I agree with you 100 %. And this is what we all seem to be saying.
That is where the confusion comes in, they think we are saying something else. Thank you.
You and me too brother, But sadly you have witnessed it,, There used to be quite a few of them in here.. Now there are only 1 maybe 2.
The watering down of the law to make us appear holy and righteous through self effort is amazing..
We are saved not because of our righteousness, But by Gods mercy, If we could be perfect (sinless) we would not need mercy.
This is what I have been saying - what you say in your last sentence here. I am far from perfect. I, of course, have to admit that it is one of those huge mysteries how God can live in me while I am so wicked and arrogant and mistrustful of Him at times. I don't get too caught up in wondering how it can be possible, but I cannot accept the idea that I am perfect and holy. In fact, some men say they are perfect and holy (but not sinless). But make no mistake, a righteous man DOES what is righteous. (my paraphrase of a verse I read). Then these men who say they are perfect and holy (but not sinless) take issue with a man who says that they find they go longer and longer periods of time not being aware of any sin they have committed, in deed or in spirit.
To recap,
One man says, I am perfect and holy, but not sinless.
Another says, I am not perfect and holy, but I go longer periods of time not being aware of any sin I have committed.
The first man rails against the second man for saying he is sinless to the best of his knowledge and his conscience is clear.
The second man rails against the first man for saying he is perfect and holy but that he can never stop sinning.
Usually, (not always, but usually) I see the first man saying we will never be free of sin on earth and the second man saying, if I abide in Him I don't sin, so let me race to apprehend to a trust so completely in Him and nothing else that I won't sin.
The first man gives me hope for a future. The second man gives me hope for a future AND for right now.
I love quite a few brothers and sisters in here who are that first man in their understanding and thoughts. I've talked with them a lot and don't think they will get angry with me for sharing my thoughts and my heart with them as they've shared with me. I think the only reason to continue sinning is because there still remain in us areas of mistrust and unbelief and unsurrenderedness to His will because of our self will.
What I am most helped by is practical help that builds my trust in Him. For instance, I read a man who said that to know the will of God, it is only necessary to look at whatever circumstance I find myself in at the moment. And I knew when I read it that it was true. I had always prayed for my circumstances to be changed (i.e: please give me a job, please make this person stop abusing me, etc.) After I read it and understood it deeply, many verses flew through my mind, like, leave him alone. If he is throwing rocks at me it's because God told him to. And I understood that peace in my circumstance is what He desires from me because firm trust truly believes that He guides my every step and that no matter what plans I may make or desire, it is HE who guides my steps into every circumstance I find myself in. Once I understood this, nothing I saw was ever anything other than the hand of God in my life, no matter how awful it appeared to me.
But I don't want to make it sound like that is not great struggle (to get to that blessed place of understanding). Because it requires my death to all my own desires and to my desire for easiness and quiet. It is not sin to place my requests before Him (please give me a job, please make them stop attacking me so viciously, please heal my hands, etc.) The sin comes when if He says no, I do not receive the no with patience and the thought: nevertheless, Your will, not mine. There is great struggling with God before we can get to a place of that kind of trust because it hinges on my death, and men don't often die without a lot of gasping and fighting to live and agony.