₦airaland Forum

As we continue to break the word of God and grow, we realise that: The word of God cannot be looked or broken with an ordinary human eyes. I.e before one is saved. The veil of sin covering our eyes has to be removed; before we can see the word of God for what it is and be able to understand it better. Actually, we have God to thank for His GRACE. But for His GRACE, this certainly would not have been possible.

SOME SCRIPTURAL SALIENT POINTS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS WRITE UP.

1) The promise of God is FREE by GRACE.
2) The GIFT/BLESSING of God is the HOLY SPIRIT.
3) There are two(2) basic lifestyles: life in sin(Satan) and life in righteousness (Christ).
4) To live in righteousness (Christ) is to be free from sin and the LAW. To live in sin(Satan) is to be a slave of sin and the LAW.

Before the coming of Christ and the LAW, we were already comfortably living in sin. And sin was part of our nature right from birth. It was only natural for us to sin. Because at best, all that we ever knew was the lifestyle of sin. At least the sinful things that we abhor and avoid today, were once thought and considered a normal way of life by us before the LAW was given.

THE REASON FOR THE LAW.

The LAW was given in order to reveal and expose what sin is. It is important to know that: before the LAW was given, no one knew what sin was. Everyone kept on sinning and living a sinful life IGNORANTLY before the LAW. Everyone saw sin as a norm.

THE IMPLICATION OF LIVING WITHOUT THE LAW.

If the LAW had not been introduced to create awareness about sin, it meant that: people would've continued to sin ignorantly. And its implication would've been that: no one would've known that there is another way of life(life of righteousness) the God's own way of life. People would've been lost in sin, and would've also come to settle with sin as a way of life, thereby making the ministry of Christ a difficult one.

GUILT.

It was the LAW and the awareness of sin that brought about GUILT. Before the LAW, there was no GUILT as people sin and didn't even know they were sinning. But the LAW however, introduced sin which as a result awakened our consciences to the evil of sin and what it meant against the righteous way of our Messiah(Christ). After then, GUILT became a greater part of us.

GOD'S PROMISE.

God's promise, was made to Abraham and to his descendant(Christ). That at the right time He(God) was going to bless the whole human race through him(Abraham). But before the promise(the FREE gift of the SPIRIT) was fulfilled/given, God gave the LAW 430 years before then through Moses in order to reveal and expose what sin is. So that the world would be aware of sin and know that the lifestyle she was living at that time was contrary to the lifestyle of righteousness that He(God) approves of...But could we have switched over from the lifestyle of sin to that of righteousness which He approves of through the LAW(by our strength)?

ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.

The answer to that question is a capital NO. Because that life of sin, had a man(Satan) behind it. And as ordinary human beings, the devil is more powerful than you and I. Reason God sent Christ with a higher power(HOLY SPIRIT) at the right time to come and perfect everything for us. So that through Him, sin will be conquered/defeated in us thereby setting the stage for God's righteousness in us by the power(HOLY SPIRIT)that Christ will give to us if only we believe in Him and everything He has done and commanded us to obey. Note that this power(HOLY SPIRIT) is to help you stay in faith and righteousness as you continue to study God's word everyday in order to grow the HOLY SPIRIT in you.

FINALLY.

Note that: there is a positive relationship between sin and the law on one hand as there is between righteousness and freedom on another. Those who still lead the OLD LIFE of sin, are ruled by the LAW. I.e they are the slaves of sin and are living under the LAW. Where as, those that have come sincerely to Christ, are FREE from sin. I.e sin is no longer controlling their lives and are also FREE from the LAW. Their lives are directed by the HOLY SPIRIT, which is the presence of God in them. The problem with many of us(Christians) is that: we fail to understand that the LAW was just to reveal sin to us and after that, it ends right there. But ironically, we continue to hold on to it as the way of salvation thereby, opposing God's only way, which is by GRACE in Christ Jesus alone. No one can do anything to save himself. Salvation is found in Christ alone by GRACE through our FAITH in Him (Christ) as depicted in Ephesians 2:8. God bless us all...SHALOM!!!

The gospel of Grace isn't a message or a topic. It's the GOSPEL. Gospel of grace is here to stay thank God John 1:17 differentiated between law and grace. And truth is on the side of grace in that verse. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set u free. John 8:32

LisaAnneMia:
The gospel of Grace isn't a message or a topic. It's the GOSPEL. Gospel of grace is here to stay thank God John 1:17 differentiated between law and grace. And truth is on the side of grace in that verse. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set u free. John 8:32

Grace as mentioned in John 1 vs 17 refers to the eternal life you are given in place of Death. And grace can be spent in either of Heaven or Hell.. both of them found well in the boundaries of the Kingdom of God.

