Righteousness, the Counterfeit

[Richard Myers]

Satan has two great lies, both deadly. The first that God does not require obedience. That the death of Christ has paid the price for our sins and He has kept the law  for us. The second  lie is that man through keeping the law of God is  worthy of eternal life.

We are warned in the word of God that sleepless vigilance is the price of safety. Only in the straight path of truth and righteousness can we escape the tempter's power. But the world is ensnared. Satan's skill is exercised in devising plans and methods without number to accomplish his purposes. God's eye alone discerns his schemes to contaminate the world with false and ruinous principles bearing on their face the appearance of genuine goodness.

"Genuine goodness"? What is this? And if there be a genuine goodness then is it possible that there be a counterfeit goodness? A counterfeit righteousness? Yes!! There is a counterfeit! Matter of fact there are a couple.  Each takes the sinner off in different directions. As usual Satan works both sides of the street!

Let us examine what these counterfeits are. And if we can, for the benefit of those not of our faith who read along, let us use  the Bible to support our thoughts.

[Tim2]

Were are admonished to examine ourselves to see if we are "in the faith."  It is not only good council, but absolutely necessary for our salvation.  "Many are called, but few are chosen" (the elect).  God has elected a certain standard of Righteousness.  If any part of the law of life and liberty; the law that comes naturally to the vast, unfallen universe, could have been discarded, Jesus would not have had to humble Himself, become a servant and by His life and death show us the character of the Father. 

Satan comes as an angle of light.  He is a lier and the truth is not in him.  He cannot come to the believing Christian with outright lies, so he mingles just enough truth with error to introduce a seemingly innocent thought that is slightly askew -- this path once chosen and followed, imperceptibly leads to destruction.  However...

None will be deceived who fortify their minds with Gods promises choosing each day to abide in Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith.  We have no righteousness of our own -- Christ in us is our only hope of glory.  Then He works in us to will and to do.  This law by which immortal beings live is completely foreign to our sinful, depraved nature, but Jesus came to give us a new heart and a new nature; to release us from the bondage of sin, self and satan -- to purchase us back with His own blood and then to give us "power to become the sons and daughters of God."

So then, what are the "indicators" that we are "in the faith?"

[Richard Myers]

Amen!!

What are the indicators? Well, to stay right on topic, would it not be "righteousness"?  Our righteousness is as filthy rags, but how about Christ's righteousness? The question then comes to mind, how are we to distinguish between His righteousness and our righteousness since righteousness is the standard? What an opportunity for a counterfeit!

And, when one discovers that this righteousness is by faith, then we have the grand opportunity for another counterfeit! Is this true? Has Satan in fact presented to the churches two counterfeits dealing with righteousness?  One having to do with man's righteousness and the other having to do with Christ's righteousness? A very solemn thought! If possible even the very elect would be deceived!

[Tim2]

Yes, I appreciate so much that you are asking the right questions.  What do we mean, when we say indicators?  You have rightly said that righteousness is an indicator and that we would have to define righteousness to see if, by that meaning we are "in the faith."  Someone has confused the languages.  Not all define religious words the same way.  Is this not the problem with the people of Babel (Babylon)? 

In the garden of Eden, when our first parents chose satans way over Gods way, selfishness took the place of righteousness.  Now, everything we bring to Jesus as our best works, is tainted (corrupted) with some of this selfishness.   We can't help it, it is who we are in ourselves.  So.... looking at the life of Christ, this one example of selfless, righteous living, we begin to see our need for His righteousness.  As we "study to show ourselves approved", we notice certain conflicting concepts.  "Obey and live"-- I fail miserably.  "Be ye perfect" -- not even close!  -- "If you love me. keep my commandments" -- My love is a selfish love; even my thoughts are "lusts of every kind."  I can strictly follow Gods law in my actions and still be sinning at the level of my thoughts and feelings.  I can do all the right things for all the wrong reasons.  Yes, we desperately need His righteousness; this infinitely perfect righteousness that is outside of ourselves.  How do we get it inside? -- Jesus has made a way....but not all Christians agree on "the way."

