A Question: Eternal Life, Kingdom of God, Saved?

So let's recap what is continuing to be espoused here:


ME denies that Christ came preaching about the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.

But in the place of the eteranl gospel message ME asserts that Jesus came preaching another gospel which says that disobedient Christiams will die and go to hell for 1000 years.

do I have this right?

 

This is so obvious I find it difficult to trust that anyone who argues against this is being honest.

 

Aiwnios

[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]OK, here is AIWNIOS ([/FONT]αἰωνίος[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]) in BGAD:
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[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]eternal[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]1. without beginning XRONOIS AIWN long ages ago[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]2. without beginning or end; of God[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]3. without end (Diod. S. 1, 1, 5; 5, 73, 1; 15, 66, 1 DOTZA AIWN everlasting fame/glory[/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]As you can see, it is the 2nd and 3rd definition which refer to "everlasting" in AIWNIOS. But notice that in all three that is is not used to refer to any limited period of time. No beginning, no beginning or end, or no end. So any passages which use AIWNIOS are clearly, IMO, referring to eternity. And AIWNIOS is used in John 3:16. AIWNIOS is also used in 2 Thess. 1:9 (they shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction..." So there are significant consequences to our theology if we say that AIWNIOS does not always refer to "eternity" in the NT. If so, then apparently sin will not be vanquished forever, and our eternal life may be onl agelong. ???

However, L & S does have something a little different and perhaps allowing for just an age for AIWNIOS:
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[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica] AIWNIOS lasting for an age (AIWN 3), Plat.: ever-lasting, eternal, Id. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica] (Note that it refers to their 3rd defn. of AIWN above.)[/FONT]
​

[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica] Personally, I won't be adament about the meaning of AIWNIOS at this time - but I do respect BGAD a bit more than L & S, though both are very reputable. L & S seems to allow for a UR position more, while the BGAD lexicon does not.

Let's look at some examples of the use of AIWNIOS in the NT:

AIWNIA[N]
2 Thessalonians 2:16 May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace,
Hebrews 9:12 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]He entered the holy of holies once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

AIWNIOS DIAQHKH
Hebrews 13:20 [/FONT]Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus--the great Shepherd of the sheep--with the blood of the everlasting covenant
(So the covenant which Christ madewith us is not eternal?! Of course it is.)

AIWNIOS KLHRONOMIA
Hebrews 9:15 Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.
(So then, is our inheritance possibly not eternal?? That was not what the author was saying here!)

[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]AIWNIOS OIKIA
2 Corinthians 5:1 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]For we know that if our earthly house, a tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
(So, will our new body, which will be like Christ's, not going to be forever?!)

[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]AIWNIOS PARAKLHSIS
2 Thessalonians 2:16 [/FONT]May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace,

AIWNIOS PNEUMA
Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?
(So, is the Spirit not eternal?!)

AIWNIOS PUR
Matthew 18:8 If your hand or your foot causes your downfall, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica](Is the Lake of Fire not eternal? If so, then sin has not been dealt with in an eternal fashion. See also Matthew 25:41 [[/FONT]'Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!][FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica] and Jude 1:7[[/FONT]undergoing the punishment of eternal fire[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]])

AIWNIOS SWTHRIA
Hebrews 5:9 [/FONT]After He was perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica](So, is our salvation not eternal?!)

ZWH AIWNIOS
Matthew 19:16 [/FONT]Just then someone came up and asked Him, "Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?"
Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas boldly said: "It was necessary that God's message be spoken to you first. But since you reject it, and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles!
1 Timothy 1:16 But I received mercy because of this, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate the utmost patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
Galatians 6:8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
1 John 1:1, 2 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed, and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life--that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica](Jesus' life was AIWNIOS... i assumethat would be eternal. )

CROINOI AIWNIOS ("time eternal")
Romans 16:25 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]Now to Him who has power to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the sacred secret kept silent for long ages
("Time eternal" doesn't make sense because this secret was kept for a long time, but it was revealed to us. ofcourse, this is probably the use of the meaning of from time eternal. If so, which makes sense to me, then not even theangels knew God's plan to save humans until it was revealed. Cool! hence, I do not like this translation.)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]2 Timothy 1:9 [/FONT]who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. (πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων - PRO CRONWN AIWNION)
(Here the idea of from eternity past to the present usage is clear. We know that God chose us before the foundation of the worlds.)
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]Titus 1:2 [/FONT]in the hope of eternal life (ζωῆς αἰωνίου) that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began (πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων)
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, Helvetica]
So perhaps there are occasional usages of AIWNIOS which do not refer to eternity, but we should assume eternal periods, in general.