In John 8, Jesus Christ posited that in order to be free from the bondage of sin, you have to accept and obey His teachings (Truth) for only by knowing the Truth(His teachings) can anyone who follows Him can be set free from bondage to sin by the Truth(His teaching).

Jesus Christ taught you the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and not gospel of eternal life(grace). He instructed His followers to go out and teach to the world the gospel of the Kingdom of God and not their own gospel formulation. If you reject the commandment of Jesus Christ, preaching instead for gospel, that which men have given you instead, can you truly claim to have been set free from bondage to sin by His truth(the Spirit of Truth - Spirit of Jesus Christ Himself)?

Kobojunkie:
Grace as mentioned in John 1 vs 17 refers to the eternal life you are given in place of Death. And grace can be spent in either of Heaven or Hell.. both of them found well in the boundaries of the Kingdom of God.

In John 8, Jesus Christ posited that in order to be free from the bondage of sin, you have to accept and obey His teachings (Truth) for only by knowing the Truth(His teachings) can anyone who follows Him can be set free from bondage to sin by the Truth(His teaching).

Jesus Christ taught you the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and not gospel of eternal life(grace). He instructed His followers to go out and teach to the world the gospel of the Kingdom of God and not their own gospel formulation. If you reject the commandment of Jesus Christ, preaching instead for gospel, that which men have given you instead, can you truly claim to have been set free from bondage to sin by His truth(the Spirit of Truth - Spirit of Jesus Christ Himself)?

"For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ"...was eternal life written in that verse, yes or no?

LisaAnneMia:
"For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ"...was eternal life written in that verse, yes or no?

First of all, you being of gentile roots were never under Old Covenant Law that you should pretend you were somehow under it at any point in time. Before Jesus Christ arrived, the gentile world was never under the Law of Moses but was instead condemned to die by the Law God gave to Adam from the beginning. You were already judged guilty and condemned as a gentile.. no path to forgiveness or Law for you.

Second, Jesus Christ told you that He too is Law... recall that He proclaimed that He came with a yoke and burden for you, only a lighter one than the Old Covenant which had 613 commands, statutes and rules.

Third, recall that Jesus Christ informed you that He is the way, the Truth, and the Life? Jesus Himself explained that The WAY is to through Him, the acceptance and obedience of His teachings where the same teachings constitute the Truth of God that He is. The Life in Him is the eternal life, grace from Death, that you receive from Him.... He is eternal life(grace) that you receive when you obey Him. If you knew His Truth(His teachings) you would know this and more.

Kobojunkie:
First of all, you being of gentile roots were never under Old Covenant Law that you should pretend you were somehow under it at any point in time. Before Jesus Christ arrived, the gentile world was never under the Law of Moses but was instead condemned to die by the Law God gave to Adam from the beginning. You were already judged guilty and condemned as a gentile.. no path to forgiveness or Law for you.

Second, Jesus Christ told you that He too is Law... recall that He proclaimed that He came with a yoke and burden for you, only a lighter one than the Old Covenant which had 613 commands, statutes and rules.

Third, recall that Jesus Christ informed you that He is the way, the Truth, and the Life? Jesus Himself explained that The WAY is to through Him, the acceptance and obedience of His teachings where the same teachings constitute the Truth of God that He is. The Life in Him is the eternal life, grace from Death, that you receive from Him.... He is eternal life(grace) that you receive when you obey Him. If you knew His Truth(His teachings) you would know this and more.

So, if eternal life is grace, did u do anything to deserve it? I mean you weren't even born then. Are you saying you deserved Jesus dying for you? I need a plain answer pls.

LisaAnneMia:
So, if eternal life is grace, did u do anything to deserve it? I mean you weren't even born then. Are you saying you deserved Jesus dying for you? I need a plain answer pls.

According to Jesus Christ, He gives it only to those who Obey His commandment to believe in Him(believe He is who He says He is, be baptized, and eat communion) in order to be saved from Death, and receive in it's place eternal life.

1. The passages say all those who believe will receive eternal life in place of Death(perish/condemnation).

John 3 vs 16-21 (ERV)
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16. “For God so loved the world,[i] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
20. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

2. In the passage below, Jesus Christ goes on to say that one much eat His flesh and eat His blood in order to obtain eternal life.

John 6 vs 47- 59 (ESV)
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47. “I can assure you that anyone who believes has eternal life.
48. I am the bread that gives life.
49. Your ancestors ate the manna God gave them in the desert, but it didn’t keep them from dying
50. Here is the bread that comes down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will never die.
51. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my body. I will give my body so that the people in the world can have life.”
52. Then the Jews began to argue among themselves. They said, “How can this man give us his body to eat?”
53. Jesus said, “Believe me when I say that you must eat the body of the Son of Man, and you must drink his blood. If you don’t do this, you have no real life.
54. Those who eat my body and drink my blood have eternal life. I will raise them up on the last day.
55. My body is true food, and my blood is true drink.
56. Those who eat my body and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them.
57. “The Father sent me. He lives, and I live because of him. So everyone who eats me will live because of me.
58. I am not like the bread that your ancestors ate. They ate that bread, but they still died. I am the bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
59. Jesus said all this while he was teaching in the synagogue in the city of Capernaum.

