Question of the day....

"What does all law...... and no Gospel make, and it's not a Dull Boy"???

"Pharisee's and Atheists"

Heard a great lecture on Issues Etc. about the importance of repentance and how the book by John Westley "Christian Perfection" Produces either one with enough time...That is where Joyce Meyer is coming from when she says she does not "sin" anymore...
If you think about it it makes sense to the "Westley" because they are looking inside to see their christian progress and what does the word say about man's heart? Anytime we look inside ourselves we deceive our self into a false righteousness relating to the Law and not Grace through Faith....."so if we think we have no sin and are righteous we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" So every time I failed and sometimes everyday with the same exact struggle I sunk deeper into depression to the point of suicide....The law has more than done it's work but where was the Gospel???? Forgiveness of sins??? Righteousness not of my own??? where was the understanding of Imputation of Christ's righteousness onto the Christian objectively apart from my works? That is why I can't be an Evangelical because of the bad core doctrine of self righteousness and Christian perfection. Because every time I fall off the wagon I though I was somehow not getting it or not righteous...The truth of the matter is that when we become a Pharisee we do things in thought word and deed that can oftentimes be worse that when we did not know Christ at all. "white washed tombs full of dead mans bones"

27"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

What about the Atheist? Well after driven to his knees under the heavy weight of the law he is pushed and prodded constantly getting law without Grace like bread without water. Eventually after falling and falling under the weight of it he gives up and say well I can't live up to it so there is no hope so I might as well eat drink and be merry....

Philippians 3
No Confidence in the Flesh
1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

2Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Ephesians 2
Made Alive in Christ
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Comments welcome...
Frank