prayer warriors (following Jesus Christ, everyone welcome)

[BigBlueHen53]

can never aspire to the purity and holiness that is required to enter heaven.

Which is why we need Jesus, our perfect Substitute. @troyer, even IF someone were able to live a perfect life for a day, it wouldn't make up for their past. We're all under a death sentence already for the sinful deeds we've already done, and no amount of "perfect" living today or in the future can erase that. Does this answer your question(s)? The good news is that our heavenly Father loves us so much that He made a way for us to be saved in spite of our sinfulness: He gave us His Son, His only Son Jesus, to take our sins and guilt upon Himself, to die our death for us, so He could give us His eternal life. All we have to do is acknowledge our need, our sinfulness, and accept this exchange by faith.

 

[troyer]

Can anyone be completely selfless for an entire day? Even an entire hour?

What's the point of being a christian if it's not possible?

Read also 1 Corinthians 13. If they can, they are a better person than me! Scripture tells us we can't. And even if we could, it could not make up for our past sins, which keep us out of heaven.

I was taught that if past sins are forgiven they won't keep us out of heaven. Was I taught wrong?

Romans 3:23 KJV
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

I'm not particularly contesting any scripture, I however, do appreciate daily reasonable practice.
I also know that face to face conversation would be better.

Isaiah 64:6 KJV
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.

Our "righteousnesses," our good deeds, are like the most filthy rags you can imagine, when compared to the holiness of God. We can never aspire to the purity and holiness that is required to enter heaven.

If it's completely impossible to be pure in every way why be so foolish to even try?

 

[troyer]

I've been as "churched" as anybody on here. I'm not trying to be controversial, I just want some real, daily, boots on the ground, practical life applications.

 

[chickengr]

What's the point of being a christian if it's not possible?

I was taught that if past sins are forgiven they won't keep us out of heaven. Was I taught wrong?

I'm not particularly contesting any scripture, I however, do appreciate daily reasonable practice.
I also know that face to face conversation would be better.

If it's completely impossible to be pure in every way why be so foolish to even try?

are you trying to be perfect? I am a christian, a non perfect christian who keeps trying to be better and closer to our Heavenly Father. there is no need to be perfect. just prove you want to be better. that is not foolish at all.

our past sins are forgiven but not fixed. they stay in the past. we must go on and not to repeat those sins.

I don't know if it's completely impossible to be pure in every way, I just haven't seen anyone who managed it. even St. Peter betrayed Jesus but that didn't make him believe that his mission was foolish. on the contrary he spent the rest of his life teaching and preaching.

 

[troyer]

Can anyone be completely selfless for an entire day? Even an entire hour? Read also 1 Corinthians 13. If they can, they are a better person than me! Scripture tells us we can't. And even if we could, it could not make up for our past sins, which keep us out of heaven.

Romans 3:23 KJV
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Isaiah 64:6 KJV
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.

Our "righteousnesses," our good deeds, are like the most filthy rags you can imagine, when compared to the holiness of God. We can never aspire to the purity and holiness that is required to enter heaven.

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48 KJV. Based on what you posted, this verse can’t be true.

 

[Jenbirdee]

.

 

[Jenbirdee]

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48 KJV. Based on what you posted, this verse can’t be true.

that depends on interpretation of this verse. i heard graham cooke explain it this way, - think of it as not something you do, but rather, something Jesus gives you as a gift . God sees his children - those who are born again and adopted into his family- he sees them through the blood of Christ. He sees us as perfect in him.

 

[SchwartzLakeFarmNC]

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48 KJV. Based on what you posted, this verse can’t be true.

If you meant Matthew 5:48, perfect does not mean "sinless", look at Hebrews 10:14
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
Perfect in this passage is better translated to mature, complete in Christ and His sacrifice. One day we will be perfect and sinless but only by Jesus' righteousness.

I fail God daily because I'm not fully complete or mature, my flesh still battles with the "old me", and Satan continues to accuse me before the throne of GOD, but Jesus steps in for me and therefore I will fail Him, oh how I wish I didn't but when I meet the Father I will be transformed and made perfect in His site, until then I strive to live and obey his teachings and repent when I fail them. My only hope is in Christ and Him alone, He knows his sheep and His sheep know His voice, He is Savior and King.

 

[troyer]

Less than 3 minutes of your time, and you'll be blessed:

[

Is there supposed to be a link?

 

[Red Mangrove]

We're all under a death sentence already for the sinful deeds we've already done, and no amount of "perfect" living today or in the future can erase that.

In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus Christ says that the righteous will go to heaven because of their good deeds and that the wicked will go to hell because of their evil deeds. Evidently Jesus Christ thinks that righteous people can exist and that they'll attain heaven from their actions

31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.

34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, 36 I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’

37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’

40 And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

45 Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’

46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”