I'll have to wait a bit before posting the OT (LXX - Greek septuagint) uses of AIWN.

FWIW,

FA
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AIWN and AIWNIOS in the OT (Gk Septuagint - LXX)

IMO the Greek meaning of EIS TON AIWNA in the context of living is certainly that of "non-ending." And AIWN is singular there. So why should we not view TOUS AIWNAS TWN AIWNWN (a stronger form) as "eternal" in all instances? This next post will have to be divided into two parts.

OK, I investigated the Greek translation of the Hebrew OT (called the "Greek Septuagint" - LXX) as well, and it is helpful because some of the formats used refer to God in some eternal sense, which helps us to determine how to translate it in the NT. First, let's look at AIWN in the OT...

Deuteronomy 33:27 - "The eternal God is a dwelling place..."
(What does the Greek septuagint [LXX] have? - here they have "QEOU ARGHS" - "God of beginning." It is interesting that the LXX did not choose to use AIWN here. I would say this gives some balance to this study. But the focus used here was on the always having existed idea for God. The Septuagint put the focus on God as the "always having existed One.")

Well then, how about Isaiah 9:6, 7?

Isaiah 9:6, 7 "...And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. ... From then on and forevermore..."
(What does the Greek septuagint [LXX - where it's 9:5, 6] have? - Well, first of all, you should know that the Jews cut out part of this text - IMO because it was so powerful a declaration of the deity of the Messiah (Christ). Hence the portion from 9:6 isn't even there... at all! But regarding 9:7, they have EIS TON AIWNA CRONON - "into the age of time." Even L & S list that as "eternal." Unfortunately, it's never used that way in the NT... So no conclusions can be drawn from this passage.)

Genesis 6:3 "...will not strive with man forever..."
(Again, EIS TON AIWNA (s.) is used to mean "forever.")

IGenesis 21:33 "...calling on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God."
(QEOS AIWNIOS - "everlasting God" or "eternal God")

IExodus 31:16 "a perpetual covenant."
(DIAQHKA AIWNIOS - "a perpetual covenant" or "eternal covenant")

ILeveticus 6:15 "a perpetual (or memorial) offering"
(NOMOS AIWNIOS - "perpetual law" - this one is interetsing, because it does not have to have the idea of "eternal.")

Number 15:15 "a perpetual statute to all generations..."
(NOMOS AIWNIOS - "perpetual statute" This one only needs to last for all generations on earth, which though long, isn't eternal)

Job 33:12 LXX - Job 33:11 "For God is greater than man."
(OUK EPAKHKOEN MOU AIWNIOS - "not catch a sound of my Eternal One" or something like that. They chose to give an interetsing name to "God" - "my Eternal One," so IMO, N/A. It's just a very paraphrased way to express the idea of God being greater.)

Isaiah 26:4 "For in God the Lord we have an everlasting Rock."
(EIS TOU AIWNOS, hO QEOS hO MEGAS hO AIWNIOS - into the ages, God, the Great One, the Eternal One" - or something like that. I think that clearly EIS TOU AIWNOS is used to indicate the eternal nature of God, as is AIWNIOS, of course.)

Isaiah 40:28 "...the everlasting God..."
(QEOS AIWNIOS - "everlasting God")

1 Chronicles 17:14 - "throne shall be established forever..."
(didn't even look it up - because this will be interpreted by UR as referirng to the throne of David in the kingdom. so N/A, though IMO even David's throne willhave Christ sitting on it forever. )

Psalm 9:7 "...the Lord abides forever."
(EIS TON AIWNA again. Clearly it is referring to God's throne.)

