Originally posted by Ironside:
1) Who are those people who can exceed the righteousness of the
Pharisees?
Those who have Christ indwelling in them. Christ indwelling through
the Holy Spirit makes us capable of being filled with the fruits of
righteousness to the glory of God.
Php 1:11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are
[b]by
Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
It is only BY Jesus Christ that true righteousness
is possible. All other righteousness will not do with God. God does
not accept filthy rags righteousness.
How can we have Christ in us?
By trusting alone in Christ alone.
When we have trusted in Christ, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Spirit indwells us.
When we have the Holy Spirit in us, what are some of the fruits
that will be manifested through us as we walk in the Spirit?
Ga 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
We are only capable of giving true love when we have the Holy
Spirit in us and we walking in HIm. AGain we recieved the Holy
Spirit through faith alone in Christ alone.
Example: Was Paul a Pharisee? Yes
Php 3:5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the
tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a
Pharisee;
How did Paul surpass the righteousness of the Pharisee? by faith
alone in Christ alone
Php 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which
is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the
righteousness which is from God by faith;
2) the Bible does not command us to have faith?
Mr 11:22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have
faith in God.
Joh 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God,
believe also in Me.
Paul told the Philippian jailer: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and you will be saved.........."
Of course Paul was exhorting him to believe in Christ truly, to
have faith in Christ truly. When that happens, our hearts are
purified through faith in Jesus Christ.
Ac 15:9 "and made no distinction between us and them,
purifying their hearts by faith.
When can a heart be purified and be capable of loving? When it has
been cleansed by faith in Christ. Paul knew that trusting in Christ
will transformed the sinner from the inside out, giving him a new
heart capable of true love, therefore Paul [or God through Paul]
commanded the jailer to believe [trust] in the Lord Jesus
Christ.
3) faith is the result of loving God?
Love is the result of a renewed and purified heart by faith alone
in Christ alone
We love Him because we have appropriated the truth by faith that He
first loved us, that He gave Himself for us.
4) The whole idea that some
christians subscribe to - salvation by faith not works/deeds - is a
lie or at best a half truth.
Please notice the word "by" in verse 8 and the word "for" in verse
10 below. We are saved BY grace through faith......not of works but
FOR good works.
Paul said that:
Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Eph 2:9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand that
we should walk in them.
[/b]
to sum it up:
faith first, then comes love and righteosness
