HeistheWay,
Just to clarify. Do you understand that your good works cannot get you into heaven? If your righteousness can reconcile you to God, he sent his Son for nothing. He wouldve just said, everyone be good down there. No Gentiles were commanded to follow Jewish Law. Your best works cannot save you. Its Jesus dying for your sins and rising that saves you. Its HIS righteousness, not ours because no one is righteous,,,,for ALL have sinned. Works FOLLOW your faith. If someone has truly turned and repented, their works follow them. Its not what can do for God....rather its what HE did for YOU! Salvation is by grace, a gift, unearned. The book of Romans is all about grace and how God will count the man righteous simply because he put his faith in Jesus and not his own works. Dont look at the New Testament as another 3,000 commands in addition to the Jewish law. If you do that, you are missing the message of the gospel. Gospel means GOOD NEWS. You enter into his rest and you stop striving. Salvation is a GIFT, you cannot earn it. The blood of Jesus washed your sins away and NOW you can approach God. You will not be saved by trusting in yourself. Your faith has to be in the work of Jesus, the Savior of the world. Please read these...
For by grace you have been saved through FAITH, and that NOT OF YOURSELVES, it is the GIFT of God; and NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN BOAST. Ephesians 2.8-9
Knowing that a man is NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, BUT THROUGH FAITH in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and NOT by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law NO flesh will be justified. Galatians 2.16
For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3.9-10
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall NO flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God WITHOUT THE LAW is manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 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;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believe in Jesus.
27 WHERE IS BOASTING THEN? It is excluded. By what law? OF WORKS? NO, BUT BY THE LAW OF FAITH.
28 Therefore we conclude that A MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW. Romans 3.20-28
To him that WORKS NOT, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his FAITH is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describes the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputes righteousness WITHOUT WORKS. Romans 4.5-6
9 There remains, therefore, a REST to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also has CEASED FROM HIS OWN WORKS, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Hebrews 4.9
To clarify, without the atonement no one would be saved. That does not mean that everyone will be saved. Jesus made it clear that there are requirements to eternal life:
(New Testament | Matthew 19:16 - 19)
16 ¶ And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God:
but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
(New Testament | Luke 10:25 - 28)
25 ¶ And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right:
this do, and thou shalt live.
(New Testament | John 15:13 - 14)
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends,
if ye do whatsoever I command you.
As servants of God it is our duty to keep the commandments and do the works to glorify God:
(New Testament | Luke 17:7 - 10)
7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
(New Testament | Matthew 5:16)
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
