Tuesday 1 April 2014

Righteousness came by grace, by faith, by Jesus Christ, or by the New Covenant?

Righteousness came by grace, by faith, by Jesus Christ, or by the New Covenant?
Of course, we can tell people that righteousness came by all of the above.
  • Rom 5:21 KJV  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • Rom 5:17 KJV  For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
  • Rom 3:22-23 KJV  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:  (23)  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
  • Rom 4:4-6 KJV  Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.  (5)  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.  (6)  Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
  • 2Co 3:6-10 KJV  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.  (7)  But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:  (8)  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?  (9)  For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.  (10)  For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
  • Heb 8:9-13 KJV  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.  (10)  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:  (11)  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.  (12)  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.  (13)  In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
  • Heb 10:15-29 KJV  Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,  (16)  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;  (17)  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.  (18)  Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. ..  (26)  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,  (27)  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.  (28)  He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:  (29)  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (30) For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
    (But can we twist it and argue that this warning is not for God's people? No, it says very clearly that God will judge His people; not other people. When He used the comparison of a sorer punishment, He confirmed again that He was comparing and warning two of His people - one who despised Moses' law under the Old Covenant, and another who will dishonour the Spirit of grace under the New Covenant. Please think, who were able to despised Moses' law? Of course, nobody except the Jews or God's people who were given the law? Similarly, who can dishonour the Spirit of grace? Of course, no one, except God's people who have been given the grace of God too?)

Righteousness comes by doing the words and the will of the Father too
From the Bible verses above (Heb 10:15-29), we know that righteousness comes by the new covenant. The Hebrew writer said that we are righteous, not because we are physically made righteous (see 1Jn 3:2 John said, We are not there yet), but because God is merciful to our unrighteousness. However, he did not say that it came by the new covenant and full stop. But he continued and said that we ought to live by the new covenant too. If we (both the Jews and Gentile believers) sin willfully by the new covenant, there is no more sacrifice for sins (Heb 10:26):
  • Paul did say that there is no more offering for sin for the Jews because we (both the Jews and Gentile believers) are now under the new covenant (Heb 10:18). 
  • But Paul also stressed that there is no more sacrifice for sin for the believers too if we (both the Jews and Gentile believers) sin willfully by despising the commandments of God in the new covenant, treating the blood sacrifice of God as our license to sin, and corrupting the grace of God (Heb 10:26). 
I will tell the radical grace preachers, Yes, we must preach the gospel that Paul preached, but we must also know that the gospel that Paul preached is the gospel that Jesus preached. That's why Paul would warn, emphasize, and teach (both the Jews and Gentiles believers) to will and to do the will of God:
  • Mat 7:15-24 KJV  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  (16)  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  (17)  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  (18)  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  (19)  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  (20)  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  (21)  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.  (22)  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?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  (24)  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
  • Luk 6:46-48 KJV  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?  (47)  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:  (48)  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood (false doctrine) arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. (Hence, Jesus said clearly that He would not just want us to have right believing, right faith, right miracles, right preaching, or right confession only; he wants us to have right doing with His words too, because right doing would prove that we are His true disciples on the rock of salvation.)
  • Rom 7:18-25 KJV  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (19) For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.   ...  (21)  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  (22)  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  (23)  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  (24)  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  (25)  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Did Paul say that he could never sin because he was under grace? No, if he could never sin, he would never said "O wretched man that I am! (v24)", confess that he was still brought under the captivity of sin (v23), and admit ".. the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do (v19)". Hence, if Paul still sinned or confessed publicly about his existing weakness or sins in his wretched man, why can't a believer or a sinner confess his sins and admit that he has sinned too? If Paul did not think that he could insult the righteousness of God by admitting or confessing it, how can we think that we will insult God's righteousness by confessing our sins? If Paul was not ashamed to confess about his sinful deeds or wretchedness, why should we be afraid to confess our sins ???)
  • Php 3:13-19 KJV  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  (14)  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  (15)  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.  (16)  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.  (17)  Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.  (18)  (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:  (19)  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
  • Php 2:12-13 KJV  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  (13)  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.


The righteousness of God does not come by lying, but by preaching the doing the will of God
Many will still argue, "But the righteousness of God does not come by works or by doing right. It is by grace. If we must do right, how can Abraham be righteous? He was a liar and yet God thinks that he is righteous. But the Bible said, As Abraham is righteous, so are we. This shows that the teaching of Christ to do right to be righteous is obsolete. It was the law teaching under the Old Testament..."
I will tell them, Yes, Abraham lie; but no one died. However, if you lie, millions will perish with your lies. Please think again before you lie.
  • Abraham did not preach his lying as God's way of justifying all the sinners and liars; but you preached his lying as God's way of justifying all the sinners and liars
  • Abraham did not preach his lying as God's revolution for grace; but you preached his lying as His revolution for grace
  • Abraham was righteous in God's eyes because of God's mercy under the Old Testament but it should never be used as our license to lie because of God's grace under the New Covenant today.
If we always use the example of Abraham's lying to justify ourselves and others who lie, we are not preaching the gospel that Paul preached. We have not understood Paul's warning about sinning willfully in Heb 10:15-29. Neither have we preached the true and living God who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Php 2:12-13). Certainly, a true preacher would know God's will. But if a preacher always uses the example of Abraham's lying to justify his preaching or lies, he could have preached like the Pharisees who might have used the example of Abraham's lying to justify themselves too. I don't think the Lord can accept us whether we preach lies under the Old Covenant or New Covenant:
  • Mat 3:5-10 KJV  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,  (6)  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.  (7)  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  (8)  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:  (9)  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.  (10)  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
  • Luk 3:8-10 KJV  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.  (9)  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  (10)  And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
Many Jews asked John the Baptist, What shall we do then? John gave different answers to different people. But to the false prophets, I believe that he would say,

"Stop lying and preach doing God's will !"


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