Knowing Christ
“What is more, I consider everything A LOSS because of the surpassing worth of KNOWING Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them GARBAGE, that I may -GAIN CHRIST- and BE FOUND -IN HIM-, not having a righteousness of MY OWN that comes FROM THE LAW, but that which is THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST—the righteousness that comes from God on the BASIS OF FAITH.”
(Phil. 3:8-9 KJV)“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have WE not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name DONE many wonderful WORKS?’
And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.’ (Matthew 7:21-22 KJV)
I’d say -KNOWING- CHRIST is very important. We do not gain true RIGHTEOUSNESS & salvation by our own efforts, in trusting our own good works, being a good person, to save ourselves. Believing that is ‘working your way to heaven’ in our own effort.It is pride in SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS, which to God is as a filthy rag (Isaiah 64:6).
The thing is, our sin is taught in the Bible as being a DEBT against the Holy God. Having a sin debt against our Holy God is NOT GOOD. Why? Because one of the characteristics of the one true God is that He is perfect in EVERY WAY. Yes, God is perfect in love. Most ignore the truth that God is also perfectly JUST. He CANNOT go against His own character or He would cease to be PERFECT, as God. So, God MUST judge any sin in our life. And everyone has sinned.
Trying to work your way to heaven by your own self righteous works, is a belief that our good works will somehow erase the penalty for any sin we have committed. That, if we have more good works than bad, that we are a good person and are headed for Heaven. But think about that for a moment…
…If a person steals and later helps an elderly woman across the road, and is taken before a judge. Tell me, would that good work erase the judgment by the judge for the theft? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Apostle Paul puts it this way,
“For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life THROUGH Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 KJV)
The word DEATH here in the Greek it was penned is describing an eternal death in hell under condemnation. Notice that righteousness and salvation are not THROUGH our own works. No. It is THROUGH Christ Jesus and His finished work on the cross, having paid for OUR sin debt.
You see, the wages for our sin, is NOT good works! The wages for our sin against God is ETERNAL DEATH!
Good works do not negate ANY sin we have committed. Only faith in and trust that what Jesus did at the cross, having paid the wage for ALL SIN (1 John 2:2), ONCE AND FOR ALL (Hebrews 10:10), whereby Christ took OUR SIN upon Himself and nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2) and exchanged it for His righteousness which GOD MADE US through our faith/belief in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21) is the only way to become truly righteous with God.
YET, what are most church religions pulpits teaching today? The VERY OPPOSITE! They teach, that yes, Jesus paid for all our PAST sins, but WE need to retain salvation by DOING OUR OWN GOOD WORKS. THIS IS A LIE FROM THE PIT OF HELL and it is guiding people to end up in hell forever.
This belief is actually called the SIN OF PRIDE by Apostle Paul,
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: Not of works, lest any man should BOAST. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus UNTO good works, which God hath before ordained that we SHOULD walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)
So salvation and being righteous in God’s viewpoint is to believe and trust on Christ and HIS finished work on the cross for the payment of OUR sins, not ourselves nor our works. Salvation is a FREE GIFT. A gift cannot be earned, otherwise it is not a gift is it? It can only be accepted or rejected (John 3:18).
FALSE LORDSHIP SALVATION
Then we have the false LORDSHIP SALVATION teaching that is rampant in pulpits as well. It is basically false good works for salvation teaching but subtly on the back end. What did Apostle Paul write about the Judiazers teachings doing the same?
“O FOOLISH Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not OBEY THE TRUTH, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Even as Abraham BELIEVED God, and it was ACCOUNTED TO HIM for righteousness.” (Galatians 3 KJV)
The belief that once we believe that Christ paid for our sins and only our PAST sins and now we need to do good works to KEEP OUR SELF saved, is WRONG! That is turning back to the flesh and self righteousness. It is in fact, showing that a person NEVER REALLY BELIEVED THE GOSPEL.
In fact, all of our sins today, came AFTER the cross. So if Jesus paid for all our sins, that means ALL OF THEM as we are future from the cross. That is just plain LOGIC and is Biblical. (1 John 2:2, Hebrews 10:10-14)
Works have NOTHING TO DO with a person becoming saved and deemed as righteous by God.