Who's More Righteous?

[ActionJackson]

Is it your choice — to admit one and only one, and damn the other?

There is only One who chooses. Are there any who would claim authority to overrule that One?

Take another look at the question in the OP. I'm simply saying that faith in Jesus Christ is the path to salvation and that grace is a free gift not earned. I'm also saying that you could attempt to keep every OT law in existence but without faith in Jesus Christ you could not enter into the Kingdom. It really is that simple.

[300mag]

Two men stand before Jesus Christ on Judgement Day. Which of the two is righteous enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?:

1) The thief who was crucified next to Jesus Christ; who publicly declared His belief that Jesus Christ was the Lord; and whom Christ promised would "be with Me in paradise?" Luke 23:43 (Remember: the thief lived a life of lawlessness and received the death penalty as a result).

or

2) A man who diligently kept all 613 "Torah" laws; rested on every sabbath day; sacrificed a lamb without blemish as commanded by the Torah; and even wore his tzitzits religiously but who didn't trust in the power of Christ's blood and the free gift of grace?

Which of the two spends eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Number one of course

[ActionJackson]

Number one of course

Even if a man believed wholeheartedly in Jesus Christ AND kept all 613 of the Torah laws if he failed to keep even one of those laws perfectly he failed to keep them all. So all of that work to keep the law perfectly is made null and void when he fails to keep one of them:

James 2:10, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

However, even though he "offend in one point" he is still saved by grace for his belief in the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:25, "But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."

Romans 13:8-10, "8Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

[Al Swearengen]

Even if a man believed wholeheartedly in Jesus Christ AND kept all 613 of the Torah laws if he failed to keep even one of those laws perfectly he failed to keep them all. So all of that work to keep the law perfectly is made null and void when he fails to keep one of them:

James 2:10, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1Jn 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

1Jn 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1Jn 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.



Praise Yeshua!

[ActionJackson]

1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1Jn 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

1Jn 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1Jn 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.



Praise Yeshua!

Nice verses. Remember, though, that the "word which ye have heard from the beginning" refers to the Word spoken in the Garden of Eden which precedes the word spoken to Moses at Sinai. In other words, the beginning precedes the middle.

1 John 3:11, "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another."

John 13:34, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

2 John 1:6, "And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning (See 1 John 3:11), ye should walk in it."

Here are the Commandments of Jesus Christ:

Matthew 22:37-40, "37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.38This is the first and great commandment.39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Matthew 7:12, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."

Galatians 5:14, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

Galatians 6:2, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."

Romans 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

James 2:8, "If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:"

Edit:After thinking about it for a moment, "the beginning" could be one of two points in history. The literal "beginning" which is "in the beginning" or the Creation period or it could be the beginning of the New Covenant which began at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I'm leaning towards the latter conclusion but it's worth studying. In either case, the Mosaic Law occurred long after the Creation beginning and long before the New Covenant or death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[Rob_0126]

The devil loves squabbles like this.

#1 goes to heaven. Christ is the only way, and thru him, we keep the commandments, old and new, because truly, they are one and the same. God doesnt change, we do, with our imaginations.

Glory to God thru Jesus, our Everything.