So then, how do we examine ourselves to see if we are "in the faith", "in Christ", faith in His righteousness.  What does this look like so that when we see it in ourselves and others, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is not this "counterfeit righteousness."

[Richard Myers]

I think the very best answer would come from man himself. Having come to this world to fight the battle as each of us must fight it, our Lord, the Son of Man and the Son of God can best answer our question.

Matt 7:13   Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  
  7:14   Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  
  7:15   Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  
  7:16   Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  
  7:17   Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  
  7:18   A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  
  7:19   Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  
  7:20   Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  
  7:21   Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  
  7:22   Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  
  7:23   And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  
  7:24   Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  
  7:25   And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  
  7:26   And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:  
  7:27   And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.  
  7:28   And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:  
  7:29   For he taught them as [one] having authority, and not as the scribes.  

Often man will come with Scripture, but only a twisted piece of it. When we look at whole Books, whole chapters, rather than one verse, the meaning is made apparent. In this lesson given by Jesus we get the picture. One cannot serve two masters. We serve One of the other. If we have been born again, or His Spirit, then we bear good fruit. If we have not His Spirit, we are none of His. This surely runs counter to the teachings found in most professing Christian churches today.

In this short  lesson from Jesus we see that the righteousness that God accepts may be discerned. We are to look for fruits in the life. We have not identified the "fruits" but we have seen that there are different manifestations that clearly identify  to which master we are bound. It is impossible for the Christian to bear bad fruit and  for those outside of Christ to bear  good  fruit.

While this may seem to be a hard saying, if one wants to have peace and joy in the  life, it would be good to not discount this lesson from the mouth of God. It may be that the Spirit of God is  trying to bring to you that experience which ends in happiness in this life and eternal bliss with Jesus. That Still Small  Voice will speak to  us individually.

[Richard Myers]

One more lesson that will clearly support the Words of Jesus from one who saw the corruption coming into the Christian Church. He knew that the lies needed to be met  and he did so in a manner that will keep us from being deceived IF we will give our hearts fully to Christ.

1 John 3:2   Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 
  3:3   And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 
  3:4   Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 
  3:5   And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 
  3:6   Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 
  3:7   Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 
  3:8   He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 
  3:9   Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 
  3:10   In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 

Again, not one or two verses, but enough that all who are searching for God can understand what is  being said. The children of God are  manifest and the children of the devil can be known. In this lesson given by John, we see that sin is of the devil and he that is born of God does not sin. He does not sin because His seed remaineth in Him.

This is foreign to many in the professing churches of God. They do not give power to Jesus Christ to change the life of the sinner. So much sadness that Jesus is stripped of His right to transform the sinner into a saint, to make the sinner a partaker of His divine nature! Many are made sad when Jesus  can make them glad!

[Richard Myers]

Now that the liberals  have been shown to be following the wrong "gospel" and the Pharisee is rejoicing, what shall we say, is there a counterfeit righteousness that the Pharisee preaches? Jesus had nothing good to say about the Pharisees. He warned the church that unless their  righteousness would exceed that of the Pharisees, they would lose eternal life.

Matt 5:16   Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 
  5:17   Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 
  5:18   For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 
  5:19   Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 
  5:20   For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
  5:21   Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 
  5:22   But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 
  5:23   Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 
  5:24   Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 
  5:25   Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 
  5:26   Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. 
  5:27   Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 
  5:28   But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 
  5:29   And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell. 
  5:30   And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell. 
  5:31   It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 
  5:32   But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. 

Again, not one or two verses, but enough that none may be deceived about the standard of righteousness required  for eternal life. The keeping  of the commandments is the standard of righteousness, but here we see brought to light another lie. The Pharisees commandments were a little different from God's commandments. God's law reaches to the intent of the heart, not just outward actions. Thou shalt not murder goes quite  a bit deeper than the outward action of killing a person. God looks upon the heart. Sin is more than an outward action, it reveals a separation between God and man in the heart. When Jesus is in the heart, then the motives are pure. The man has the righteousness of Christ and it is manifested by the fruit in the life.

