There seems to be a lot of controversy over how Christians should live.
It appears to me that Catholics are living a life under the law. If you are trying to please God by what you do, or by what you have become, then you are most certainly under the law and will most likely be judged by the law and condemned. God does not accept the works or the obedience of sinners, even sinners that claim they are indwelt with the grace or the virtues of Jesus Christ.
Paul said, "The life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not fustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" Galatians 2:20, 21.
Paul lived by faith, "The Just Shall Live by Faith" Romans 1:17. Not by rules, laws or religion. Not by signs, visions or miracles. Those things are not of faith, they are things of the flesh.
What is the faith that the just shall live by? Saving faith is always faith in Christ and his Gospel. It is not faith in a doctrine or in a religion such as Catholicism or Calvinism. It is faith in the work and the person of Jesus Christ, plus nothing.
Paul lived his life before God as a sinner. He even refered to himself as the "Chief of Sinners" 1 Timothy 1:15. There is no indication that Paul was a holiness Christian. Paul struggled with sin just like we do, Romans 7:13-25. He never claimed to be perfect or that he had reached a life of perfection.
The Holy Spirit was not given to us to make us holy. If anything the Holy Spirit will convict you of the fact that you are a sinner. Paul wrote, "For in my flesh dwells no good thing" Romans 7:18. Paul never would have known that if it had not been for the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.
I have been living the Christian life for over 45 years. For about 5 years of that I lived as a holiness Christian. A holiness Christian is one that is trying to be good enough. We can never be good enough because we are sinners. After I came to the realization that "In my flesh dwelt no good thing" I turned to Christ and his Gospel. The life that I now live I live by faith in Christ and his Gospel.
In the Gospel I have been justified, sanctified and redemed, 1 Corinthians 1:30. In the Gospel God sees me as perfect and complete "In Christ" Colossians 2:10. In the Gospel I have been reconciled to God by the work and the person of Jesus Christ, Colossians 1:21. In the Gospel I have been MADE to sit in heavenly places in Jesus Christ, Ephesians 2:6. In the Gospel I am dead and my life is hid with Christ in God, Colossians 3:3.
It appears to me that Catholics are living a life under the law. If you are trying to please God by what you do, or by what you have become, then you are most certainly under the law and will most likely be judged by the law and condemned. God does not accept the works or the obedience of sinners, even sinners that claim they are indwelt with the grace or the virtues of Jesus Christ.
Paul said, "The life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not fustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" Galatians 2:20, 21.
Paul lived by faith, "The Just Shall Live by Faith" Romans 1:17. Not by rules, laws or religion. Not by signs, visions or miracles. Those things are not of faith, they are things of the flesh.
What is the faith that the just shall live by? Saving faith is always faith in Christ and his Gospel. It is not faith in a doctrine or in a religion such as Catholicism or Calvinism. It is faith in the work and the person of Jesus Christ, plus nothing.
Paul lived his life before God as a sinner. He even refered to himself as the "Chief of Sinners" 1 Timothy 1:15. There is no indication that Paul was a holiness Christian. Paul struggled with sin just like we do, Romans 7:13-25. He never claimed to be perfect or that he had reached a life of perfection.
The Holy Spirit was not given to us to make us holy. If anything the Holy Spirit will convict you of the fact that you are a sinner. Paul wrote, "For in my flesh dwells no good thing" Romans 7:18. Paul never would have known that if it had not been for the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.
I have been living the Christian life for over 45 years. For about 5 years of that I lived as a holiness Christian. A holiness Christian is one that is trying to be good enough. We can never be good enough because we are sinners. After I came to the realization that "In my flesh dwelt no good thing" I turned to Christ and his Gospel. The life that I now live I live by faith in Christ and his Gospel.
In the Gospel I have been justified, sanctified and redemed, 1 Corinthians 1:30. In the Gospel God sees me as perfect and complete "In Christ" Colossians 2:10. In the Gospel I have been reconciled to God by the work and the person of Jesus Christ, Colossians 1:21. In the Gospel I have been MADE to sit in heavenly places in Jesus Christ, Ephesians 2:6. In the Gospel I am dead and my life is hid with Christ in God, Colossians 3:3.
