Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

Jesus was directing His words at those who considered themselves righteous in God's eyes as a result of their external obedience to God's commands, while paying no attention to their thoughts or the condition of their hearts. He was showing that no one is (or can be) blameless in God's eyes through individual effort. (Paul made the same point in his epistles when he stated that no one is saved through works of the Law (Romans 3:20).)

Under such conditions, the only hope of salvation is through faith in Christ's sinless life, atoning death, and resurrection. And, even then (that is, even after we are saved through faith), Christians will still have to contend throughout their earthly lives (as Paul noted in Romans 7:14-25) with sin and its temptations. But, after salvation, Christians have the Holy Spirit indwelling them to help them overcome it.

December 10 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Matthew 5:28. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her —with the intent to do so, as the same expression is used in Mt 6:1; or, with the full consent of his will, to feed thereby his unholy desires.

From Bible verses like this one, it’s evident that no one of us merits salvation (Psalm 130:3), i.e. NOT ONE stands a chance of salvation if not for the saving work of Jesus Christ our Lord (John 3:16). 

The Pharisees taught that the Law had 365 negatives (“Thou shalt NOT”) and 248 positives (“Thou shalt”). If you followed all these, God would be OK with you. But God is not “OK” with us. Internally, we are zilch, bankrupt. But salvation becomes a reality for those who believe in Him. In Jesus.

December 15 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report