3) In the passage below, Jesus Christ commands that those who believe and are baptized are those who are saved

Mark 16 vs 15-18 (ERV)
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15. He said to them, “Go everywhere in the world. Tell the Good News to everyone.
16. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. But those who do not believe will be judged guilty.
17. And the people who believe will be able to do these things as proof: They will use my name to force demons out of people. They will speak in languages they never learned.
18. If they pick up snakes or drink any poison, they will not be hurt. They will lay their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

Acts of obedience are counted as works in the Kingdom of God... Faith, the purse that contains your accumulations of works done in your obedience to God's commandments.

Kobojunkie:
According to Jesus Christ, He gives it only to those who Obey His commandment to believe in Him(believe He is who He says He is, be baptized, and eat communion) in order to be saved from Death, and receive in it's place eternal life.

1. The passages say all those who believe will receive eternal life in place of Death(perish/condemnation).

2. In the passage below, Jesus Christ goes on to say that one much eat His flesh and eat His blood in order to obtain eternal life.

3) In the passage below, Jesus Christ commands that those who believe and are baptized are those who are saved


Acts of obedience are counted as works in the Kingdom of God... Faith, the purse that contains your accumulations of works done in your obedience to God's commandments.

Just yes or no?

LisaAnneMia:
Just yes or no?

Improve upon your comprehension skills instead.

Yes, the purpose of the law is to expose sin, the law was our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ.

The purpose of preaching the law is to lead people to faith in Christ.

When one comes to faith in Christ he is given eternal life instantly and from then on he begins to experience a new life.

Kobojunkie:
Improve upon your comprehension skills instead.

Did you deserve Jesus and this eternal life that you call grace, did you do anything to deserve it?

LisaAnneMia:
Did you deserve Jesus and this eternal life that you call grace, did you do anything to deserve it?

I am sorry what? What has "deserve" to do with anything?
Do you "deserve" the contract you have with your phone company or with your landlord or your employer?

Does anyone "deserve" any Contract /Covenant/agreement? You are presented with an agreement and you make the choice to either become a signee or not... what has the word deserve to do with any of it?
Are you somehow better than those who never got a chance at the same contract - those who were before the time of Jesus Christ, and those who the Truth of God did not reach before their death- or something?

Kobojunkie:
I am sorry what? What has "deserve" to do with anything?
Do you "deserve" the contract you have with your phone company or with your landlord or your employer?

Does anyone "deserve" any Contract /Covenant/agreement? You are presented with an agreement and you make the choice to either become a signee or not... what has the word deserve to do with any of it?
Are you somehow better than those who never got a chance at the same contract - those who were before the time of Jesus Christ, and those who the Truth of God did not reach before their death- or something?

So Jesus Christ came to earth, and bore all of that suffering, pain, humiliation just for you to say "it's only a contract"??

LisaAnneMia:
So Jesus Christ came to earth, and bore all of that suffering, pain, humiliation just for you to say "it's only a contract"??

Yes! God told you He would send His New Covenant(contract) to you, and that is what and who Jesus Christ is.

Jeremiah 31 vs 31-34 (ERV)
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31. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32. not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.
33. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Only those who sign up for the New agreement and commit to the plan, will receive that which God promised through His prophets.

Ezekiel 36 vs 24 - 31 (ERV)
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24. “I will take you out of those nations, gather you together, and bring you back to your own land.
25. Then I will sprinkle pure water on you and make you pure. I will wash away all your filth, the filth from those nasty idols, and I will make you pure.
26. I will also put a new spirit in you to change your way of thinking. I will take out the heart of stone from your body and give you a tender, human heart.
27. I will put my Spirit inside you[c] and change you so that you will obey my laws. You will carefully obey my commands.
28. Then you will live in the land that I gave to your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God.
29. Also, I will save you and keep you from becoming unclean. I will command the grain to grow. I will not bring a famine against you.
30. I will give you large crops of fruit from your trees and the harvest from your fields so that you will never again feel the shame of being hungry in a foreign country.
31. You will remember the bad things you did. You will remember that those things were not good. Then you will hate yourselves because of your sins and the terrible things you did.”

God offers man plans/contracts... it has been His way since He made man, and it remains His way. It is up to the individual to decide if the plan/Contract/Covenant works for Him - The default being Death anyways.

