Ezekiel 33:13
I started to make this a comment in my previous post, but it is important enough to stand by itself.
God tells us in Ezekiel 33:13 that a truly righteous man (by redemption) can lose that righteousness.
3- God told the man who had been truly righteous (but who then trusted his own righteousness and sinned), that He (God) would judge the man, based on the man's sins and he would die for his sins.
Our previous sins do not condemn us, if we are presently redeemed.
Ezekiel 33:18-19
(18) When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
(19) But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
We have two examples of free moral beings turning from righteousness to rebellion and being cast off from God.
Lucifer, the archangel of God, willfully rebelled against God and became Satan, the archenemy of God. This righteous angel, along with all the other rebellious angels, lost his righteousness. Remember, Lucifer was created righteous. I will come back to this later.
Adam, the first man, was created in the image of God, therefore he was righteous, without sin, yet Adam willfully disobeyed God and was separated from God. Adam became sinful, along with his wife, Eve, who had also been created as a righteous person. Adam fathered an entire race of sin corrupted children. Adam's (and Eve's) separation from God could only be reconciled if they came into a personal and living relationship with God through faith.
Created Righteous
Lucifer, as an angel, as well as Adam and Eve, as the first human beings, were righteous from the time they were created by God. However, they lost their righteousness because of rebellion, sin.
Believers are made righteous by the atonement. Therefore a person may be tempted to think that redemptive righteousness is different from created righteousness, and would not allow the possibility of someone abandoning their right relationship with God. NO. NOT THE CASE.
If anything, it would be harder to conceive that an inherently righteous being, created by God as righteous, could abandon his nature, than to believe that a sinful creature could abandon a righteousness that was obtained by faith. After all, the righteousness of salvation is the gift of God and received by faith, therefore, faith is a condition of righteousness. Redeemed people are children of God by faith (Galatians 3:26) and they are righteous by faith (Romans 4:19), whereas Lucifer, Adam and Eve were righteous by nature.
But also consider this. Believers are not simply seen as righteous, or called righteous by God, in spite of their actual condition, believers are righteous, even as God is righteous, because believers are created in righteousness and true holiness.
Ephesians 4:24
(24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
God does not remember (hold against us) our sins if we trust in Christ to forgive and cleanse us from our sins.
In the same way, God does not remember (recognize, honor) the righteousness a person had though faith in Christ, once that person turns from faith.
The Bible clearly teaches that a created being can turn from natural righteousness, and that a redeemed person can turn from righteousness by faith.
This addresses the meaning of the New Testament passages that tell us God does not remember or recognize a person's former state of righteousness, if that person turns from trusting God to trusting his own righteousness.
I started to make this a comment in my previous post, but it is important enough to stand by itself.
God tells us in Ezekiel 33:13 that a truly righteous man (by redemption) can lose that righteousness.
God can tell a man that he SURELY has life, and then tell the same man that he would die for his sins.
Ezekiel 33:13
(13) When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
DLG note...
God told Ezekiel to tell the righteous man (the man who is righteous by God's redemptive work)...
1- He (the righteous man) would surely live. This indicates that the "righteous man" was truly righteous and not self righteous, otherwise God would not tell him that he would surely live. Also...
2- God told the righteous man that IF he (the righteous man), should then trust in his own righteousness (which is not true righteousness), and the man should then commit sin, God would not remember that man, based on the man's former redemptive righteousness. God would remember none of the man's righteousnesses (the good works he did as a believer) any more than God will remember the sins of a person who turns from sin and truly trusts in God.
Ezekiel 33:13
(13) When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
DLG note...
God told Ezekiel to tell the righteous man (the man who is righteous by God's redemptive work)...
1- He (the righteous man) would surely live. This indicates that the "righteous man" was truly righteous and not self righteous, otherwise God would not tell him that he would surely live. Also...
2- God told the righteous man that IF he (the righteous man), should then trust in his own righteousness (which is not true righteousness), and the man should then commit sin, God would not remember that man, based on the man's former redemptive righteousness. God would remember none of the man's righteousnesses (the good works he did as a believer) any more than God will remember the sins of a person who turns from sin and truly trusts in God.
The "righteousnesses" in this passage refers to the righteous deeds done in the flesh (by the righteous man during his earthly life). Remember, in Revelation 19:8 the righteousness of the saints refers to the righteous deeds of the believers.
The saved person who performs righteous deeds (by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit) will be rewarded for his deeds, just as the unsaved person will be judged and recompensed for his evil deeds, done in the flesh.
3- God told the man who had been truly righteous (but who then trusted his own righteousness and sinned), that He (God) would judge the man, based on the man's sins and he would die for his sins.
Our previous sins do not condemn us, if we are presently redeemed.
Our previous redemptive righteousness does not save us, if we are presently in sin.
This is quickly reiterated in Ez. 33:18-19.
Ezekiel 33:18-19
(18) When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
(19) But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
We have two examples of free moral beings turning from righteousness to rebellion and being cast off from God.
Lucifer, the archangel of God, willfully rebelled against God and became Satan, the archenemy of God. This righteous angel, along with all the other rebellious angels, lost his righteousness. Remember, Lucifer was created righteous. I will come back to this later.
Adam, the first man, was created in the image of God, therefore he was righteous, without sin, yet Adam willfully disobeyed God and was separated from God. Adam became sinful, along with his wife, Eve, who had also been created as a righteous person. Adam fathered an entire race of sin corrupted children. Adam's (and Eve's) separation from God could only be reconciled if they came into a personal and living relationship with God through faith.
Created Righteous
Lucifer, as an angel, as well as Adam and Eve, as the first human beings, were righteous from the time they were created by God. However, they lost their righteousness because of rebellion, sin.
Believers are made righteous by the atonement. Therefore a person may be tempted to think that redemptive righteousness is different from created righteousness, and would not allow the possibility of someone abandoning their right relationship with God. NO. NOT THE CASE.
If anything, it would be harder to conceive that an inherently righteous being, created by God as righteous, could abandon his nature, than to believe that a sinful creature could abandon a righteousness that was obtained by faith. After all, the righteousness of salvation is the gift of God and received by faith, therefore, faith is a condition of righteousness. Redeemed people are children of God by faith (Galatians 3:26) and they are righteous by faith (Romans 4:19), whereas Lucifer, Adam and Eve were righteous by nature.
But also consider this. Believers are not simply seen as righteous, or called righteous by God, in spite of their actual condition, believers are righteous, even as God is righteous, because believers are created in righteousness and true holiness.
Ephesians 4:24
(24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
God does not remember (hold against us) our sins if we trust in Christ to forgive and cleanse us from our sins.
In the same way, God does not remember (recognize, honor) the righteousness a person had though faith in Christ, once that person turns from faith.
The Bible clearly teaches that a created being can turn from natural righteousness, and that a redeemed person can turn from righteousness by faith.
This addresses the meaning of the New Testament passages that tell us God does not remember or recognize a person's former state of righteousness, if that person turns from trusting God to trusting his own righteousness.
