Nice try, but you are still trying to mix oil with water (truth with blah blah blah)
Romans 6 :1-3 says those in Christ do not continue in sin.
Did you to read Eph 4: 20- 24 ? It presents Christians who are dealing with the two natures. They have not stopped sinning but are headed in that direction. Your gospel is no difference in a practical way from the Old Law. So why make the change. The Old Law was from God. It's sacrifices forgave past sins.
In the Romans 6 passage you so casually quote above, you have no idea what verse 11 means -- "Even so CONSIDER yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." In other words, Paul is saying " .... so THINK of yourselves as dead to sin .... " On their own, they are not but are working to that end. Eph 4: 20-24 makes that very clear. But, on the other hand, IN Christ, there is no sin. Christ did the work for us, on our behalf, and in Him we are considered righteous. When Paul tells us that "faith" is taken in the place of "righteousness<" why is that even necessary? BECAUSE WE CANNOT BE THAT RIGHTEOUS. Keeping the Law of God is called a burden by Peter in Acts. 15:10,11.
Romans 8:1 says that those who are in Christ do not walk according to the flesh.
No it does not. Not at all. What it says is this, "There is therefore, now, no condemnation for those who are in Christ." You can misquote scripture all day, but it gets you no where. I have the same book !! Paul is talking about condemnation. And he speaks of this solution because of what he says in the preceding verse. "Therefore" ALWAYS looks backward -- to the statement(s) PREVIOUSLY made. That is not blah blah blah ----------- that is a grammatical fact, my friend.
Romans 16:7 (pay attention here) says that the apostles werein Christ before Paul was in christ. That means that they were put in Christ at different times, like when they decided to follow Jesus, not when Jesus was on the cross. Having trouble with that?
Soooooooo, there were apostles in Christ before Paul. What in the world does that have to do with WHAT PAUL SAID in Col 1:15-23. Hint : nothing. You are apparently of the school of thought that teaches that one scripture can cancel out another scripture. Ridiculous notion.
Look atyou are a new creature. Old desires have passed away and are replaced by new ones, when you decide to follow Christ. This did not happen at the cross. Not everyone has a new nature. Only those in Christ.
2Cor.5:17 When you are in Christ,
Might be good to actually read the text and context. V 15 He died for all, that they should live no longer for themselves (sound familar? The FACT of reconciliation and the PURPOSE of reconciliation ??). v. 16 "Therefore" -- because He died for all so that they should live no longer for themselves, because of that fact, we no longer look to the flesh of a man. v 17"Therefore" -- get it, "therefore" -- based on what I just said (and what did he JUST say? We no longer look on the flesh of a man -- because of that, what we actually see or acknowledge is the belief that old things have passed (are passing) away and in that regard, we have a new nature. v.18 We have all been reconciled (past tense) and when we come to Christ, we inherit this ministry of reconciliation ........... v 19 "namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the WORLD TO HIMSELF, NOT COUNTING THEIR TRESPASSES AGAINST THEM AND HE HAS COMMITTED TO US THIS WORD OF RECONCILIATION. that's a direct quote, by the way.
In your zeal to deny in the face of so much scripture, you make the mistake of thinking that "reconciliation" is the only aspect of "salvation." We do have a role to play -- but not in order to get saved. We are saved by faith APART FROM WORKS OF THE LAW. That is Paul -- you can ignore it or trump it with another scripture, if you want -- but you are not going to get a white flag from me. I am a minister of reconciliation, and I love it !!!!!!!
Eph. 2:10 We were placed in Christ (dare I mention it ) for GOOD WORKS! Salvation first, good works second. He did one, we do the other, IF we are in Christ. And the point? You think that the move towards good works is something one on the path of self destruction would be concerned with? Or that I teach the same? I will go one better, Terry. We were created for good works. But that has nothing to do with "getting saved." But more than this, Terry -- you have quoted the tail end of one of the strongest passages on salvation APART FROM WORKS IN THE ENTIRE B I B L E. Thats right. Read verses 8 and 9. And when you get done -- explain to me why you think verse 10 trumps verses 8, 9 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
