Theo1689
Well-known member
Rom. 4:5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
Now, get this right... Paul is not arguing that someone who is a lazybones and doesn't respect Christ as Lord is going to be saved. He is giving a hypothetical, to demonstrate that a sinner's righteousness is based ZERO percent on their works, and 100% on their faith.
If there is any practical application, it would be someone like the repentant thief on the cross, who came to faith at the end of his life, but didn't have an oportunity to demonstrate that faith by his works.
It is also important to note that the works which witness to a saving faith come as a result of a redeemed man's new nature, not some artifiical impetus, "I have to do some works to make myself look good".
Rom. 4:6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
God counts righteousness.... APART. FROM. WORKS.
Again, Paul is separating out "works" from any contributing factor to righteousness.
He then elaborates even further:
Rom. 4:7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
And this is where Mormons miss out on the gospel.
The gospel is not "obey to be exalted".
The gospel is that salvation comes through God not counting our sins.
The gospel is that Christ bore our sins on the cross, and gave us His righteousness to wear. And so when God look at the redeemed, He doesn't see our sin, He instead sees Christ's righteousness.
We have the mark of Christ, because He bought us and redeemed us.
The crucifixion didn't merely give us resurrection. We were going to get that already.
The crucifixion was Christ bearing our sins on the cross, our sins which kept us out of heaven, and taking them away.
Rom. 4:17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
I wonder if Mormons can explain to us what the bolded section means.
I mean, it seems obvious, but they seem to deny the obvious meaning.
So what does it mean, if not the obvious?
Now, get this right... Paul is not arguing that someone who is a lazybones and doesn't respect Christ as Lord is going to be saved. He is giving a hypothetical, to demonstrate that a sinner's righteousness is based ZERO percent on their works, and 100% on their faith.
If there is any practical application, it would be someone like the repentant thief on the cross, who came to faith at the end of his life, but didn't have an oportunity to demonstrate that faith by his works.
It is also important to note that the works which witness to a saving faith come as a result of a redeemed man's new nature, not some artifiical impetus, "I have to do some works to make myself look good".
Rom. 4:6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
God counts righteousness.... APART. FROM. WORKS.
Again, Paul is separating out "works" from any contributing factor to righteousness.
He then elaborates even further:
Rom. 4:7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
And this is where Mormons miss out on the gospel.
The gospel is not "obey to be exalted".
The gospel is that salvation comes through God not counting our sins.
The gospel is that Christ bore our sins on the cross, and gave us His righteousness to wear. And so when God look at the redeemed, He doesn't see our sin, He instead sees Christ's righteousness.
We have the mark of Christ, because He bought us and redeemed us.
The crucifixion didn't merely give us resurrection. We were going to get that already.
The crucifixion was Christ bearing our sins on the cross, our sins which kept us out of heaven, and taking them away.
Rom. 4:17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
I wonder if Mormons can explain to us what the bolded section means.
I mean, it seems obvious, but they seem to deny the obvious meaning.
So what does it mean, if not the obvious?