As for Jesus Christ's sufferings and pain, well, there is more to that story which you can read of in Isaiah 53 where the prophet explains it was a part of the fulfillment of the Old Covenant Law on the part of those who were under it -- He died because of the sins of the Jewish people.

Kobojunkie:
Yes! God told you He would send His New Covenant(contract) to you, and that is what and who Jesus Christ is.

Only those who sign up for the New agreement and commit to the plan, will receive that which God promised through His prophets.

God offers man plans/contracts... it has been His way since He made man, and it remains His way. It is up to the individual to decide if the plan/Contract/Covenant works for Him - The default being Death anyways.

So what do Jesus get in return? Cos a contract will benefit both sides

LisaAnneMia:
So what do Jesus get in return? Cos a contract will benefit both sides

1) In the case of those of His Old Covenant with those of the blood of Israel, and the Kingdom of Canaan(of this world), God gains a People to rule over
2) In the case of those of His New Covenant with those who will believe in Jesus Christ, and the Kingdom of God(not of this world), God gains for Himself heirs... Sons of God. Jesus Christ is the Master clone after which all the other Sons of God are modeled.

Kobojunkie:
1) In the case of those of His Old Covenant with those of the blood of Israel, and the Kingdom of Canaan(of this world), God gains a People to rule over
2) In the case of those of His New Covenant with those who will believe in Jesus Christ, and the Kingdom of God(not of this world), God gains for Himself heirs... Sons of God. Jesus Christ is the Master clone after which all the other Sons of God are modeled.

Again, Abraham did nothing for God to choose him and make a covenant with Him. Neither did humans, with the sinful nature that Adam produced did NOTHING for Jesus to die on that cross. Nobody that Jesus healed when He was on earth did nothing to deserve healing even though He's the new covenant. Every single person Jesus healed were not righteous. They did not deserve Him. No human in this world deserves the King of kings, and the creator of heaven and earth to come down in flesh and go through all that happened to Him just for someone to say it's only a contract and all He gets from it are sons. So, again, since you weren't born when Jesus came, do you deserve Him dying for you and forgiving you of all your sins?

LisaAnneMia:
Again, Abraham did nothing for God to choose him and make a covenant with Him.

You are quite mistaken... God did not choose Abraham. Abraham chose God, just like Abel, Enoch, Methuselah, and even Noah before Him. God calls all of men to Him, from Adam, to Cain and all. But the decision to heed God's voice is left to men.

LisaAnneMia:
Neither did humans, with the sinful nature that Adam produced did NOTHING for Jesus to die on that cross.

There is no such thing as a "sin nature". The same Adam to blamed as having transmitted such produced Righteous men such as Abel, Enoch, Methusaleh, and even Noah. In the book of Jasher, it is even claimed there are some of the line of Cain that were also righteous - you should maybe check it out.
As God told you through His prophets, His New Covenant, Jesus Christ, is His plan to create a more "compliant" breed of people.

Ezekiel 36 vs 24-30 (ESV)
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24. “I will take you out of those nations, gather you together, and bring you back to your own land.
25. Then I will sprinkle pure water on you and make you pure. I will wash away all your filth, the filth from those nasty idols, and I will make you pure.
26. I will also put a new spirit in you to change your way of thinking. I will take out the heart of stone from your body and give you a tender, human heart.
27. I will put my Spirit inside you[c] and change you so that you will obey my laws. You will carefully obey my commands.
28. Then you will live in the land that I gave to your ancestors. You will be my people, and I will be your God.
29. Also, I will save you and keep you from becoming unclean. I will command the grain to grow. I will not bring a famine against you.
30. I will give you large crops of fruit from your trees and the harvest from your fields so that you will never again feel the shame of being hungry in a foreign country.
31. You will remember the bad things you did. You will remember that those things were not good. Then you will hate yourselves because of your sins and the terrible things you did.”

Prophet Isaiah, tells us more the Jesus Christ, what He would deal with and His reward at the end of it all.

Isaiah 53 vs 1-30 (ESV)
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1. Who really believed what we heard? Who saw in it the Lord’s great power?[a]
2. He was always close to the Lord. He grew up like a young plant, like a root growing in dry ground. There was nothing special or impressive about the way he looked, nothing we could see that would cause us to like him.
3. People made fun of him, and even his friends left him. He was a man who suffered a lot of pain and sickness. We treated him like someone of no importance, like someone people will not even look at but turn away from in disgust.
4. The fact is, it was our suffering he took on himself; he bore our pain. But we thought that God was punishing him, that God was beating him for something he did.
5. But he was being punished for what we did. He was crushed because of our guilt. He took the punishment we deserved, and this brought us peace. We were healed because of his pain.
6. We had all wandered away like sheep. We had gone our own way. And yet the Lord put all our guilt on him.
7. He was treated badly, but he never protested. He said nothing, like a lamb being led away to be killed. He was like a sheep that makes no sound as its wool is being cut off. He never opened his mouth to defend himself.
8. He was taken away by force and judged unfairly. The people of his time did not even notice that he was killed. But he was put to death[c] for the sins of his[d] people.
9. He had done no wrong to anyone. He had never even told a lie. But he was buried among the wicked. His tomb was with the rich.
10. But the Lord was pleased with this humble servant who suffered such pain.[e] Even after giving himself as an offering for sin, he will see his descendants and enjoy a long life. He will succeed in doing what the Lord wanted.
11. After his suffering he will see the light,[f] and he will be satisfied with what he experienced.

