Would you say that you are a good person?

[Sower]

9 hours ago, Blood Bought 1953 said:

Paul had a good run at , but in the end Paul was wrong.... “I”, BB am “ chief of sinners,” so please step aside, Paul..

Sorry BB, but you will just have to wait. When I'm taken home, you can then be the 'Chiefest'.
 

22 minutes ago, derf73 said:

The issue here is that you are referring to a time prior to the Holy Spirit indwelling believers. As I said, I am not saying that apart from God any of us are good, but our bodies are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

That's right on, derf....Were talking about believers here, not when we were lost.

As a new believer, I was taught I was a sinner, a "worm", my righteousness as filthy rags.
The scripture says what about this:

⁵ Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways:
behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.

⁶ 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.

⁷ 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.

⁸ But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.   Isaiah 64: 5-8

ONLY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO PAY THE PRICE FOR OUR SINS!!!

But.............
Concerning our righteousness (yours and mine) what does God say to those who are BORN AGAIN:
                                                 
                                                                 **********************
1 John: 3, 7    Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

Awesome! Never knew that for years, and then changed my view, my understanding of God's love, for me.
I, and you, can actually do 'good' things, righteous things, that pleases the Father.
God's word means just what it says. When you try, and then do the right thing, (just, meet, right) God calls that 'righteousness'.
When you do the wrong thing, that's called 'unrighteousness'.
Righteousness: 'that which is just, meet, right' (concordance)

When God says:    "Well done, thou good and faithful servant", you reckon you just might have done a 'good' thing?
When you go to be with the Lord, will you lay your crowns at the altar?
What about all those sheaves you bring, having sown all those seeds?
When God is pleased with us for doing that which is right,
those rewards spoken of 'from God' are for the one having done them.
Yes! Through the power of the Holy Spirit, abiding in Christ,
reckoning yourself dead to sin, and alive unto Christ.
But,
you are the one who chose, the one who decided to abide.
These are GOOD things. GOD says so.
God is Light!  His promises are true.
All of them............

We all fall, and miss the mark. Just like my kids have disobeyed growing up.
But as their dad, I forgave them, and was pleased when they did that which was 'good'
How much more will our Father in heaven give to us who simply ask?

God “will repay each person according to what they have done"  Romans 2:6

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9

However, as it is written: What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived
the things God has prepared for those who love him.     1 Corinthians 2:9

So, would I say that I am a good person?
I would not say that about myself.
It would be like pride.
But, as a believer in Christ, a new creature, I can NOW do good!
Not I, but Christ, who lives in me, and I in Christ.
God says: 
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"

God is Light!

 

 

 

[Figure of eighty]

10 hours ago, derf73 said:

If the Holy Spirit resides in us, how can we then proclaim that we are not "good"? Please don't mistake me here, for I have seen many say apart from God we are by no means good, however, if we are Christians, bought by the shed blood of Christ, covered by His righteousness, you can bet we are good. We are Holy, Blessed, and empowered to do the will of God through the Holy Spirit that indwells us. He will never leave us nor forsake us, therefore, once bought with the price, Praise God, we are the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit, and to deny that we are good is to deny the promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. However, I understand why most answers said they weren't good, the question was would you say you are a good person and many referred back to their lives prior to salvation, or at least I hope that is the case. Don't be deceived, we are good solely because we are indwelt by the Spirit of Promise. Amen.

Because its the holyspirit that makes us good not us. Simple. We need Gods spirit to help us do simple things like not lie, don't steal ( which isnt just in reference to big things like stealing from a store-- taking a pen or a note pad from an office is still stealing)  

Edited September 6, 2019 by Figure of eighty

[Guest]

Used to think so. But no. Not now as i know how full of sin i am. Without the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ i would be doomed quite rightly. 

That is i hope the wisdom that dawns through understanding what Jesus did for us on the cross. 

I am not good. Nor good enough by myself in any way. I am cleansed through the blood of Christ. I am so grateful for this reassurance, this eternal gift as it is far more than i deserve..