We are not yet  finished in this important lesson. If we did not move beyond the commandments of God, then many would feel as did the rich young ruler when he told Jesus that he had kept all of the commandments. Without a deeper understanding of  the righteousness of Christ, many would still remain deceived.

[Richard Myers]

Brother Tim brings up an important truth, that humanity is corrupt. The fallen nature of Adam was passed to all of  humanity. When we come into this world we are need of  a Saviour. We have no power in and of ourselves to do any good thing. There is only one Sinless One, the Son of God. The rest of us are in need of Jesus. This is the important truth that many have not discovered. How many professing Christians today think that they may possess eternal life when Jesus is absent from the life? Sadly,  most believe this lie, both liberal and Pharisee.

We have ongoing discussions  on the law of God and  its part in the plan of salvation. One such thread is on the New Covenant Experience. In that topic we have opportunity to discover that one of the all time great deceptions brought upon the human mind is seen in the religious  system established  by  unconverted  priests in the nation Israel. They perverted that which God had  given and by the time Christ came,  all thought that man was saved by his works. The heathen practice of human sacrifice was patterned after this perversion. If man's offering of a ram was so good, then how much better the offering of my daughter! Such a deception! God never desired  burnt offerings,  He wanted the heart!

It is true that the law  required the offering, but the law  could not save. Only Jesus can save. The law was to reveal our need of salvation, our need of a Saviour. Instead,  Satan used the law in a manner that God never  intended, to boast of man's accomplishments. Of course the "law" had to be mangled in a way that man could boast that he was keeping it when in fact he was not. The spirituality of the law reaches to the intent of the heart, not just outward actions. Jesus revealed truths that had been buried under the rubbish of error, and he freed them from the exactions and traditions of men.

The Pharisee exalts in his obedience to the law and his  own traditions, but has  not the Spirit of Christ. Without the Spirit of Jesus,  it is impossible  to keep the law, no matter  how  much the Pharisee prides himself in so doing. Salvation does not come from keeping the law, but it comes from Jesus Christ. The fruit of having become a partaker of the divine nature is the righteousness of Christ. This fruit is seen in the life. We will give one more vital  truth that will  save many from believing a lie  about their status before God.

[Richard Myers]

Our question in this topic is  how to identify the counterfeit "righteousness".  Here is the best way that I have found. Again, not by one  or two verses, but by many that make it impossible to misunderstand what is being said.

Galations 5:16   [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  
  5:17   For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  
  5:18   But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.  
  5:19   Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  
  5:20   Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  
  5:21   Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  
  5:22   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  
  5:23   Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  
  5:24   And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts

If we have Jesus in the heart, if we abide in Him, then we have His Spirit. If  we have His Spirit, we may keep the wrong day, eat the wrong food, wear the wrong clothes, but there is a way to know that the heart is given to Christ, we have His Spirit. And this is manifested in the life. The fruit of His Spirit is seen. Not one  of the fruits of the Spirit are missing in those who are truly converted, for they have Christ within. And, as Jesus said, the truly converted Christian does not bear bad fruit. The works of the flesh do not manifest themselves in those who are filled with the Spirit of God.  

We may know not  only the false teacher, but we  may know if we be in the faith, by the fruits of the Spirit revealed in the life.

Just in case someone may question the context of the above verses, here is the same lesson given by Paul in the Book of Romans:

  8:1   [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  
  8:2   For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.  
  8:3   For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:  
  8:4   That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  
  8:5   For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  
  8:6   For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace.  
  8:7   Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  
  8:8   So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.  
  8:9   But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.  
  8:10   And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness.  
  8:11   But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  
  8:12   Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.  
  8:13   For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  
  8:14   For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  

The  counterfeit righteousness professes to keep the law of God when in fact the Spirit is not  present.

