Frank, I've never really responded to you in the past when I've read your faith + works posts, but I feel led to respond to your reply to Robert B. You will NEVER be righteous based on what you do...our righteousness is as filthy rags to God. When you are justifying yourself based on the cross and what you do, you are saying that the sacrifice Jesus made isn't sufficient. Tetelestai means "paid in full".

 

How can our sin debt be paid in full if we are still required to be righteous enough? It's clear it's by grace through faith. Do you think God says, "Well, I sent my Son as the blood offering, a perfect offering, but that wasn't sufficient enough to save you?" We are to do all we can to try not to sin, but we live at the end of a 6,000 year period since creation where generation after generation became corrupted more and more--it's why I and so many others can't wait for our incorruptible, glorified, sin-free bodies. That's why I believe the last 2000 years have been the age of "grace".  When you quote the following, I think you aren't understanding that once we are saved, God sees us as he sees Jesus who is perfect. He BECAME our righteousness. And of course he has no sexual sin, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, drunkenness, etc.

 

1 Cor 9,10

 

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

 

Eph 5

 

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.  Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

 

I guess in summary, the person on this site who is struggling with homosexuality is clearly sorry and wants to please God and is crying out. Our flesh wars against our spirit. What Jesus did on the cross was sufficient. That person is sealed with the Holy Spirit who will continue to convict him of his sin, but he is saved. My question to you would be, if you passed and stood before God and He asked, "Why should I let you in?", What would your answer be? Mine would be because of what your Son did for me on the cross. Would you really respond, "Because of Jesus AND I don't lie, cheat, steal, think adulterous thoughts, forget to keep the Sabbath Holy, am not greedy, or drunk, etc?" That's the law. If you've broken one part of the law, you've broken the whole law. And not one of us has been able to keep the part about the live sacrifice from the temple mount anyway, so we are all guilty.

 

My final point is that through all the examples of Jesus speaking with sinners, he always says, "Your FAITH has made you whole, your sins are forgiven". He doesn't say, "you've changed all of your actions and are now perfect and always will be." Satan is the voice that tries to get us to think we are unworthy and aren't good enough. The righteous shall live by faith and it's impossible to please God without faith. You stay IN Christ by keeping your faith in Him. The narrow road that few find is faith in the sacrifice Jesus made.

 

"When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith?" Luke 18:8. He's not coming to find all people who perfectly keep the law.

 

Steve Mullin