 

Edited September 6, 2019 by Melinda12

[1to3]

23 hours ago, OneLight said:

Remember Luke 18:18-19?

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God."

If Jesus is saying this about Himself, as Jesus the Man, how then can we say we are good, unless one considers themselves better than Jesus.

For sure we are not better than Christ Jesus but in Him we are assured to become perfected in Him and through Him.

About:  ( Luke 18:18-19)

Many people miss use this particular verse ( Luke 18:18-19) and take it  out of context to say that  Christ Jesus was not good, therefore He was not God as Only God is good.

In the full context of what Christ Jesus said and why He said that,  one has to look at the whole paragraph. Not to now explain that, ( that should be for another thread) but in short Christ Jesus was being questioned, so to be tricked, by the pharisees.  What Christ Jesus was trying to say is that no human of the adamic race is good like God is good,( but He was God, and Christ knew that, what perhaps the Pharisee did not know, and that is, thatchrist Jesus IS the Only Begotten Son, as He was and Is and will always be . Christ IS, never changing His of Goldy nature even as in the form of man) .  Christ Jesus blood came direct from God the Father, it did not come from the cursed genome of Adam and Eve, it came directly from God, God used Mary to bring forth Christ Jesus in human form, but all else of Christ Jesus was divine including His untainted pure divine Blood. ( the blood of a baby in the womb, does not mix with the mothers blood, they are separate) If Christ Jesus had ANY sin in Him, He would not be Gods Only begotte Son, and He would not have been able to be a Blood Atonement/ sacrifice to redeem mans' adamic fallen sin nature , of  which everyone one of us is born with of except Christ Jesus. That is why, no man, can ever take the place of Christ Jesus,(even though many false Christ try to) man can only redeem Himself through Christ Jesus living inside of them and helping them to become more and more righteous=without sin.  YES with The Holy Spirit of God living inside of us, we can and with Him we will want to do good, not because we have to, bur because we desire to, because Christ Jesus Nature is living in anyone truly born again of the Spirit of Him and has let go of the flesh in order to follow Him. Have you really decided to follow Him?, If so, HE can help you become the child of God you were always intended to be

In Christ Jesus and seeking Him and to follow and LEARN from His Word, we also can overcome sin and sickness. He came to die and free us from the bondage of sickness and sin. (Isaiah 53)

as for The nature of Christ Jesus. It is and never changed

The bible says many times that Christ Jesus was without sin, He always IS good and part of the trinity: Father, Son Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

Hebrews 4:15, KJV

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

 

Hebrews 9:28,

KJV"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation."

1 Peter 2:22, KJV

"Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:"

1 John 3:5, KJV

"And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin."

 

What has no SIn is GOOD    Christ Jesus WAS, IS forever GOOD.

However , our aim in Christ Jesus is to be perfected in Him and it begins also here on earth, that when we truly give our heart and lives unto the care of God,  and humbly lay our sins at the foot of the cross with true repentance-sorrow-, we will be covered over by the divine untainted redeeming Blood of Christ Jesus, our sins will be forgiven His Holy Spirit will come make a home in our lives and will help  CONTINUE TO transform us into the children of God we where always meant to be. It is an ACTIVE relationship not a passive one or a one sided one, it is an active relationship between us and God, and so being ourselves active participants in this living relationship with Christ Jesus,  He becomes able to Help us .  If we forget this part, we loose out on ALL that He can do for us so to transform us into His Godly nature witch is a good one.

Perhaps Peter can better explain things as to what we as christian should look towards and reflect upon.