Psalm 16:11 [LXX - Psa. 15:11] "at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
(EIS TELOS - "into completion." - something quite different than is used in the NT)

Psalm 23:6 [LXX - Psa. 22:6] "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever"
(EIS MAKTOTHTA hHMERWN - "into length of night." - not expressed in a very "eternal" sense. So can't conclude much here.)

Psalm 33:11 [LXX - Psa. 32:11] "...the counsel of the Lord stands forever."
(EIS TON AIWNA again - this seems to be the main way that "eternity" is expressed in the LXX. But do any doubt that when God says something, that it will stand... forever?!)

Psalm 86:12 [LXX - Psa. 85:12] "...will glorify your name forever."
(EIS TON AIWNA again)

Psalm 89:52 [LXX - Psa. 88:53] "Blessed be the name of the Lord forever..."
(EIS TON AIWNA again)

Psalm 92:8 [LXX - Psa. 91:8] "...are on high forever."
(EIS TON AIWNA TOU AIWNOS - related. This is similar to what I referred to as an emphatic form of "forever" IMO in that earlier post on uses of AIWN in the NT - though with singulars instead of plurals - "into the age of the age." I suppose some would say that this is merely saying that the Lord's name will be lifted up into the kingdom age - which is the age of all ages. It is not talking about eternity, they would say, though certainly God's name will be lifted up eternally, so I say it does apply.)

Psalm 119:89 [LXX - Psa. 118:89] "...You, oh Lord, will live forever, and your name to all generations."
(EIS TON AIWNA again)

Psalm 133:3 [LXX - Psa. 132:3] "...For there the Lord commanded the blessing - life forever."
(hEWS TOU AIWNOS - until the age" - I guess this one does not apply either - "life until the age"... except that would mean life is not eternal - just lasting into the kingdom age. ??)

Ecclesiastes 3:14 "I know that whatever God does last forever."
(EIS TON AIWNA again. I suppose it could be argued that it lasts until the kingdom age. But does that mean that God's determination is not eternal?!)

Isaiah 40:28 "...the everlasting Lord, the Creator of the ends ofthe earth..."
(QEOS AIWNIOS - this one is significant, for it cannot be referring to the God who lasts merely into the kingdom age. It affirmsthat AIWNIOS is used to refer to everlasting. Of course, if we can findan example in which it clearly does NOT refer to an everlasting idea, that would settle it.)

Isaiah 57:15 "...Exalted One lives forever."
(KATOIKWN EIS AIWNA - "dwells/is settled forever" - this is significant, for they were not saying that God lives merely into the kingdom age. This validates AIWNA as a valid reference to eternity, IMO.)

Isaiah 57:16 "For I will not contend forever..."
(EIS TON AIWNA again - due to the context, I would think it should not be interpreted as into the kingdom age, but as eternity.

Micah 5:2 "Whose goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity..."
(EX [EK] hHMERWN AIWNOS - "from thedays of the age/eternity" - This one is good for it looks at the beginning side of eternity. Clearly singular "age" [AIWN] can refer to "eternity.")

FA

 

AIWNIOS in the OT and conclusion

There are 20 occurrences of AIWNIOS in the LXX (Greek septuagint) - I looked them all up. Whew! It wasn't conclusive that it must always refer to "eternity," but there wasn't any passage which clearly could not be eternal in nature either. So that is significant. (Unless you count Job 33:12.)

There will be a Day of Judgment when all people will face God. Those who are not covered by the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross will be cast out into hell where they will undergo AIWNIOS (IMO - "eternal") punishment. I did not find any examples where it had to be considered an age, though that possibility was allowed by the context in some. "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matt. 25:46). In this verse, the same word "eternal" is used to describe the punishment of the wicked as well as the eternal life of the believer (AIWNION). The punishment is as endless as is the eternal life of the believer. That is why the gospel (1 Corin. 15:1-4) is so important, because it saves people from eternal damnation:



1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Now I would remind you, brothers, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast—unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.

John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life,
(EXEI ZWHN AIWNIOS - "has life eternal")

What kind of "life" have they passed into? Is it merely life of the kingdom period? No, it is more. For he "has passed out of death into life." No longer dead, ever. Forever alive.


