Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Partiality

James 2:8 However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself,"{Leviticus 19:18} you do well.
2:9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

So many legal-Christian's are ignorant as to what partiality of keeping the law means? They believe that if they keep some commandments such as not lying, committing adultery, and so on they are not partial when keeping the law or the commandment(s).

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 2:11 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery,"{Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18} also said, "Do not commit murder."{Exodus 10:13; Deuteronomy 5:17} Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

But their definition of partiality is based upon obeying some of the Commandment(s) while not doing so good in other areas, believing their efforts in keeping, and trying to keep them is enough making them not partial towards others, but is this truth?

Partiality By God's Standards

When we are told by God we cannot, not do something it is truth. God has stated mankind cannot keep his righteous commandments without His help. In other words, it is impossible to keep God's righteous standards without sinning because we are born sinners.

Hence, we cannot keep the commandments, but is our efforts enough to please God? No, our efforts are not enough, what does this mean? It means, it requires God's efforts in providing away for us, so He can deal with us as sinners.

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

We are all partial, because we are sinners, that is a truth when comparing ourselves against God's righteous standards of truth,which is, His commandment(s). Thus, to say we are not partial is to confess our ignorance regarding God's word the bible.

Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who can't lie, promised before time began;

In other words, if you are told by God you cannot not do something, that is such as being born without sin, and you say: “yes I can!” than you are a liar, and a partial person. You are holding the acts of God with favoritism towards yourselves. You are denying the truth, the truth God said is righteous, correct?

1John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10 If we say that we haven't sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Deception of Legalism

The deception of legalism is to live a lie while believing its is the truth, what does this mean? It means, legalism teaches you are not or you can make yourself not a sinner in keeping commandments by works of law. This teaching is twisted into a fear of not doing something by two extremes, which are:

1.) We must be righteous and to be righteous we must obey the commandment(s), and 2.) if someone teaches we cannot keep the commandment(s) they are teaching its OK to sin.

Neither extreme is truth, both show favoritism and partiality towards the law. The truth is, God says we cannot keep His commandments without being a sinner. Subsequently, we can never be declared righteous by keeping the commandments because we are sinners, and it is impossible to do so by God's own words.

Galatians 3:11 Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, "The righteous will live by faith."{Habakkuk 2:4}

The truth is just because we cannot keep the commandments does not give us a ticket to break them, adding sin to sin does not help a person to love God.

Not Being Partial By Good Works

Legalism teach we can be made whole, that is, right before God, or righteous by doing good works. Specifically, God's good works found in the word of God, but is that truth?

No, it is not truth! Because we are sinners, we have no good works that will attain us life, that is, by our own righteousness producing good works of life.

1 Timothy 1:9 as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

Understanding Righteousness

Righteousness is not a word that legalism understand. God is righteous, He sets the standard of righteousness for mankind. God's law given to Moses express His righteousness. God has no sin, hence, He is life, not sin and death. Subsequently, mankind cannot from self produce enough righteousness by any good work, not too be a sinner, hence, we are dying from sin.

Galatians 3:22 But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

God righteousness was expressed by His Law to Moses, which pointed out that all men are sinner, and cannot keep His righteous laws. If they say they can they are a liar, and showing favoritism, being partial in their judgments.

Christ Jesus Righteousness

Legalism cannot understand Christ Jesus righteousness either, why? Because righteousness for legalism comes from self, in meeting commandment(s) of the bible, or a group, which is a lie!

Hebrews 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Christ Jesus is righteous by God's standard of His Law given to Moses, why? Because Christ Jesus was sinless, he did not break God's law. Hence, God declared His Son Christ Jesus righteous, and entrusted Christ Jesus with His own righteousness.

Christ Jesus is righteousness for Christian's, not the law, which Christ Jesus fulfilled for us with his own righteous life.

Heb.10:10 by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Christian's Righteousness by What?

Christian's cannot be righteous by their own righteousness, it is impossible! Moreover, even if they say the word Jesus Christ after a good work! However, neither could a Jew be declared righteous by obeying the righteous law of Moses, so what must we do?

What must we do, to “keep” the law? We must atone for our sins by blood of innocent victims, animals. If we were a Jew, we must of atone our sins against God's expressed righteousness through the law forgiving us by God's mercy seat by blood. No! A Jew could not atone by good works or keeping the commandments, but by God's mercy through the blood of innocent victims.

Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God's wrath through him.

Chirst Jesus the Lamb of God

Christian's cannot be righteous in themselves without the blood of Christ Jesus. Subsequently, no human religion on earth can make a person righteous, that is, by its rules, or by its teaching God's commandment(s). Christ fulfilled the law and became God's righteousness for us, hence, Christ is righteousness for Christian's, not the commandment(s) expressing God righteous condemning us as a sinner.

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

Preaching Righteousness

Preaching righteousness is not preaching commandments of our group, it is preaching Christ Jesus, that is, his righteousness expressed in God's new law of love.