 

2 Peter 3

 

The Promise of the Lord's Coming

3 My dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written you. In both letters I have tried to arouse pure thoughts in your minds by reminding you of these things. ² I want you to remember the words that were spoken long ago by the holy prophets, and the command from the Lord and Savior which was given you by your apostles. ³ First of all, you must understand that in the last days some people will appear whose lives are controlled by their own lusts. They will make fun of you ⁴ and will ask, “He promised to come, didn't he? Where is he? Our ancestors have already died, but everything is still the same as it was since the creation of the world!” ⁵ They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water, ⁶ and it was also by water, the water of the flood, that the old world was destroyed. ⁷ But the heavens and the earth that now exist are being preserved by the same command of God, in order to be destroyed by fire. They are being kept for the day when godless people will be judged and destroyed.

⁸ But do not forget one thing, my dear friends! There is no difference in the Lord's sight between one day and a thousand years; to him the two are the same. ⁹ The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, He is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.

¹⁰ But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that Day the heavens will disappear with a shrill noise, the heavenly bodies will burn up and be destroyed, and the earth with everything in it will vanish.^{[a] 11} Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Your lives should be holy and dedicated to God, ¹² as you wait for the Day of God and do your best to make it come soon—the Day when the heavens will burn up and be destroyed, and the heavenly bodies will be melted by the heat. ¹³ But we wait for what God has promised: new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home.

¹⁴ And so, my friends, as you wait for that Day, do your best to be pure and faultless in God's sight and to be at peace with Him. ¹⁵ Look on our Lord's patience as the opportunity He is giving you to be saved, just as our dear friend Paul wrote to you, using the wisdom that God gave him. ¹⁶ This is what he says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some difficult things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as they do with other passages of the Scriptures. So they bring on their own destruction.

¹⁷ But you, my friends, already know this. Be on your guard, then, so that you will not be led away by the errors of lawless people and fall from your safe position. ¹⁸ But continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, now and forever! Amen.

 

Peter as well as the other apostles are saying:"do your best to be pure and faultless in God's sight:.   Our relationship  is not to be stagnant but active in HIM, as that is how His righteousness can be perfected in us NOW. As born again Christians,   it goes hand in hand that we should  have a Christ like nature living in us and be at a stage of  better-gooder- person than when we did not have Him living in us.   I know personalty that He has already begun His work in me and has already transformed me, healed me, made me a BETTER "gooder" person than what I was without seeking and having and active daily relationship in Him.  Yes I still have long to go in terms of improvement and becoming even more -gooder-lol,  but I am much better in Him than when I did not follow Him or seek to ask and obey Him and His Word actively . The bible better explains what I am trying to convey:

 

Romans 12:2

  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

Romans 8:28

  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Isaiah 40:31

  Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

Psalm 119:105

  Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

 

2 Corinthians 5:17

  Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

 

1 Corinthians 10:13

  No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

 

These are promises from Gods Word. 

 

John 16:33 Christ Jesus said:

  "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

 

And so with Him living in us, we to can overcome this world. We can overcome sin. He has promised that He will help us to do so.

 

1 John 2:6

  the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

 

 

There are GOOD people in Christ Jesus, in various stagews of perfection, to say otherwise is denying HIM and HIS promises.

 

We are perfected through Him working in us, chastening us,bringing to remembrance His WORD ALIVE in us and us participating in this ongoing daily relationship with Him by our LOVE, faith/faithfulness to Him and His WORD.    Yes HE LOVES US and so if He loves us Mercifully and Graciously should we not desire also to love Him, please Him, be faithful to Him also? If we have faith in someone, we also believe in them and desire to be faithful back. If we say we love Him and choose to live in darkness, we deny Him His love and His WORD, and so His WORD does not live in us.   Look to 1 John ch1

 

If we are true brides of Christ Jesus, we will seek to be faithful to Him and willing to Love Him more and more become willing to become obedient to Him and His Word more and more.

 

what kind of bride does an unfaithful bride make?

Is the groom looking for an unfaithful bride of one who is faithful?

 

Christ Jesus is waiting for His bride whose lamp is full, not one whose lamp is empty.