The Lord says, “My servant, who always does what is right, will make his people right with me; he will take away their sins.
12. For this reason, I will treat him as one of my great people. I will give him the rewards of one who wins in battle, and he will share them with his powerful ones. I will do this because he gave his life for the people. He was considered a criminal, but the truth is, he carried away the sins of many. Now he will stand before me and speak for those who have sinned.”

Jesus Christ also quoted Isaiah in His teachings, so any narrative that is different from that offered by Jesus Christ Himself, ought to be questioned.

LisaAnneMia:
Nobody that Jesus healed when He was on earth did nothing to deserve healing even though He's the new covenant. Every single person Jesus healed were not righteous. They did not deserve Him.

Many of those healed by Jesus Christ did not end up believing in Him or become His followers. What that means is God's mercy is not just on those who believe in Him or follow Him, but instead as God Himself declares, on all of mankind.
God pours His mercy on all , including the wicked and ungrateful... so I don't see what "deserve" has to do with any of this still.

LisaAnneMia:
No human in this world deserves the King of kings, and the creator of heaven and earth to come down in flesh and go through all that happened to Him just for someone to say it's only a contract and all He gets from it are sons. So, again, since you weren't born when Jesus came, do you deserve Him dying for you and forgiving you of all your sins?

Jesus Christ is God's contract of rest offered to those who are weary and heavy-laden. He advertised Himself that way to the people.... basically calling all those who are weary and heavy-laden to come to Him and sign up with Him for a restful existence.

Matthew 11 vs 27-30 (ESV)
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27. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Any questions on whether one deserves the King of Kings, of Jesus Christ, is a non-issue when the contract openly announces to all that He is available for anyone who is interested, don't you think?

Kobojunkie:
You are quite mistaken... God did not choose Abraham. Abraham chose God, just like Abel, Enoch, Methuselah, and even Noah before Him. God calls all of men to Him, from Adam, to Cain and all. But the decision to heed God's voice is left to men.
There is no such thing as a "sin nature". The same Adam to blamed as having transmitted such produced Righteous men such as Abel, Enoch, Methusaleh, and even Noah. In the book of Jasher, it is even claimed there are some of the line of Cain that were also righteous - you should maybe check it out.
As God told you through His prophets, His New Covenant, Jesus Christ, is His plan to create a more "compliant" breed of people.
Prophet Isaiah, tells us more the Jesus Christ, what He would deal with and His reward at the end of it all.

Jesus Christ also quoted Isaiah in His teachings, so any narrative that is different from that offered by Jesus Christ Himself, ought to be questioned.
Many of those healed by Jesus Christ did not end up believing in Him or become His followers. What that means is God's mercy is not just on those who believe in Him or follow Him, but instead as God Himself declares, on all of mankind.
God pours His mercy on all , including the wicked and ungrateful... so I don't see what "deserve" has to do with any of this still.
Jesus Christ is God's contract of rest offered to those who are weary and heavy-laden. He advertised Himself that way to the people.... basically calling all those who are weary and heavy-laden to come to Him and sign up with Him for a restful existence.
Any questions on whether one deserves the King of Kings, of Jesus Christ, is a non-issue when the contract openly announces to all that He is available for anyone who is interested, don't you think?

God's mercy is on all mankind, did they do anything to deserve it, yes or no?

LisaAnneMia:
God's mercy is on all mankind, did they do anything to deserve it, yes or no?

Again, whether they deserve it or not is and remains a non-issue to God and the many out there who don't even believe in Him. God pours out His mercy and compassion on mankind, even on the wicked and the ungrateful. It is that simple! Why make a mountain out of nothing?

Kobojunkie:
Again, whether they deserve it or not is and remains a non-issue to God and the many out there who don't even believe in Him. God pours out His mercy and compassion on mankind, even on the wicked and the ungrateful. It is that simple! Why make a mountain out of nothing?