Following are a few verses that show the eternality of hell and punishment. God uses different phrases to describe the same thing. So if we view AIWN or AIWNIOS as not referring to eternity here, then sin has not been dealt with forever... for all we know, it can come back.

2 Thessalonians 1:9 "And these will pay the penalty of eternal (AIWNIOS) destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,"
(AIWNIOS is used here. Where can it be shown to ever refer to an age? That is not its meaning. Perhaps, according to L & S, it can be allowed, but where is it ever clearly used in that manner in the NT or the OT? [Greek septuagint])

Jude 1:7 "Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal (AIWNIOS) fire"
(Again, the punishment is referred to as "AIWNIOS fire.")

Jude 1:12, 13 These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved (EIS AIWNA - sing. - AIWN) forever,"
(But EIS AIWNA was used in the Greek septuagint [OT] several times to refer to the eternal nature of God. While it is not conclusive, it certainly gives plenty of evidence for that meaning. Note, we're not talking about AIWN in general, but the phrase, EIS AIWNA)

Is "forever and ever" without end?

The phrase "forever and ever" is used both of describing God's eternal worth and the duration of eternal damnation. The exact same Greek phrase is used in each of the verses below.

forever and ever

AIWNIOS TWN AIWNWN
"ages of the ages"
Eternal - without end... eternal condemnation
IMO, this is a very strong complex construction of the plural form of AIWN. It was also used in Psalm 92:8 - "But You. Oh Lord, are on high forever."

1 Timothy 1:17 "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever (EIS TOUS AIWNAS (pl.) TWN AIWNWN (pl.) - "into the ages of the ages."). Amen,"

Revelation 5:13 ". . . To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever (EIS TOUS AIWNAS TWN AIWNWN)."

Revelation 19:3 "And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever (EIS TOUS AIWNAS TWN AIWNWN)."

Revelation 20:10 "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (EIS TOUS AIWNAS TWN AIWNWN), "


The Greek phrase "EIS TOUS AIWNAS TWN AIWNWN," which is translated "forever and ever," occurs 18 times in the Greek New Testament. In 17 of them, the phrase means without end, extending into infinity. In Rev. 19:3, the phrase is used to describe the destruction of the great whore of Babylon (Rev. 17:1,4) whose smoke ascends forever and ever. It too is eternal and it signifies the beginning of the eternal judgment that comes upon her.

Also worth examining is Revelation 14:11, "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever (EIS AIWNAS AIWNWN - no articles); and they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

The Greek in Revel. 14:11 is only slightly different. Earlier I said that "forever and ever" is translated from the Greek, "EIS AIWNAS AIWNWN," which is literally "into ages of ages." In Rev. 14:11, the Greek is "EIS AIWNAS AIWNWN" which is literally, "into ages of ages" as well. In the latter, the single Greek word "of the" is missing. But it is not necessary and probably does not really change the meaning of the text.


Unquenchable Fire

Some argue that the fires of hell are symbolic or temporal. But the following verses show that they are not, IMO:

Matt. 3:12 "And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (See also Luke 3:17.)

Mark 9:43 "And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire."
The word "unquenchable" is ASBESTOS in Greek. It means "unquenchable." If it cannot be quenched, then when can it end? I suppose God can always choose to "quench" it.

The following citations are from Greek dictionaries and Lexicons. They show that the word "unquenchable," which is ASBESTOS in the Greek, (which occurs only in Matt. 3:12, Luke 3:17, and Mark 9:43) means unquenchable - without end.

"unquenchable, inextinguishable" - Liddell, H. G., and Scott, Abridged Greek-English Lexicon, (Oxford: Oxford University Press) 1992, [Online] Available: Logos Library System.

"pertaining to a fire that cannot be put out" - "unquenchable." - Louw, Johannes P. and Nida, Eugene A., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains, (New York: United Bible Societies) 1988, 1989
Louw and Nida are the foremost Bible translators in the world. They have also produced a "semantic domains" lexicons, which probes subtle differences between related words.

"inextinguishable" - (BGAD) Bauer, William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed.

Is hell eternal?
Are its fires without end?
This does reflect on how we view AIWNIOS...

