Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Titus 3:5
He saved us, not because of works done by us in
righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by
the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
Galatians 2:16
Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but
through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ
Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works
of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Isaiah 64:6 a
We have all become like one who is unclean, and all
our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
i don't know why you insist upon numbering yourself among the wicked Magnita...They are contrasted against the righteous on every page of the text....Isaiah was speaking to the nation of Israel as a whole, whose religious works were as filthy rags to God, because they were still in rebellion to Him, then he contrasts them against the righteous....please take your pet scriptures that you think supports sin, and then read them in the whole context of the chapter... the righteous are always contrasted against the wicked, yet you always number yourself among the wicked......sinners or saints
, can't be both, because they are the opposite in the text......
all through the book off Galatians Paul is battling with the Jews and their religious laws "ie"
the works of the law (the law of circumcision and ceremonies) he is not referencing THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (law of the Spirit)....but you wont read the whole chapter in context, but choose pet verses out of context to justify sin..
Eph 2-8,9 is another memorized verse by the wilful sinners...they forget verse 10 on purpose, and don't realize that its speaking of man working together with God
in a covenant relationship, and not rebellion/sin...... faith is NOT DISOBEDIENT, lest it be the faith of devils..its God's grace
working together with our faith, that establishes the law of the Spirit in the heart of the redeemed.....please wake up and smell the coffee and put away the sugary cupcakes.......Jesus is not a sugar daddy that supports sin and rebellion. God loves sinners so much that He will send them to hell for all eternity if they do not repent and forsake their ways. It would be hateful to the righteous for Him to allow those of filthy raged garments to enter into the kingdom...its the white robes of the saints contrasted against the filthy rags of the wicked.. all must come clean with God in repentance and put on the white robes of righteousness...
also, are you so foolish to think the Publican continued on in sin after coming clean with God in repentance?