Galatians 1:16 to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn't immediately confer with flesh and blood.

Preaching righteousness is not preaching doctrine, it is not preaching good works of our religious group. It is preaching Christ Jesus as God expressed righteousness to us from His love.

Works of Righteousness

What are works of righteousness? Works of righteousness does not come from sin and death, subsequently, they cannot be our good works done from self-rightness as legalism teaches. They must come from life, the righteous imperishable life of Christ Jesus whom fulfilled the law for us.

2 Corinthians 4:5 For we don't preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

Works of righteousness comes from God authorized expression of righteousness in the person of Jesus Christ. For a Christians' to state otherwise they are showing favoritism and partiality.

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

Branches Do Not Support the Root Stock of Holiness

Hebrews 9:22 According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.

Legalism makes the mistakes of teaching it support Christ Jesus righteousness in obeying the commandment(s). The truth is without Christ Jesus righteousness no Christian's could be pleasing too God. Christ is God's righteousness, he is the root stock that gives life and support to the branches, not the other way around.

Romans 11:16 If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

Showing partiality is in stating; "by my obeying some commandment(s) of God I am pleasing too Him", which is a lie, and is the weed apostasy that Christ spoke of which would over-sown the field of God's planting.

Romans 11:18 don't boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.

One cannot be pleasing to God by good works, or commandment(s,) but rather the blood of Christ Jesus setting us right for not keeping the commandment of love. Yes, faith in God's love, not the old commandments given to Moses, which Christ fulfilled by his righteous love for God.

No sinful human can fulfill the law of Moses and certainly not keep the law of love, a much higher standard dealing with the desires of a heart condition.

Breaking The Law Shows Partiality

One cannot keep the law, hence, breaking the law makes one a law breaker, we cannot go back an fix the breaking by keeping another commandment that we could not keep as a sinner in the first place.

Thus, we as human are judged sinners, showing unrighteous favoritism towards ourselves by self-rightness being a sinner claim we keep some of the commandments. When we lying teach keeping the commandment(s) will make us righteous we are teaching apostasy. What we can do is accept God's righteousness by our faith, that is, in Jesus Christ making us right before God in the perfect blood of Christ Jesus.

Romans 4:8 Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin."{Psalm 32:1-2}

Romans 5:12 Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned.

Good Works That Give Glory To God

God's good works exist for us as sinner in the life of Christ Jesus, what does this mean? It means the source of life for sinners is Christ Jesus, he is their eternal life, the gift of God, not good works from self, which are “dead” works of sin!

Christ Jesus imperishable life is given us freely by our faith in God's expressed love. Hence, in that life come good works for God's glory and not man. These good works are righteous because they come from righteousness, which is from the imperishable life of Christ Jesus. It is in this manner only that we are not partial and speaking the truth.

John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer.
15:2 Every branch in me that doesn't bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
15:3 You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 15:4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can't bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. 15:5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 15:6 If a man doesn't remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Putting Away Self-righteousness

Self-righteousness is a sin, and a filth of the flesh, why? Because sin is corruption, not life imperishable. In other words, what makes us unholy before God, it is the works of our flesh, not the works of keeping the commandment(s) which expose the filth.

How does on put away the filth of their flesh, that is, self-righteousness, it is by looking too God's righteousness expressed in Christ Jesus, denying our sinful life through justification, by our self-good works.

There is no other means for salvation God has designated upon earth, but the life of His Son Christ Jesus. No human organization with sinful men leading it by God's word is a remission for our sins. It is rather self-righteousness expressed in the corrupt filth of our dying flesh.

1 Peter 3:21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you--not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.

Self-righteousness is dead in Christ Jesus, as our sinful flesh is dead to Christ Jesus as are works of law. It is no longer I, but Christ Jesus living through me as a body member a branch supported by the Holy root stock that lives. I cannot justify myself, by works, by good deeds, by meetings attendance, or any other thing under the sun. but Christ Jesus righteousness given me freely by God's undeserved kindness expressed in the righteous life of Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:28 We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord's work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Coming to Him as Living Stones

We are the stones of God's temple supported by the holy righteousness of Christ Jesus living life in us. This is the only truth on earth, by God's undeserved kindness - we stand right before our God.

2 Corinthians 3:7 But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away:

1 Peter 2:5 You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

We are His temple for God righteousness, not our righteous, but God righteousness expressed by His love in Christ Jesus, this is the good work being done for God, not some organization gathering up weeds of dead works of law proving its self by human wisdom by boasting in good works.

1 Corinthians 3:12 But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble;

Living stones set upon the corner stone of Christ Jesus put in place by Christ Jesus righteousness atoning our unrighteous. A stumbling stone to those perishing in self-goodness by legalism of righteousness.

When we as Christian's come back to this stone placing our complete faith in God, by Christ Jesus we have truth and we cannot be separated from God because we are a part of God's righteousness, which He cannot deny.

Romans 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;

Romans 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}