned Him as such, our condition is a shameful, Unclad condition, and that is a wretched, miserable condition, Rev. 3:17, because, till clothed with Christ's righteousness, our shame appears in the sight of God." [12]

        "Adam's disobedience was imputed to all His seed and procured their condemnation, the obedience of Jesus is imputed to all his seed and procures their justification. his whole work is set before us in the gospel and is called the righteousness of God and the righteousness of faith, by faith it is received and before God in the perfect work of Christ and is justified from all things." [13]

        "Hereby it appears that none can deny the imputation of Christ's death and sufferings but those who deny His satisfaction, and so subvert the foundation of the gospel." [14]

        After mentioning many forms of righteousness in which people lay their trust, we read this: "all these several rooms, and many more, hath Satan contrived in men's own righteousness, and persuades sinners that they may be secure therein, and rely safely thereon. Whatever refuge men fancy in their own righteousness, it will prove a refuge of lies, it will deceive and betray those that fly thereto. If you will not trust in the righteousness of Christ only, and stay yourselves upon Him, but rely on your own righteousness, as the prophet saith: You kindle a fire, and compass yourselves about with sparks that ye have kindled, and what will be the issue? To lie down in darkness, for all your own sparks, in that darkness where there is eternal sorrow, where there is weeping, and etc." [15]

        "There are two things in justification. 1) The righteousness imputed; and that is Christ's and to Him we go for it. 2) The act of imputation, the accounting it mine or thine; and that is the act of God primarily." [16]

        "Justification is attributed as much to free grace as to Christ's righteousness, for both are joined, therefore faith looks as much to free grace ordaining and imputing, as to Christ performing." [17]

        Many fear that if they stay too long on the doctrine of justification the people of God will live ungodly, but nothing could be further from the truth. For, a right understanding of the ground of our salvation will produce a life of thankfulness for so great a salvation. Never do we separate the doctrine of justification from sanctification but we do distinguish for clarity as to our defense of the hope that is within us and the ground of our salvation.

        The preaching of moralism with its motivation being either fear of punishment, or promise of reward, leaves the sinner with no hope, but that of a works foundation which shall, sooner or later, surely fall.

        That the righteousness of Christ imputed to believers is the only way a sinner may appear before God, shall be the main emphasis of every gospel presentation.

        That the doctrine of assurance of salvation is based solely upon the work of Christ is what gives the believer peace with God, should serve as a great comfort to many unsettled souls.

        That the only true motivation to holiness of life is that which springs out of love and gratitude to God for so great a salvation.

        Therefore, a life of thankfulness is to be expected of all those who profess to embrace this doctrine as the heart of the gospel.

        "It is our thankfulness that we are in an unchangeable state of justification based solely upon Christ's unchangeable righteousness." [18]

        "The only way you can obtain the imputed righteousness of God in Christ is by faith (Rom 9:31-33). Faith does not perform righteousness, or merit righteousness. Faith receives righteousness." [19]

        "'It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth?' Rom 8:33-34. 'And it is Jesus that justifieth all His redeemed, by His blood and righteousness; for He was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification;' Rom 4:25. And that the hand of God the Holy Ghost was in all this, is equally evident; for it is as expressly said, that Christ was 'justified in the Spirit' which would never have been the case, had not both God's law and God's justice been satisfied, and thus justified Jesus, as the sinner's surety." [20]

        "Consider that it is a great work of God's Spirit to convince men and assure them that it is safe appearing in the righteousness of Christ." [21]

        "And never think that to live always on Christ for justification is a low and beggarly thing, and as it were a staying at the foundation; for let me tell you, depart from a sense of the meritorious means of your justification with God, and you will quickly grow light, and frothly, and vain." [22]

        "Romans 5:12-21 is one of the most important passages in the Bible. In it the fundamental doctrine of federal representation is openly stated, and the fact of imputation is emphatically affirmed." [23]

        "The doctrine of imputation is as bitterly hated as those of unconditional election and eternal punishment." [24]

        "'He, of God, is made unto us righteousness.' The transference is complete and eternal. From the moment that we receive the divine testimony to the righteousness of the Son of God, all the guilt that was on us passes over to Him, and all His righteousness passes over to us, " [25]

        "The imputation is an act of God, of His mere love and grace; whereby, on the consideration of the mediation of Christ, He makes an effectual grant and donation of a true, real, perfect righteousness, even that of Christ Himself, unto all that do believe, and accounting it as theirs, on His own gracious act, both absolve them from sin and granteth them right and title unto eternal life." [26]

http://members.fortunecity.com/alawson/arend.html

Imputed righteousness

Imputed righteousness is a theological concept directly related to the doctrine of Justification. It is particularly prevalent in the Reformed tradition.

