R
Ralph-
Guest
I agree, but that's not a description of the works gospel Paul assails. That's a description of the people Jesus was talking about in Matthew 7:19-27. People who don't have any works to characterize them as saved, obedient Christians but who think their association with Christ through various ministries and programs and churches will somehow convince Jesus to not toss them into the lake of fire when he returns.The vast majority of Christendom thinks that because they were "baptized/water-baptized" or are "a member of such-and-such a church" (or the like) that they are "going to heaven"/"saved"/"a Christian"/"a child of God".
[see also Gal3:21b]
Obedience to the law (summed up in 'love your neighbor as yourself') in order to make oneself righteous before God is hardly the problem the church is struggling with today. We're not seeing that. That is quite obvious. The far greater and more prevalent problem is so many in the church think they do not have to be obedient to the commands of God because of grace. It's the exact opposite problem. It's the new Pharisee among the people of God. People who do damage to the word of God in order to protect their own failure to follow it while giving the illusion that they are following it. And savagely attacking anyone who dare call them out on it. That is the spirit of the Pharisee, and now we see it in regard to the word of grace, just as we saw it in past times in regard to the word of the law.