I did not say Christians don't or should'nt do good works I just did not go into great detail like you did.I was being truthful but brief seeing that Kenny told me to stop trying to convert him.But the problem I see is ignorance of religion which is typical with atheists which causes them to assume all religion is the same meant to control people,etc so I'm trying to deal with it while at the same time pointing out why if you're going to believe in God Jesus is the one to choose and why based on religion.Kurieuo wrote:I'm actually perplexed by your last posts, both Kenny's and Abe's.
Don't you both realise it is taught in Scripture that people will be rewarded for good done in their lives (given your Christian upbringing Kenny, I'd expect you might be familiar with such teachings). However, the first hurdle to be overcome is being made right with God who we all seem to intuitively think would be all-good, righteous and fair.
As you essentially said previously Kenny, all of us have done wrong, so then God would not be truly good and righteous if He did not condemn us all. The only solution I can see to this predicament of ours, is a solution like I described in my previous post that is said to be on offer in Christ. Something that squashes our wrongs and allows forgiveness to overflow from God rather than holding us accountable for our actions and condemning us all. There is no other form of Theism I see which provides a solution to this dilemma we're in than Christianity.
So then, this first hurdle to overcome is merely being saved from rightful condemnation. We Christians understand that this is dealt with by Christ -- such is understood in Christianity as "salvation" (we're saved from God's righteous judgement). The Way to being saved, just being able to come to God and be accepted, is through Christ. If a person doesn't receive this, then it really doesn't matter what good they may have done for any wrong condemns them.
Yet, to those who are saved, then Scripture does talk of some being rewarded more than others for what they did in their lives. Some will be honoured more than others.
But from a Christian theological perspective it is already inside a Christian to do good works and be rewarded for them,and to ask forgiveness for sin,not for salvation but because you became a new creature in Christ Jesus and old things are passed away and all things are made new and you are a new creature in Christ Jesus more than willing to be as Christlike as you can and to do good works.It is still all God's work though and not really ours despite the good we muster up to do.We cannot even be saved unless the Holy Spirit draws us to Jesus and makes us realize our need for him in our lives.So that God does everything really through us by us allowing him into our lives and we are as close to him as we choose to be.