No one can deserve or earn His mercy. No matter how well they keep any rule or commandment cos even the person God called "a man after My heart", David, failed. No one can earn His mercy, His blessings, His presence cos no man is perfect like Him. And that my friend, is God's Unmerited Favor in our lives. WE DON'T DESERVE IT. HE GAVE US BECAUSE OF HIS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR US. A LOVE THAT HAS NO CONDITIONS. If u don't see this, then there's nothing more I can say to you.

LisaAnneMia:
No one can deserve or earn His mercy.

Again, this has never been a question of whether you deserve it or not.... God's mercy is poured out daily on all of Mankind... regardless of whether they believe in Him or not.

LisaAnneMia:
No matter how well they keep any rule or commandment cos even the person God called "a man after My heart", David, failed.

That is not true because, in the same Bible, you are told of many righteous men who chose to keep God's rules and commandments and did not fail God. Do we toss out the baby with the bathwater? You have men righteous men like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, Jeremiah, Job, John the Baptist, Ezekiel, during the time of Elijah, God said He had at least 1000 others to take his place. You have Zechariah and His wife, Joseph, father of Jesus, Simeon...all of them declared worthy and righteous by God.
When Jesus Christ arrived on the scene, there were many righteous men living even then - men who had lived obeying the rules and commandments of God. Jesus Christ even said that He did not come to call the ones who were already righteous - they were perfectly fine as they were in God's eyes - instead, He came to call the sinners instead to God.

LisaAnneMia:
No one can earn His mercy, His blessings, His presence cos no man is perfect like Him.

I am afraid you are wrong again! Those who are righteous are perfect in the eyes of God. And again, Jesus Christ made this known to you when He declared that He has not come to call the righteous but instead those who are still bound to sin - sinners - to God. And Jesus Christ offers His Contract(promises included a part of the deal) to those willing to accept and obey the terms and conditions stipulated.

LisaAnneMia:
And that my friend, is God's Unmerited Favor in our lives. WE DON'T DESERVE IT. HE GAVE US BECAUSE OF HIS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR US. A LOVE THAT HAS NO CONDITIONS. If u don't see this, then there's nothing more I can say to you.

You need to toss that filter you have there with you(doctrines of men), so you read the Truth of God as it is truly presented to you. None of what you continue to assert makes sense at all when put next to the facts as stated in the Bible itself. So, how can you not see that this idea you keep trying to throw in can never make sense where God is concerned?
You at least need to learn the teachings of Jesus Christ so you can know His Truth from the lies you have been told.

Kobojunkie:
Again, this has never been a question of whether you deserve it or not.... God's mercy is poured out daily on all of Mankind... regardless of whether they believe in Him or not.
That is not true because, in the same Bible, you are told of many righteous men who chose to keep God's rules and commandments and did not fail God. Do we toss out the baby with the bathwater? You have men righteous men like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, Jeremiah, Job, John the Baptist, Ezekiel, during the time of Elijah, God said He had at least 1000 others to take his place. You have Zechariah and His wife, Joseph, father of Jesus, Simeon...all of them declared worthy and righteous by God.
When Jesus Christ arrived on the scene, there were many righteous men living even then - men who had lived obeying the rules and commandments of God. Jesus Christ even said that He did not come to call the ones who were already righteous - they were perfectly fine as they were in God's eyes - instead, He came to call the sinners instead to God.
I am afraid you are wrong again! Those who are righteous are perfect in the eyes of God. And again, Jesus Christ made this known to you when He declared that He has not come to call the righteous but instead those who are still bound to sin - sinners - to God. And Jesus Christ offers His Contract(promises included a part of the deal) to those willing to accept and obey the terms and conditions stipulated.
You need to toss that filter you have there with you(doctrines of men), so you read the Truth of God as it is truly presented to you. None of what you continue to assert makes sense at all when put next to the facts as stated in the Bible itself. So, how can you not see that this idea you keep trying to throw in can never make sense where God is concerned?
You at least need to learn the teachings of Jesus Christ so you can know His Truth from the lies you have been told.

So David didn't sin by sleeping with Bathsheba and killing her husband by putting him at the front of the battle line?

LisaAnneMia:
So David didn't sin by sleeping with Bathsheba and killing her husband by putting him at the front of the battle line?

What has David's sin with Bathsheba to do with anything?

Kobojunkie:
What has David's sin with Bathsheba to do with anything?

I said God called David a man after His heart and yet David still failed.

"Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
2 Samuel 12:9"

So you were saying a man after God's heart didn't fail?

Kingdomtruth:
As we continue to break the word of God and grow, we realise that: The word of God cannot be looked or broken with an ordinary human eyes. I.e before one is saved. The veil of sin covering our eyes has to be removed; before we can see the word of God for what it is and be able to understand it better. Actually, we have God to thank for His GRACE. But for His GRACE, this certainly would not have been possible.

SOME SCRIPTURAL SALIENT POINTS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS WRITE UP.

