It's not a question of whether the gentiles are any better. It is a matter of not applying Scripture where it does not fit. I am not saying John is doing this, his posts are well thought out and well supported by Scripture. I am only making the point that we "must" keep the Scriptures in context, that is the reason there is so much confusion in the church. Regarding the verse you posted in Jeremiah, let look at it along with the verse from Isaiah.
Jeremiah 17:5-9 ( KJV ) 5Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Isaiah 64:1-12 ( KJV ) 1Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, 2As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! 3When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence. 4For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. 5Thou 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.
6But 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. 7And 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. 8But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. 9Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. 10Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 11Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste. 12Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O LORD? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?
First, notice In Jeremiah it is God who is speaking, He say the heart is deceitfully wicked. The heart, that means every heart, anyone who has a heart, has one that is deceitfully wicked, that would be all men.
Next, notice in the verse in Isaiah, it is not God speaking, but Isaiah, and he say we have sinned, He is referring to Israel, then he say all of our righteousness's are as filthy rags. He is speaking of Israel. So, this verse cannot be applied to all men. The whole is that there is a tremendous amount of Scripture that is taken out of context, applied where is was not intended by the writer, and is causing a tremendous amount of confusion for believers today. I was simply point that Isaiah 64:6 applied to Israel, I have seen this verse quote many time on this forum to support the idea that man is as filthy rags, and God never said that.
Originally Posted by BroRog
Those who want to study this further should realize that the same Greek word means both "right" and "just". And so, this Greek word and it's derivatives also have these two meanings, "righteous", "righteousness" , "justified", and "justification."
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks