Since 'all have sin' and sin is lawlessness, the math on this matter is cut and dried, even for believers.
Though many try to fancy dance their way past this fact.
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Galatians 5:4: "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace."
Salvation belongs to the Lord (Psalms 3:8; Revelation 7:10)
and He provided only one way for us to be saved and that is through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
We cannot earn or merit our salvation by our own filthy ragged acts of righteousness (Isaiah 64:6)
. Any sacrifice we make to God, in an attempt to appease Him or atone for our own sins, would be detestable and an abomination to Him (Proverbs 15:8; Proverbs 21:27).
Furthermore, Scripture is very clear that we are not saved by our works, but by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, (John 1:12-13; 3:16-18; 3:36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:26-27; 6:35-40; 6:47-51; 6:54; 10:27-29; 11:25-26; 12:44-46; 17:1-5; Romans 3:16-18; 21-26; 4:2-6; 5:1-11; 6:22-23; 8:1; 9:31-33; 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 1:4-9; 2 Corinthians 5:17-19; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:4-10; Colossians 1:13-14; 2:10; Galatians 2:16; 2:21; 3:4; Titus 1:2; 3:4-7; 1 John 5:9-13; 5:20),
which is in accordance with the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7-8).
Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was sufficient enough to atone for our sins (Romans 3:25; Romans 5:8-9; Hebrews 7:27; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10),
because His suffering and death appeased God's wrath against sin (Isaiah 53:4-6; Romans 3:24-26; 11:6; Hebrews 2:17; 9:26; 10:10-18; 1 Peter 2:24).
He bore our sins and nailed them to the cross, once and for all (Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18).
It is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16-17),
and we will be justified by our faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26; 5:1-11).
We are no longer under God's wrath (John 3:18; John 3:36; Romans 1:18-32).
And there is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1).
God no longer appoints us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10). (the first two paragraphs I excerpted from
my post #327)
Romans 3:21-26: "21
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and
all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of His blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26
He did it to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."
Romans 5:1-2: "1 Therefore,
since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God."
Romans 10:9-10: "9 If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that
you believe and are justified,
and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."
Ephesians 1:7-10: "7
In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ."
Galatians 2:19-20: "19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21
I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Galatians 3:1-9: "1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2
This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed
it was in vain? 5
Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that
only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand,
saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who
are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham."
Galatians 3:10-14: "10
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” 13
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed
is everyone who hangs on a tree”
, 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:19-25: "19 What purpose then
does the law
serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made;
and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not
mediate for one
only, but God is one. 21
Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not!
For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22
But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24
Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."
Galatians 5:1-6: "1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4
You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love."
Titus 3:4-7: " 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7
that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10: "9 For God did not appoint us to wrath,
but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him."