Matthew 18:8 "And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the eternal (AIWNIOS) fire,"


I cannot conclude without a doubt that AIWNIOS means "eternal" and hence, the door is left open for hell to be extremely long... but not eternal, and for various references in the NT to be referring to the kingdom age rather than eternity. But IMO that would require usto take a universal redemption approach. It also would implythat "eternal life" is not necessarily "etenal"... jus ta very longtime. So I say that the burden of proof lays in the lap of those who say that AIWNIOS may be referencing something not eternal. Also, those compelx, plural forms of AIWN are referncing eternity. I don 't see any way around that. Now Philemon 15 is an example ofAIWNIOS used in a sense that is clearly not eternal in nature. So IMO we have to allow for that possibility of usage.

We have seen that EIS TON AIWNA was used several places in the OT to refer to the eternal nature of God. It is used to refer to the "eternal" judgment as well, so the most logical and natural conclusion would be that it means "eternity" as well.

I demonstrated in that earlier post that EIS TOUS AIWNAS (pl.) TWN AIWNWN (pl.) is used regularly to mean "forever and ever." This is true both in the NT and the Greek OT (LXX). I am convinced that it always means that. But... can I say unequivably that this is what it must mean? While I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt, others, many of them Greek scholars, are not.

So the jury is still out... but if I am on that jury... "guilty" as charged!

FWIW,

FA

 

No, but since when has the lack of truth and/or accuracy stopped you people from posting anything you want to?

 

:laugh:

Well, He can make it everlasting, but not "eternal" if by that you mean no beginning as well.

God cannot do everything. He cannot sin. He cannot lie.

FA

 

:laugh:

Let's hope you won't need to do that.

I never thought about the ceremonial feasts. That makes sense, and explains why it was often translated as "perpetual."

FA

 

Yes, and I think they generally do. Except that we can use "eternal" to also refer to no beginning as well as no ending. I imagine they did this because "everlasting" is a bit old - no one uses it anymore. Hey, gotta keep up-to-date, you know.

I personally use "everlasting" as never-ending, and "eternal" as both "no beginning" and "no end." But I don't know that the lexicons make that distinction when they use "eternal." They can mean either with it.

FA

 

Actually, "true" was meant in the meaning of "real", not as in perfect.

Inarticulate usage of English on my part.

 

No doubt they were self-righteous and righteous in the eyes of others. But, that does not contradict necessarily that they were righteous.

What does it mean to be rightous?

Luke 1:6 tells us that Zacharius and Elizabeth were righteous because they walked in the ordinances of the Lord.

Does that mean they were sinless?

By the same token, did the Scribes and Pharisees walk in the ordinances of the Lord?

 

I would suggest that you look up the English etymology of the word, but that makes some people really angry.

 

HoG,

OK, I liked it up, but I'd done that before. It was pretty much what I expected:

As I said, this is pretty much what I thought and how I have been using it. Eternal includes everlasting, and more - having no beginning can be included in the gloss. We can use "eternal" in the sense of "everlasting." But we should not use "everlasting" to mean "no beginning or end." The gloss for eternal is larger than that of everlasting. So I can use eternal to mean everlasting, but not always the reverse.

Personally, I use eternal to mean always existing - no beginning or end - and everlasting to mean just that, "lasting forever." I have realized the glosses are a bit different.

FA

 

The etymology of a word does not define a word.

The etymology of the word "sin" suggests its origin is sonjis or sannr, which mean "true". That doesn't mean "sin" means "truth" nor does it give you the right to plug the word "truth" into places where "sin" occurs in the Bible.

The etymology of the word "flush" says it could mean "to cause to fly" in the 15th century. That doesn't mean we make our toilets fly when we flick the handle.

The whole etymology approach to defining a word is such a bogus logical fallacy, only a fool would fall for it.

 

Does the scripture:

...seem to fit in this discussion with many of the ME, or is it just me.

 

There's only one righteousness that God will accept

His own!!

At point salvation---His own righteousness was imputed to me---therefore, I am accepted into the beloved--not because of my righteousness(which is as filthy rags)---but because of HIS righteousness in me----Christ IN me, the hope of glory!!!!

 

Thank goodness!