Jeremiah 5.22
22.
Do you not fear Me? Says the Lord. Do you not TREMBLE before Me? I placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass, though the waters toss, they cannot prevail, though they roar, they cannot pass over it.
You wrote Barry concerning this statement above: "Jeremiah is talking about ISRAEL ."
I noticed that you constantly ignoring The Old Testament and it seems means nothing to you. Yea, it is for Jews written to fear GOD, it is for Hews written to obey 10 Commandments, it is for Jews written to do works of faith, and so on. Everything that requires effort, sacrifice, and work, all for Jews only. But from your point of view, for Christians is only left faith without works. Very wise!
Barry, is not the GOD Who gave the Law to Jews is the same GOD Who saved us by His grace (mercy)? Is not the Old Testament's Spiritual Statutes and Commandments Jesus Christ teach people? So how you separated Israel from Gentiles, who have the same Law and the same GOD?
You wrote Barry:
" You have twisted the verse for your own ends ." Is not the same thing you do?
Your wrote:
///But I am far from perfection,//// The standard is perfection. If your trying to appease God by your works and behaviour then
it needs to perfect like Jesus . Fail in one point ,that's it . God is not interested in 65 % . He's only interested in the righteousness of Christ .
Who told you and where it written that perfection only counted when it is perfect as Jesus' perfection? See, you made it up again.
Matthew 5.48
48.”Therefore,
you are to be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect." If Matthew says these words its means that it is possible for human being to be perfect, not like GOD perfect but humanly perfect. In which kind of things GOD'S perfection revealed: in Love, in Faith, in Mercy, in Compassion, in Justice, in Righteousness, and in Works. So, to do these GOD'S things human can achieve certain level of perfection. Striving for perfection in GOD is not only a choice but obligation for every decent Christian.
2Crinthinas 12.9
9.but He said to me,
‘My grace is sufficient for you, power is made perfect in weakness.’ My personal imperfections and my own weakness in GOD push me for more effort to achieve a greater perfection in GOD. Concerning grace of GOD, I received sufficient amount of it in order to continue my growth in Christ and to achieve even higher perfection in GOD in my life.
You presented:
Eph 2.8
"8For *
by grace are ye saved **
through faith; and that not of yourselves: ***
it is the gift of God:
9****
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
*****unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we walk in them."
*"
by grace " means by mercy of GOD.
**"
through faith" means, faith in GOD'S Commandments and Statutes, Faith in GOD'S LOVE, Faith in GOD'S Mercy, Faith in GOD'S Works.
***"
it is the gift of God" Grace, Mercy, Compassion, Love, Blessings, and Sacrifice of Jesus, all of them are free gifts of GOD to human kind.
****"
Not of works" Not of works without Love, Compassion, and Mercy, so no one will boast about himself or show off.
*****"unto good works" Created in Jesus Christ to continue the works of GOD in Love, in Mercy, in Compassion, in Help, in Charity, and in Works of FAITH.
So in this statement you contradicting yourself Barry. You constantly and always outright denying the works as a part of Faith, Love, Mercy, and Compassion, and only concentrating on Faith alone. But in the statement you yourself presented the FAITH goes together with WORKS as its part. Faith cannot exists without Works and Works cannot exist without Faith.