But doing 'good' works is not what gives us our righteousness. Faith in Christ is what GIVES, RECKONS, IMPUTES righteousness unto us. Once that righteousness has been imputed unto us - we WANT to do what is good and what is right.
When one is born of God - righteousness is imputed unto him - God sees his child as righteous. Obedience does not make us righteous but God's righteousness in us produces fruit. 'with the heart man believeth unto righteousness'
Straw man for no one has argued doing good works save. Doing God's righteousness is what saves. Christ's righteousness is not transferred to anyone. The sinner who obeys the gospel is placed in Christ were he is covered by Christ's perfect righteousness. And it takes obedience/doing God's righteousness to be in Christ. NO ONE is righteous outside of Christ.
One is either obedient to God's will or disobedient. Doing righteousness makes one righteousness, disobedience will never make one righteous.
Peacefulbeliever said:
Isaiah 64:4-6 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned [remember: for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God]: In those is continuance, and we shall be saved. But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags . . . . He is talking to those that meet him and rejoice and work righteousness by remembering God in our ways.
God meets/entreats/helps those that work righteousness, Isa 64:5 Peter said God accepts those that worketh righteousness. Those that do nothing/unrighteousness are rejected by God.
Isa 64:6,7 But we are all as an unclean
thing, and all our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf;
and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away And
there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us,
because of our iniquities.
Those whose righteousness were as filthy rags were those in iniquity. Israel had turned their back on God and were living in iniquity.
peacefulbeliever said:
Abel, Moses, Noah, Abraham, Sara, etc. were righteous not because of what they did but because they believed God.
Their believe in God and his promises made them righteous and being made righteous and believing in God's promises brought about their obedience. Obedience doesn't come first - faith comes first and gives us salvation - salvation brings about obedience.
They had an obedient belief. Abel was righteous, Heb 11:4 because his works were righteous, 1 Jn 3:12.
Heb 11:4 By faith Noah moved with fear preparing an ark to the saving of his house...and became heir of righteousness which is by fith
Noah had an obedient faith. moved with fear preparing an ark and became heir of righteousness
Not possible in any way for one to be made righteous while doing nothing.
One is either doing unrighteousness or righteousness, no inbetween. One living in unrighteousness can never be made righteous while he continues doing unrighteousness. There is not one example in all the bible of one being made righteous while continuing to live in and do unrighteousness.
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