Why does you church apparently teach you to ignore what's actually found in the Bible, such as I posted in post #75? Maybe you should seek out a denomination that actually teaches what the Bible says on this and other things. Basically what they are teaching you is the position that the "Goats" were not doing in the Parable of the Sheep & Goats (Matthew 25) that Jesus condemned. They believed some things about Jesus, but not fully in Jesus.
That's like saying "I believe in Jesus but I don't have to do what he says", which is the position that the "Goats" took in Jesus' "Parable of the Sheep & Goats" (Matthew 25) who Jesus condemned. Instead, let me recommend that you find a church that teaches the full Gospel, as most churches do.
I never said we shouldn't do or should do anything--in my prior post, I mentioned what Jesus COMMANDS Christians to do!
The issue is salvation comes through Jesus's behavior on the cross, and our trust in Him, rather than our behavior. Consider it this way for a moment? As I understand the gospel IMHO?
No one disagrees with the gospel’s logic of
perfection vs. imperfection:
1) Ask someone (outside RF, of course!), “Are you, like me, morally
imperfect, and you disobey your inner voice?”
2) After their “Sure!” say “If there’s a Heaven or utopia [long pause] we can’t go! If I hurt your feelings in Heaven or vice versa, it’s not Heaven. How can
imperfect people get to Heaven?” People usually respond, “Do you have a solution?”
3) Say “The solution is a person. The Bible explains that Jesus Christ, being God, innocent and
perfect, switched places with us on the cross. He died a horrible death by torture to take our sin, guilt and shame, our
imperfection. He then rose from the dead, and as the Bible says, “God loved the world in this way--He gave His Son [I hold one hand up], so whoever
trusts Him [I raise my other hand] shall not perish but has eternal life [I fold the fingers of my hands together].” (
Trust is clearer than “believe” for John 3:16.) Put another way, “God made Jesus, who was
perfect, to be
imperfect [I cross my arms over each other] for us, that we who are
imperfect might become as
perfect as God.”” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
The logical problems I see (feel free to disagree with me):
1) If you are saying the full gospel includes my own behavior, how many behaviors must I fulfill to be saved?
2) How come most Christians don't do behavior anywhere near the incredible standards of the Sermon on the Mount, for example, someone forces me to march one mile carrying their load, and I smile and walk a second mile voluntarily--is that salvation?
3) Imperfect people cannot live in a utopia, so do we need mere forgiveness from the cross or also, transformation from the cross? And if so, how much transformation is needed? Because we can be Christians for millennia yet still sin...