If you have ever thought about why it is that men need salvation does your mind immediately go to the idea that bad people need absolution for the bad things they do? Do you think that Jesus’ death is somehow the solution God gave for your absolution? Is the first thing that comes to mind your need for forgiveness of sins?
Consider this question. When you say men need to be saved do you understand salvation as God’s way of making people good enough for Him to accept them into His kingdom? And that this is the reason that you must trust in Jesus? Because trusting in Him means He imputes His good behavior to you, and pays the penalty for your bad behavior, and this is how you are made acceptable to God?
This is the Un-biblical corner an original sin and sin nature reading of the Bible forces us to understand about man’s need for salvation. That our need for Jesus is based on our works. So that its remedy too must be based on His works.
This is why I have always said the doctrine of original sin and sin nature are salvation by works doctrines. Because they make works the centerpiece regarding our need for Jesus and salvation.
This mindset is the reason those who believe these false doctrines make the assumption that no man can keep the law blamelessly. Because if he could he would not need Jesus. And to them it’s only because Jesus could that He is the way truth and life. So this to them is why we need Him. Because if men would or could keep the law they would not need Jesus at all.
They believe that by His perfect law keeping, and the merit He attained from this being imputed to men, it makes men acceptable to God.
But, if you will see your relationship with Jesus in and of itself to be eternal life as John17:3 plainly says it is. And that the naughty things in your past that you have been taught to believe is the reason you need Jesus were dealt with 2,000 years ago when He died on the cross. You will know the Biblical view of salvation.
In John17:3 Jesus said “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” This one statement separates a true and saving faith from all the filthy rags righteousness imposters. It’s the difference between righteous works and works righteousness.
Because this statement shows why men really need Jesus. And that it has nothing to do with ours or His works. But, only with the fact that to know Him is eternal life.
Please note that Jesus didn’t say knowing Him + anything is eternal life. He only said knowing Him is eternal life. This is key to being set freee from the bondage of the salvation by works message of original sin and sin nature.
When Isaiah told Israel their righteousnesses were as filthy rags he was not reprimanding them for their bad behavior. He was admonishing them for their error in believing that their ability to keep the law had anything to do with making them righteous and acceptable to God.
When Jesus told Israel that their righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees He was not reprimanding them for being naughtier than the Pharisees and that they needed to try harder to be good. He was reminding them that true righteousness is what they had learned about their ancestor Abraham when he first believed God.
This is why Paul referred to Abraham’s being reckoned righteous by his trust in God in Rom.4. And that if it were acquired by works it would not be a gift, but a debt God owed him. Calling it a gift making eternal life and righteousness synonymous.
Salvation itself being the gift that is both righteousness and life. Because salvation is having a spirit created in us by God when we trust in Jesus to be born again.
This righteousness Abraham acquired by his faith is also made synonymous with salvation by both Jesus in John17:3, and again in Paul’s teaching in Gal.3:21. Here Paul writes “Is the law against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.”
See how Paul rejects a connection between law and life and also any connection between law and righteousness? He is showing us here that life and righteousness are the same thing. And that it can not be acquired through works of the law. But, only by the faith of Christ.
This was not because men can not keep the law. But, because it was never given for that purpose. It’s only purpose being to keep or guard Israel until Jesus came as Gal.3:19 says. As the means by which Israel would be forced to be civil to each other… or else.
And this is why the law is no longer needed. Because in the New Covenant we have the Holy Spirit, God Himself, indwelling us to lead us and guide us into the truth. And all Israel had was the law with prophets who spoke for God to them.
Paul said it like this, “23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
So you see why Paul would say of the New Covenant that it is “a better covenant with better promises.” And why when we think of our need for Jesus and why He died on the cross in terms of a bloody and torturous death God’s wrath required to pay the penalty for our naughty behavior. It only points us to our need for His good works to be imputed to us to makes us good enough for God to accept us. Rather than our relationship with Him being the kind of righteousness that is eternal life.
The subtlety of the serpent is real. And it’s always trying to take our focus off of Jesus and put it onto works. This is what the doctrine of original sin and sin nature does to people.
Because when they talk about salvation it relates to Jesus’ works being the reason for their righteousness. But, when we who have not been deceived by these false doctrines talk about Biblical salvation it relates to our relationship with Him + nothing being our righteousness.
This is the only way you will ever disconnect works from righteousness. Jesus is the only way, truth, and life. Only through faith in Him and His resurrection are we righteous. Because it is faith in Him that joins us to Him. A new creature that is a spiritual being and therefore child of God.
When we trust in Him we are born again. Born of God by a spirit created in us. This is righteousness. A righteousness that makes us His children and heirs to His kingdom. Having eternal life now by the spirit God creates in us. And immortality at the resurrection.
This is the righteousness of works God has called every man to. And is a rejection of the works righteousness Isaiah told Israel were filthy rags. And what was their going astray.
Be joined to Jesus by faith and be righteous. Do this and enter into the kingdom of God. Do this… and I will see you there or in the air!
This message can also be heard at: https://rumble.com/v7hq18i-righteous-works-and-works-righteousness-knowing-the-difference-isaiah646.html
