The Pharisees were some of the most moral people around, yet Jesus told them they were sons of their father the devil, and told one of their main men, "you must be born again."
Morals cannot save us, all they do is create either self righteousness, or despondency.
Sounds like good old Pelagius-(The following is from an article) It may be found here
[url=http://www.reformationtheology.com/2007/07/pelagianism_in_the_formation_and_reformation_of_the_church-_c_r_biggs.php#more]Pelagianism In The Formation and Reformation...[/url]
[i]Pelagius argued with Augustine that God would not command us in the Law to live a particular way if he did not also give us this ability. He wrote to Augustine that Adam represented Adam only and that man cannot be placed on trial because of someone else. "Adam's sin merely set an ill example, which [man] has been quick to follow. Hence they almost all need to be set right…but after baptism man has full power and duty to keep the divine law."
This belief logically brings Pelagius to the conclusion that justification in vicarious atonement cannot be true either, because another man cannot represent the punishment of someone else's sins.
Man is responsible for the keeping of the law and his resistance to sin by himself. The obvious sinfulness in man in the fallen creation must have an ability to not sin, it is only that they tend to sin because we are born in a society where evil prevails. Men are born innocent, but the society that is evil seems to prevail upon them causing them to be bad.[/i]
Then I suppose all will be saved then, and if one person is not, then this line is disproved. Also, if Christ died for the sins of all men, is not unbelief a sin? So then why do any perish for unbelief?
Well this is heresy plain and simple, and the idea that anyone would give credence to this view shows either a lack of discernment, or a misunderstanding of sin, and their own salvation.
How do you answer these Scriptures-
Isa 53:5 But [b]he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.[/b]
Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: [b]when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,[/b] he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Isa 53:11 [b]He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.[/b]
Mat 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Mat 26:28 For [b]this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.[/b]
Heb 9:28 So [b]Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;[/b] and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
This says we are justified by faith alone-
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
And also, if Christ's obedience is not imputed to us, how can we stand before God, or have any hope of Heaven?
This is really based upon a misunderstanding of indwelling sin. This verse alone shows that this is Paul speaking as a new creation, Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
no man that is not regenerate would care about the law of God, nor of pleasing God. The controversy within would not be present as an unsaved man has nothing within to battle the sin he does, or cause this battle.
Consider Paul's words in Galatians-
Gal 5:17 For [b]the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.[/b]
It would be foolish to say that he is speaking as an unsaved man here as well would it not?
Here is the bottom line, men love the law as a means of righteousness. They can use it as a means of boasting and belittling others who are "not as spiritual as they are." but if one would take the time to understand sin and its complete and utter ruinous effect upon man, man would never seek to be justified by anything other than someone else's righteousness.
There are many different religions who would be able to put somethng up similar to this as a means of righteousness. For they do not need Christ as their righteousness either. The Muslims believe in works, the Buddhists believe in works, the Jews believe in works and on and on, but God requires a true and holy righteousness. If you want to try to get this on your own through works of the flesh, have at it, but Paul said,
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: [b]for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.[/b]
By doing this as well, you are saying that Christ is not enough, and you are opening yourself up to the warning given in both Hebrews 6:6, "If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."
And Hebrews 10:29
"Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"
You see these Jews were going back to works of the sacrificial system as a means of justification. They were saying in essence that Christ's death was for nothing, as is Jesse's post, and this is very dangerous ground to be slipping toward.
