Being righteous, doing God's righteousness works.

@medullah said
Nice to see everyone having a wonderful time lol 😂😂

Tell me, you’ve mentioned worshipping the scriptures a couple of times; help me - what does that mean in simple terms (sorry it’s Monday and I don’t wake up properly until Wednesday lunchtime)

No, not a wonderful time.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
To clarify:

Joe is an atheist. His conscience leads him to have genuine concern for Jack who is dying from thirst. Joe gives water to Jack and asks for nothing in return.

Are Joe's actions comparable to dirty rags?

(Your own response please, not another cut and paste).

Every action we do is done with a sinful nature, period. Not sure how many times I have to say that to you.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
Paul did say though that there is no authority except that which God has established. - I think this not only raises problems with Jesus and the Romans but also previous authorities that ruled with a tyrannical fist. (The Egyptians, for example, who put God's chosen people into slavery).

Do you really want to argue the case that God established tyrannical authoriti ...[text shortened]... t omniscient or omnibenevolent myself, but suspect such a deity would have better options available.

If one is going to argue that God caused the pagan Roman Empire to rise merely so it could be Christianized (by Peter and Paul) and so to extend Christentum to the geographical borders of the then-known world, one has to wonder why Jesus was not born to a Roman. What a ludicrous lot of rigmarole to create a pagan empire first to do God’s work later when He could jolly well have done it right from the git go.

Reminds me of American evangelicals who know damn well Trump is no model Christian but still support him on the grounds that God is using him for God’s works ( for example to get Roe overturned). Good grief! If God had wanted Roe overturned, He would have appointed a different SCOTUS when Roe was first heard!

@rajk999 said
Well first Paul was not infallible. He was a man with biases and can have errors in his judgment. Paul said [more than once], that certain things he got from Christ and certain things are his own opinion. Let me know if you want the references.

Here are a couple misleading things:
1. Somewhere along the line Paul gave Christians the impression faith alone is good enough. ...[text shortened]... is Paul is not abundantly clear the way Jesus was about critical doctrines.

I can list many more.

Do you think the Holy Spirit is infallible?

@rajk999 said
Well first Paul was not infallible. He was a man with biases and can have errors in his judgment. Paul said [more than once], that certain things he got from Christ and certain things are his own opinion. Let me know if you want the references.

Here are a couple misleading things:
1. Somewhere along the line Paul gave Christians the impression faith alone is good enough. ...[text shortened]... is Paul is not abundantly clear the way Jesus was about critical doctrines.

I can list many more.

You are missing the point on what was being addressed, we are justified by the grace of God through faith in Christ to do the works of God, we don't do the works to get justified. Christ is good enough, our works could never be. What James was talking about was we will see our faith by what we do, if it isn't real the works will not be there. It is not we must get a lot of good works under our belt to be worthy of salvation.

Anyone can say they believe, it will show, that there are more than a few who make the claim, but their lives do not reflect Christ. You cannot meet the Lord Jesus Christ and your life not change, if you make the claim and it hasn't, I would question the claim. Meeting the creator of the universe has a profound effect, it would be like saying I was hit by a Mac truck doing 70mph while standing in the middle of the highway without a scratch on me, the creator is much more than a truck. (Paul Washer's example)

James
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Faith is before the works! The servant who buried his talent is an example, he knew who master was and failed.

@moonbus said
If one is going to argue that God caused the pagan Roman Empire to rise merely so it could be Christianized (by Peter and Paul) and so to extend Christentum to the geographical borders of the then-known world, one has to wonder why Jesus was not born to a Roman. What a ludicrous lot of rigmarole to create a pagan empire first to do God’s work later when He could jolly well ha ...[text shortened]... God had wanted Roe overturned, He would have appointed a different SCOTUS when Roe was first heard!

Christ's life was foretold before He was born, His life talked about before He was born, as was His death. The earth and everything in it is not the prize, everything here is temporary.

@kellyjay said
Every action we do is done with a sinful nature, period. Not sure how many times I have to say that to you.

Rubbish remains rubbish regardless of how many times you try to convince people otherwise.

Your rubbish doctrine was not preached by Christ. Jesus tole people to and do good works and they will be rewarded in this life and in the next, and also have treasure in heaven.

You tell people they cannot do anything good and they are filthy sinners.

You are a loser, and a false teacher. Take your stupid church doctrine and go stick it you know where.

@kellyjay said
Every action we do is done with a sinful nature, period. Not sure how many times I have to say that to you.

Which you believe renders all good acts as nothing better than dirty rags?


'Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.' 1 Timothy 6:18

'But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great" Luke 6:35

@ghost-of-a-duke said
Which you believe renders all good acts as nothing better than dirty rags?


'Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.' 1 Timothy 6:18

'But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great" Luke 6:35

If people do not realise how evil some of these Christian churches have become they are blind. Jesus says one thing, and these Satanic Christians promote another. They are drawing people to damnation. Here again it says:

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. (Matthew 16:27 KJV)

Jesus is going to reward EVERY MAN [not Christians only] according to his works

Yet KJ is telling people their good works are filthy rags and worthless. The prophet Isaiah warned of these times .. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil .. (Isaiah 5:20 KJV). Those who know better keep away from these churches

@rajk999 said
If people do not realise how evil some of these Christian churches have become they are blind. Jesus says one thing, and these Satanic Christians promote another. They are drawing people to damnation. Here again it says:

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. (Matthew 16:2 ...[text shortened]... good, and good evil .. (Isaiah 5:20 KJV). Those who know better keep away from these churches

Yet KJ is telling people their good works are filthy rags and worthless. The prophet Isaiah warned of these times .. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil .. (Isaiah 5:20 KJV).

[Isaiah 64:6 NKJV] - But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.

@kellyjay said
Christ's life was foretold before He was born, His life talked about before He was born, as was His death. The earth and everything in it is not the prize, everything here is temporary.

The coming of some messiah or other was foretold. That the aforesaid person was Jesus was redacted after the fact (by whoever decided which scrolls to canonize and call a New Testament). The Jews don't accept that Jesus was the prophesied messiah -- and why should they, after all, it's their convenant, which somebody else hijacked and re-interpreted.

As H.L. Mencken said, "the documents have been tampered with."

@kingdavid403 said
Yet KJ is telling people their good works are filthy rags and worthless. The prophet Isaiah warned of these times .. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil .. (Isaiah 5:20 KJV).

[Isaiah 64:6 NKJV] - But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.

There are some rather stupid Christians who post on social media this passage, and their purpose is to claim that God is with them and nobody can harm them : No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper .. (Isaiah 54:17 KJV) .. The context of this statement is completely ignored by these idiots. This is a statement God is making about the Jews and their enemies.

You are like that idiot Christian posting stuff ignoring the context or the passage and who is being addressed.

Jesus never told people their good works or righteousness are filthy rags. Jesus told them the complete opposite. So if you are a professed Christian and you are posting stuff contrary to Jesus Christ then you are of Satan.

@kingdavid403 said

[Isaiah 64:6 NKJV] - But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.

That passage needs to be read in context old chap (something Kelly repeatedly fails to do, plucking out the 'dirty rag' riff to suit his purpose).

Read on and Isaiah 65:1-7 describes the false righteousness of the people, which helps clarify when 'righteous deeds' are like filthy rags. God is clearly angry at the pseudo-righteous deeds of religious hypocrites. He is not telling His people that righteous living is impossible or beyond them.

@kellyjay said
You are missing the point on what was being addressed, we are justified by the grace of God through faith in Christ to do the works of God, we don't do the works to get justified. Christ is good enough, our works could never be. What James was talking about was we will see our faith by what we do, if it isn't real the works will not be there. It is not we must get a lot o ...[text shortened]... fore the works! The servant who buried his talent is an example, he knew who master was and failed.

I am not missing any point. There have been good and righteous people all throughout the history of man who pleased God who never knew of Christ. Your doctrine promotes the idea that these people are doomed.

Next Paul said all of Mankind, are justified unto life by the death of Christ. I quoted this many times. You cannot refute that simple point. Plus this fact is repeated all over Pauls writings, that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
That passage needs to be read in context old chap (something Kelly repeatedly fails to do, plucking out the 'dirty rag' riff to suit his purpose).

Read on and Isaiah 65:1-7 describes the false righteousness of the people, which helps clarify when 'righteous deeds' are like filthy rags. God is clearly angry at the pseudo-righteous deeds of religious hypocrites. He is not telling His people that righteous living is impossible or beyond them.

Read on and Isaiah 65:1-7 describes the false righteousness of the people, which helps clarify when 'righteous deeds' are like filthy rags. God is clearly angry at the pseudo-righteous deeds of religious hypocrites.
I agree. Isaiah was a Prophet before, during, and after the first destruction of the Jewish temple. It's fairly clear he was chewing out the supposed religious leaders of that day; the same as Jesus did the next time around.
He is not telling His people that righteous living is impossible or beyond them.
Again, I agree. However, God does say that even the righteous will fall at times; and, that they will pick themselves up and keep striving forward into righteousness. Which we will never reach in the flesh. No one is or will ever be perfect on this earth in the flesh. That was more my point. I was not picking sides with kelly j or anyone. However, I was also inferring that the words and conduct of rajik999 towards others in this forum, clearly shows that any righteous works he does appear as filthy rags to anyone is this forum and beyond. I'm sure God will show him sometime soon; as He did with me.
Nice to see you're still around and talk with you again 'ghost of a duke.' It's awesome that you're in the Word. Iron sharpens iron old chap. Thank you. 🙂