1) The promise of God is FREE by GRACE.
2) The GIFT/BLESSING of God is the HOLY SPIRIT.
3) There are two(2) basic lifestyles: life in sin(Satan) and life in righteousness (Christ).
4) To live in righteousness (Christ) is to be free from sin and the LAW. To live in sin(Satan) is to be a slave of sin and the LAW.

Before the coming of Christ and the LAW, we were already comfortably living in sin. And sin was part of our nature right from birth. It was only natural for us to sin. Because at best, all that we ever knew was the lifestyle of sin. At least the sinful things that we abhor and avoid today, were once thought and considered a normal way of life by us before the LAW was given.

THE REASON FOR THE LAW.

The LAW was given in order to reveal and expose what sin is. It is important to know that: before the LAW was given, no one knew what sin was. Everyone kept on sinning and living a sinful life IGNORANTLY before the LAW. Everyone saw sin as a norm.

THE IMPLICATION OF LIVING WITHOUT THE LAW.

If the LAW had not been introduced to create awareness about sin, it meant that: people would've continued to sin ignorantly. And its implication would've been that: no one would've known that there is another way of life(life of righteousness) the God's own way of life. People would've been lost in sin, and would've also come to settle with sin as a way of life, thereby making the ministry of Christ a difficult one.

GUILT.

It was the LAW and the awareness of sin that brought about GUILT. Before the LAW, there was no GUILT as people sin and didn't even know they were sinning. But the LAW however, introduced sin which as a result awakened our consciences to the evil of sin and what it meant against the righteous way of our Messiah(Christ). After then, GUILT became a greater part of us.

GOD'S PROMISE.

God's promise, was made to Abraham and to his descendant(Christ). That at the right time He(God) was going to bless the whole human race through him(Abraham). But before the promise(the FREE gift of the SPIRIT) was fulfilled/given, God gave the LAW 430 years before then through Moses in order to reveal and expose what sin is. So that the world would be aware of sin and know that the lifestyle she was living at that time was contrary to the lifestyle of righteousness that He(God) approves of...But could we have switched over from the lifestyle of sin to that of righteousness which He approves of through the LAW(by our strength)?

ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.

The answer to that question is a capital NO. Because that life of sin, had a man(Satan) behind it. And as ordinary human beings, the devil is more powerful than you and I. Reason God sent Christ with a higher power(HOLY SPIRIT) at the right time to come and perfect everything for us. So that through Him, sin will be conquered/defeated in us thereby setting the stage for God's righteousness in us by the power(HOLY SPIRIT)that Christ will give to us if only we believe in Him and everything He has done and commanded us to obey. Note that this power(HOLY SPIRIT) is to help you stay in faith and righteousness as you continue to study God's word everyday in order to grow the HOLY SPIRIT in you.

FINALLY.

Note that: there is a positive relationship between sin and the law on one hand as there is between righteousness and freedom on another. Those who still lead the OLD LIFE of sin, are ruled by the LAW. I.e they are the slaves of sin and are living under the LAW. Where as, those that have come sincerely to Christ, are FREE from sin. I.e sin is no longer controlling their lives and are also FREE from the LAW. Their lives are directed by the HOLY SPIRIT, which is the presence of God in them. The problem with many of us(Christians) is that: we fail to understand that the LAW was just to reveal sin to us and after that, it ends right there. But ironically, we continue to hold on to it as the way of salvation thereby, opposing God's only way, which is by GRACE in Christ Jesus alone. No one can do anything to save himself. Salvation is found in Christ alone by GRACE through our FAITH in Him (Christ) as depicted in Ephesians 2:8. God bless us all...SHALOM!!!

You tried to summarize the Romans in your own understanding.

However, I have few questions:

What Law are you talking about?

Could you explain the bolded a little more?

Who is Christ?

What is sin?

Is the Law sin?

"there is a positive relationship between sin and the law", what does this really mean?

LisaAnneMia:
I said God called David a man after His heart and yet David still failed.

"Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
2 Samuel 12:9"
So you were saying a man after God's heart didn't fail?

I still do not see the point of your mentioning David's failings when God never holds David up as the standard by which He judged anyone in His Old Covenant, and neither in His New Covenant. How does one man's struggle with sin eclipse the victory the other's had over sin?

