Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Rock of Offense!

****Rom.9:31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn't arrive at the law of righteousness. 9:32 Why? Because they didn't seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone; 9:33 even as it is written, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed."{Isaiah 8:14; 28:16}

Indeed, how offensive to those Jews who must put faith in “a man righteousness” instead of the laws righteousness? Now we Christian's two thousand's years removed from the legislating and inculcating of the law for thousand's of years, can easily think how stupid the Jewish were for rejecting Christ?

Romans 6:19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification.

But at the same time most Christian's put faith in their religion over the least of Christ brothers thinking the power and righteousness has to be in an organization of religious people, correct? Now we are not saying that one should elevate or put one of Christ brothers in Christ position and place faith in them instead of Christ Jesus. What we are doing is making a powerful point that Paul made to those anointed Christian's wanting to go back to power of laws righteousness found in a religion the Jewish faith, which of course was far easier than putting faith in the unseen Christ seated above.

1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:

The righteousness of the law, did not bring any Jew, and certainly not a Gentle to righteousness, do you know why? First. Let us ask, was the law righteous? Yes, but did the law make a person righteous? No it did not! It proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that all men were sinner and unrighteous. The law could not make a person righteous, simple fundamental truth. Yet, generation after generation of Jews, taught and believed keeping the law made them righteous, how? By their own good efforts in keeping the law. “Thou shall commit adultery”; this is a wonderful truth, an absolute fact, and something each person loving God wants not to do!

2 Corinthians 5:21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Galatians 2:21 I don't make void the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!"

Galatians 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law.

Hebrews 5:13 For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby.

Christ the truth of God, came to teach us the truth of God, he never lied or was deception found in his mouth. He stated that any person that looks at the opposite sex with lust has committed adultery. No person as an adult has not sinned in this manner. The punishment? Death under the law, what?

James 1:20 for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God.
John 8:5 Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such.{Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22} What then do you say about her?"

John 8:7 But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her."

Matt.5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matt. 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, {TR adds "to the ancients,"} 'You shall not commit adultery;'{Exodus 20:14}
5:28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Was trying to be righteous enough? Is our good motivate enough to keep us from receiving the death penalty for sinning in this manner? Can we go to religious meeting more, perform more good works to compensated for committing adultery in our hearts? No!, and No! This is why the Jews stumbled over Christ he was offensive to them because he told them truth of our hearts.

John 11:10 But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn't in him."

John 3:21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God."

1 John 1:7 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.

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

The law declared no one righteous, no, not one. It shut the mouth of every self-righteous person, declaring God righteous. It left us hopeless without God provision for mercy, and what is that? It is the blood upon the altar, there is where God's righteousness is found for mankind, not in themselves, or trying to keep a law that condemns all of us as a sinner in our hearts proving we cannot live up to the laws righteousness.

Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.

Romans 10:9 that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 1:17 For in it is revealed God's righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, "But the righteous shall live by faith."{Habakkuk 2:4}

Romans 3:10 As it is written, "There is no one righteous; no, not one.

Hebrews 7:16 who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life:

Hebrews 7:19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

But law is powerful, and when put into man's hands with educations, position of power it makes the blood look puny and weak. Thus, the Jews stumbled over the Christ righteous, not his teaching, not his looks, but that they would have to put faith in his righteous blood to the exclusion of the law to receive eternal life from the Father; rejecting man's righteous through works of law. Today we find many holding up religion as righteous, but that is false it is the same mistake the Jews practiced. For a Christian's there is not many righteousness, there is only one, the Christ, God's passover lamb. His blood alone saves us. However, it is interesting that God would make his final judgment upon how we treated the least one of Christ brothers. Many claim to be Christ brothers through the righteousness of religion, like the Jews. But according to the word of God no one knew who Christ brothers were, not the sheep or the goats. None could see Christ righteousness in them because they were looking to works of law for proof of God's righteousness.

1 John 4:5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them.

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn't recognize him.
'
Matt.25:31 "But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 25:32 Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 25:33 He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 25:34 Then the King will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 25:35 for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. 25:36 I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.' 25:37 "Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink? 25:38 When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? 25:39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?' 25:40 "The King will answer them, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers{The word for "brothers" here may be also correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."}, you did it to me.'
25:41 Then he will say also to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; 25:42 for I was hungry, and you didn't give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; 25:43 I was a stranger, and you didn't take me in; naked, and you didn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.' 25:44 "Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn't help you?' 25:45 "Then he will answer them, saying, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of the least of these, you didn't do it to me.' 25:46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

See also: www.nu-truth.com