“Justification is that step in salvation in which God declares the believer righteous. Protestant theology has emphasized that this includes the imputation of Christ’s righteousness (crediting it to the believer’s”account“), whereas Roman Catholic theology emphasizes that God justifies in accord with an infused righteousness merited by Christ and maintained by the believer’s good works,” (Elwell Evangelical Dictionary). Imputed righteousness therefore means that upon repentance and belief in Christ, individuals are forensically declared righteous. This righteousness is not the believer’s own, rather it is Christ’s own righteousness ‘imputed’ to the believer.

A primary line of argumentation for this doctrine maintains that perfect righteousness or holiness is necessary to be with God. All mankind “fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) because all their ‘righteousness’ is like filthy rags (Is 64:6) before the throne of God, and so all are “dead in their trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1), and as a result “will not come into [God’s] light for fear that their evil deeds will be revealed” (John 3:20). All mankind is in this predicament because all are the offspring of Adam and Eve (Rom 5) who originally sinned against God. As a result of Adam’s fall, the world was cursed and sin entered the world. But upon confession of one’s own sin and faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, the sinner is justified and counted as having the righteousness of Christ.

Although all of Christianity would agree that Christ is the believer’s chief representative and head before the perfect holiness of God, not all would agree that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to the believer. In some circles, imputed righteousness is referred to as positive imputation - where the believer receives the righteousness of Christ. It stands in contrast to negative imputation - where the sin and judgment due to the repenting sinner is imputed to Christ. Virtually all would agree with the latter, but not all will agree with the former. The debate turns on a number of Bible verses not the least of which deal with what and whose righteousness was credited to Abraham when he believed God (Genesis 15:5–6).

Imputed righteousness is one of the classic doctrines of Protestantism and traces back through the Reformers - chiefly John Calvin and Martin Luther. These men stood against the Roman Catholic doctrine of infused righteousness where the righteousness of the saints and of Christ is gradually infused to the believer through the sacraments. For the Catholic, infused righteousness either gradually dissipates as the believer takes part in worldly sins or is enhanced by good works. If the believer dies without having the fullness of righteousness, coming in part from the last rites, he or she will temporarily spend time in purgatory until the sinful status is purged from his or her record.

http://www.theopedia.com/Imputed_righteousness

italo:
@frosbel,

I'm glad you study so fervently the teachings of God. I have no doubt you are on your way home without knowing it. One day that yearning in your heart will lead you home. . . Every christian's home. And you'll be most welcome.

Frosbel,

if you are not careful and follow through with this, some day, you will arrive at Rome.

OLAADEGBU:
We should pray for this man so that his labour will not be in vain.  Talking about the Modernists see the descent of the Modernists as depicted in the diagram below:

So true. The way some nairalanders argue, you would think there was no such thing as atonement, or imputation!

italo:
So you consider the anti-Christ to be a "threat" to the Church? It just shows that whatever 'church' you belong to is not the same one Jesus was talking about when he said "on this rock I'll build my church and the gate of hades will not overcome it".

Besides what makes you say the Catholic Church is[b] the anti-Christ?[/b] Is that what is written in the Bible? I thought you believed in 'sola scriptura'.

I said the Catholic Church is anti-Christ , not[b] the anti-Christ[/b]. I will not be surprised though if it is the anti-Christ or out of it comes the anti-Christ.

I am surprised you are not so touchy about your spiritual family today.What's the secret?.

5solas:
The Catholic Church has been , is and ever will be, the greatest threat to Christianity, we have to give them this recognition.

italo:
Good! So you know the Catholic Church will ever be - never cease to be. That says a lot. It was Jesus that gave that assurance: "on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it." "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age"

Good? That the Catholic Church will always be[b] anti-Christ?[/b] 

OLAADEGBU:
[flash=500,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axxlXy6bLH0?fs=1&hl=en_GB[/flash]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axxlXy6bLH0&feature=player_embedded

Let the body of Christ pray for Robert Schuller, Billy Graham and many others who are confused as to what the biblical gospel is.  Pray that God will open their eyes to the truth before it is too late!

Is it possible that you aren't really a Christian?  Examine yourselves whether you are still in the faith.

Thanks for the above. I have had my own reservation about Graham since I read some parts of this book,''The Legacy of Billy Graham the liar'' on this site, http://www.sovereignpotter.com/The_Legacy_Of_Billy_Graham_Index.html. Amongst his sins are:

1.Billy Graham Insists That Modernists Be Included on Crusade Committees

2. Billy Graham Also Includes Catholics and Jews on His Crusade Committees and

3.Converts Are Sent Back to Liberal Protestant and Catholic Churches as Well as the Jewish Synagogue.

Quite obviously he is seduced by works.

The Catholic Church has been , is and ever will be, the greatest threat to Christianity, we have to give them this recognition.

Great post!
This is one of the reasons I am set against Arminianism. It makes nonsense of the biblical doctrine of assurance of salvation.

[quote author=tpia@ link=topic=814144.msg9688873#msg9688873 date=1322978773]faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.[/quote]

Pastor AIO:
. . . and . . ?

It is the fountain from which all good works spring.

Joagbaje:
Whole some believe a man can only be saved once ,some other believe that a man has to get saved over and over if he sins.

1 John 5:11
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

If a man has recieved eternal life ,he is saved . A man can't be saved twice . What if a christian sins? . There are two kinds of sins. Missing the mark, and missing the way. Missing the mark is an act but missing he way is living in error. If you miss the mark you repent and be forgiven. If a man miss the way he may May be restored ,but if he can't be restored he goes to Hell.

Once saved is always saved so long as a man keeps his salvation.

Hebrews 6:4-6
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

I believe the bolded, has nullified the whole point of your post.

@Manmustwac

Thanks for the clarification.

I nominate Olaadegbu, Frosbel and Wordtalk, in that order, for their defence of the gospel, though with some reservation concerning Frosbel.

OLAADEGBU:
I vote for the One and only Jesus Christ of Nazareth for making His presence felt in the religion section. Am I the only one voting for Him? I guess not. One with God is more than a majority.

Lol. Please don't confuse me-o!

aletheia:
My brother. . .

Sola Scriptura
Solus Christus
Sola Gratia
Sola Fide
Soli Deo Gloria

---

That is my stand .

@OP

Yuo are right about the hatred of Paul. Virtually everyone, not everyone, hates him. The main reason is for the gospel of grace and for good measure, his position on predestination. Imagine Paul saying these within a chapter of a book:

[Quote]

Romans 9:

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

16[b] So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.[/b]….
30 ¶ What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.


[/Quote]



It is enough for the unregenerate to throw him bound hand and foot from the synagogue.

But all lovers of truth ,love him for it.

manmustwac:
Sorry solas I just copied and pasted last years format without reviewing it properly i've amended it now but if you can still see any errors in the format please don't hesitate to let me know.

Joagbaje:
@manmustwack

The error is still there. Is it 2 nominees or 3 nominees?

Precisely my point, thanks.

manmustwac:
RULES:[/color][/b]
-There are three nominations per member.
-Where a member nominates more than two people - and we plead with you not to - only the first two will be taken.

@Manmustwac
I can't reconcile your first and second rule, please clarify; also 2010 in your post is making me giddy.

^^^@Aletheia

There is nothing in this post, as long as it is,  for my criticism. Great post! 

italo:
No! According to the discourse, he hadn't "sold everything he had and given the money to the poor".

That is a WORK!

Isn't it?

Why don't you just admit the truth?

Lol. So if he had sold everything and given the money to the poor, would he have been saved? Does this WORK, as you put it, accomplish eternal life for him? How about the ,''then follow me''. Is it not obvious that on his own merit he could never get salvation?

OLAADEGBU:
If by now you've not been able to watch this e-comic then it must be that you've been kept from knowing the awful truth. Simples

I totally agree.

italo:
The rich young ruler: "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus: "keep the commandments"; "sell all you have, give the money to the poor, then come and follow me"

5solas: 'Nooo! No need for all that. Just have faith.'

Lol. Well I can't blame you, you obviously don't know the difference between the law and the gospel.

2buff:
Abeg make we no argue.
Even if you wan say works are not required to enter, at least know that Works determine how you roll up there.

Check am:

< 5solas approaches italo's office building in heaven. 2 angels are guarding the door. They stop him>
Angel 1: What are you doing? 

5solas: Hey italo na my paddy from previous life. I just wan come hail am. 

Angel 2: You DO realize you can't just drop into the city hall whenever you want right? It has to be by invitation only. Mayor [/b]Italo is a very busy being. He has a city to run.

Angel 1: I'm surprised you didn't know this already 

5solas: Ah sorry. I'll see him when he's done with his duties then 

Angel 2: Speaking of duties, I just received word that you are expected to have finished sweeping "2Buff Street" by now . Have you done so?

5solas: Oh ermm no, I just thought . . . I could do that later.
. . .
<long awkwards silence>
. . .
Angel 1: Go and kneel down by that corner

Lol.  Very hilarious. You do realize though, don’t you, that admittance to that city  or the converse is based on  belief or unbelief? As you draw near that city, you will lose ALL confidence in your works and will rightfully call them [b]dung. If you are not left with faith in Christ then, there will be hell to go to.

italo:
*ignoring the insults*

Anyone else can help if you so please. Thank you.

You really should read it yourself !

Use a laptop and click on, ''load comic''.