Ezekiel 33 vs 10-20 (ESV)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. “So, son of man, speak to the family of Israel for me. They might say, ‘We have sinned and broken the law. Our sins are too heavy to bear. We rot away because of them. What can we do to live?’[/b]
11. “You must say to them, ‘The Lord God says: By my life, I swear that I don’t enjoy seeing people die—not even evil people! I don’t want them to die. I want them to come back to me. I want them to change their lives so that they can really live. So come back to me! Stop doing bad things! Why must you die, family of Israel?’
12. “Son of man, tell your people: ‘The good things people did in the past will not save them if they become bad and begin to sin. In the same way the bad things people did in the past will not destroy them if they turn from their evil. So remember, the good things people did in the past will not save them if they begin to sin.’
13. “Maybe I will tell good people that they will live. But maybe those good people will begin to think that the good things they did in the past will save them. So they might begin to do bad things, but I will not remember the good things they did in the past! No, they will die because of the bad things they begin to do.[/b]
14. “Or maybe I will tell some evil people that they will die. But they might change their lives, stop sinning, and begin to live right. They might become good and fair.
15. They might give back the things they took when they loaned money. They might pay for the things they stole. They might begin to follow the laws that give life and stop doing bad things. Then they will surely live. They will not die.
16. I will not remember the bad things they did in the past, because now they live right and are fair. So they will live!
17. “But your people say, ‘That’s not fair! The Lord cannot be like that!’ “But they are the people who are not fair! They are the people who must change!
18. If good people stop doing good and begin to sin, they will die because of their sins.
19. And if evil people stop doing wrong and start living right and being fair, they will live.
20. You still say that I am not fair, but I am telling you the truth. Family of Israel, everyone will be judged for what they do!”

In the above passage, God made it clear to His people how He judges them for their sins against Him, David's included.

livingchrist:
Yes, the purpose of the law is to expose sin, the law was our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ.

The purpose of preaching the law is to lead people to faith in Christ.

When one comes to faith in Christ he is given eternal life instantly and from then on he begins to experience a new life.

That's very true my brother. May God continue to fill you with more understanding in Jesus' name

Kobojunkie:
I still do not see the point of your mentioning David's failings when God never holds David up as the standard by which He judged anyone in His Old Covenant, and neither in His New Covenant. How does one man's struggle with sin eclipse the victory the other's had over sin?
In the above passage, God made it clear to His people how He judges them for their sins against Him, David's included.

Here u are again deviating from my question. In 2 Samuel chapter 12, didn't God Himself tell Nathan to tell David that he had done evil in His sight? Meaning he had sinned?

LisaAnneMia:
Here u are again deviating from my question. In 2 Samuel chapter 12, didn't God Himself tell Nathan to tell David that he had done evil in His sight? Meaning he had sinned?

Yes, David struggled with sin. And?

Kobojunkie:
Yes, David struggled with sin. And?

So you agree that even the best can break the law?

Kobojunkie:
Again, this has never been a question of whether you deserve it or not.... God's mercy is poured out daily on all of Mankind... regardless of whether they believe in Him or not.
That is not true because, in the same Bible, you are told of many righteous men who chose to keep God's rules and commandments and did not fail God. Do we toss out the baby with the bathwater? You have men righteous men like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, Jeremiah, Job, John the Baptist, Ezekiel, during the time of Elijah, God said He had at least 1000 others to take his place. You have Zechariah and His wife, Joseph, father of Jesus, Simeon...all of them declared worthy and righteous by God.
When Jesus Christ arrived on the scene, there were many righteous men living even then - men who had lived obeying the rules and commandments of God. Jesus Christ even said that He did not come to call the ones who were already righteous - they were perfectly fine as they were in God's eyes - instead, He came to call the sinners instead to God.
I am afraid you are wrong again! Those who are righteous are perfect in the eyes of God. And again, Jesus Christ made this known to you when He declared that He has not come to call the righteous but instead those who are still bound to sin - sinners - to God. And Jesus Christ offers His Contract(promises included a part of the deal) to those willing to accept and obey the terms and conditions stipulated.
You need to toss that filter you have there with you(doctrines of men), so you read the Truth of God as it is truly presented to you. None of what you continue to assert makes sense at all when put next to the facts as stated in the Bible itself. So, how can you not see that this idea you keep trying to throw in can never make sense where God is concerned?
You at least need to learn the teachings of Jesus Christ so you can know His Truth from the lies you have been told.

Good evening my brother/sister. Much as I'm not trying to be a judge here, but I feel it is obligatory on me as much as it is on you too, to teach everyone about the undiluted TRUTH found in the word of God. I have a couple of things to puncture in your argument, but i'll just talk about this...First of, BELIEVING in God, is the only bases in our walk with Him. Like, the sum of our work with God is anchored on Faith(believe) and never else. You also seem to create a difference in your argument between the Jews and Gentiles in our walk with Christ. As far as Christ is concerned however, both the Jews and the Gentiles and every other person is one through our union with Christ Jesus...Lastly, every other person that God had ever used both in the old and new testament, believed in God at some point before He/she was so used...You do not deserve anything from God, what ever you get from Him is by GRACE through your FAITH in Him...Shalom brother/sister!