 

 

1 John 1

What Was Heard, Seen, and Touched

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— ² the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

Fellowship with Him and One Another

⁵ This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

 

If Christ Jesus was not good, He could not take away our own sins and redeem us from the Power of Sin

 

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2019 by 1to3

[saved34]

On 9/5/2019 at 10:55 PM, derf73 said:

If the Holy Spirit resides in us, how can we then proclaim that we are not "good"? Please don't mistake me here, for I have seen many say apart from God we are by no means good, however, if we are Christians, bought by the shed blood of Christ, covered by His righteousness, you can bet we are good. We are Holy, Blessed, and empowered to do the will of God through the Holy Spirit that indwells us. He will never leave us nor forsake us, therefore, once bought with the price, Praise God, we are the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit, and to deny that we are good is to deny the promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. However, I understand why most answers said they weren't good, the question was would you say you are a good person and many referred back to their lives prior to salvation, or at least I hope that is the case. Don't be deceived, we are good solely because we are indwelt by the Spirit of Promise. Amen.

You are correct in understanding anywhere God resides is Holy. We are called saints or Holy Ones. These things still have nothing to do with us. How many of us can match up with apostle Paul when it comes to doing good? Yet he claimed to be the chief of sinners. 

1Ti 1:15  Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

Of course he was not still leading a life of sin. It is the emptying of self and replacing it with the only true good of the righteous one, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus is very God, equal with the Father, yet he humbled himself. He laid aside his majesty and made himself a servant. 

 

Php 2:5  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

 

Php 2:6  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

 

Php 2:7  rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

We still have sin. We are not good, God is good and has by grace blessed us to be his children. Never in a million years should we boast about being good. All our boasting is in Christ. 

 

1Jn 1:8  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

1Jn 1:10  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

1Co 1:30  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

1Co 1:31  Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."

 

[Blood Bought 1953]

 

The closer you get to God— the worse you see yourself as. Paul was close to God.

[Jostler]

On 9/5/2019 at 7:25 PM, Figure of eighty said:

If i had to measure myself horizontally, comparing myself to other human beings, yes. 

 

Vertically compared to God's standards.. No. Not at all.

beautifully said.  simple and to the point.  I don't know if you are aware of the many Scriptures that exist that  prove the truth of what you just said or not.  Just the ability to state a profound truth so  succinctly is evidence you have been taught by  God, in the secret place....just as He promised.

Quote

Isa 54:13-17

“All your sons will be taught of the LORD;
And the well-being of your sons will be great.

“In righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear;
And from terror, for it will not come near you.

“If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me.
Whoever assails you will fall because of you.

“Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals
And brings out a weapon for its work;
And I have created the destroyer to ruin.

“No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;
And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

Sis you  might consider reading the  whole chapter.  Maybe get in His presence and read it with  Him, let Him speak to you personally out of it.  I think He might have a few encouraging things to  say...

[Jostler]

I would unequivocally declare there is NOTHING good  in me, never was, isn't now and never will be apart from the indwelling presence of God by His  Spirit.

There is a tremendous, powerful truth  of what He has done for us on the cross, lifting  us up into God's own family and causing us to become the very righteousness of God Himself in Jesus Christ.

But even after that mind bogglingly beautiful gift, apart from Him I can do NOTHING...of  any value whatsoever.  Anything I do or say even now is filthy, powerless rags in His sight. 

I  do think it takes some  wrestling to accurately perceive both  "sides" of this and i think i see some who are trying to reveal and emphasize both...there need not necessarily be contradiction....synthesis is where the truth lies, and it is truly an amazing thing to contemplate. 

[Figure of eighty]

21 minutes ago, Jostler said:

beautifully said.  simple and to the point.  I don't know if you are aware of the many Scriptures that exist that  prove the truth of what you just said or not.  Just the ability to state a profound truth so  succinctly is evidence you have been taught by  God, in the secret place....just as He promised.

Sis you  might consider reading the  whole chapter.  Maybe get in His presence and read it with  Him, let Him speak to you personally out of it.  I think He might have a few encouraging things to  say...

Thank you so much for the compliment it means a lot.