The Cross of Christ Alone Can Save

[Baron1710]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Not at all. There is no way getting rid of sin can give me God's righteousness by that act alone and no other factor. But the truth is God refuses to give us His righteousness if we are unwilling to release sin.

No. But it allows for God to grant us right standing. That is what I was trying to say about our hands being full disabling us from receiving something from another person. In this case if our hands hold sin, they are not open to receive the gift of righteousness from God. Emptying our hands does not make us righteous. Emptying our hands allows God to give us the free gift of righteousness.

This is a basic principle. God will not impute righteousness while we desire and are involved in sin. That is the reason that after Adam ate the forbidden fruit God said, Adam had to leave the Garden LEST HE ALSO take of the fruit of life. We cannot mingle unrighteousness with righteousness. Romans 1 says wrath is reserved for those who hold truth in unrighteousness.

Ridding ourselves of sin is in no way a manner of working our way to righteousness. If it were, then it would not be a case of God imputing righteousness top us, but us contriving SELF righteousness.

This is odd. You seem to bounce between being declared righteous, and earning righteousness or becoming righteous. Righteousness is a position we have in Christ, not something we earn through our own efforts to release sin.