[Richard Myers]

Having established that the carnal mind has created a system of salvation by works, and understanding that those works are seen by the unconverted to be "righteousness" we want to move on to the other side of the road.

The righteousness that comes  by Christ is obtained by "faith" in the atoning blood of Jesus. By faith the sinner accepts the grace offered through the life and death of Christ. That God would so love us enough to let His innocent Son come to this world in the likeness of sinful flesh, to fight the battle as humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss is a thought that ought to convert each sinner. If that love is seen in its reality, how could we not fall at the foot of the cross!

There is a false "righteousness by faith".  The true finds its fulfillment in the sinner falling upon the Rock and becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus. The false has nothing to do with becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus, but rather puts the emphasis on the profession of faith.  By "professing" to believe in Christ, the sinner is led to believe that Christ's death covers his unconfessed  and unforsaken sins. A changed life is not expected since it is taught that it is impossible for man to do good with his fallen human nature.  So, the reality is that there is no test to know if one is saved  because it is only the profession of faith that counts. This  false gospel that presumptuously claims the merits of Christ when the heart remains filthy is the prevalent teaching in the Christian churches today. An excuse is made for sin when in fact there is no excuse for sin. God has provided a remedy in the person of Jesus Christ.

The common  teaching heard in churches throughout the land is "we have the assurance of salvation". This is the truth turned  into a lie. This assurance is based upon the belief that  Jesus covers our sins when we have professed faith in Him, even when we have not repented of a known sin. As one popular theologian puts it,  the monstrous teaching in the churches is that "when one sins, he must be re-justified."  In other words, that one must repent before there is salvation is being called  a monstrous teaching.

Yes, Satan works on both sides of the road at the same time. He cares not which ditch he leads us into. He  just wants us to be anywhere but in Jesus. If we will come to Jesus just as we are, He will cleanse us from all sin. We will remain in our fallen flesh, but the flesh cannot manifest itself if the heart and mind  are given to Christ. The flesh will be kept under and the life will reveal the fruits of the Spirit of our Lord. All the fruits will be seen in the life, not one will be missing! Christ has promised that He will not allow us to be  tempted  beyond what we can bear!  That promise is conditioned upon one thing! We must abide in Christ, for separated from Christ, we can do no good thing!

In all that has been shared in this thread,  Jesus is the power, Jesus is glorified. None can point to any human power, any human exaction, but only to the Spirit of Jesus as the power in the human life that brings any goodness or what the Bible calls "righteousness".

[Tim2]

Very thorough, brother Ricahrd. 

[Richard Myers]

Dare we continue? 

What a blessing to enjoy the Sabbath blessings God has for us!! Time to reflect on His goodness and grace! Have a blessed Sabbath, Brother Tim and all who are reading!

[Tim2]

Dare we continue? 

I'll try to think of something that hasn't been said.  As usual, brother Richard, God has blessed you with a good grasp of His truth.  I'm reminded of the quote that says, "satan has a thousand ways", so I'll probably think of something.  But for now -- Rest in His finished work today!

[Mimi]

I am obviously not in Sabbath School this morning, so I want to ask some questions:

Rest in His finished work today!

Help me out with this one, Tim. God is the Author and finisher of our faith. Is His work finished in me today or is it finished and I don't know about it? From a personal standpoint I know it isn't because as I examine myself there are flaws in my character yet to be perfected, to say nothing of the unknowns. As I die daily how can I rest in His finished work? What does it mean to rest in His finished work? Isn't sanctification the work of a lifetime or am I missing your point? Or am I to rest in the knowledge that He will finish the work once begun in me? Clear it up for me, Brother Tim.

Richard said:

There is a false "righteousness by faith".  The true finds its fulfillment in the sinner falling upon the Rock and becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus. The false has nothing to do with becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus, but rather puts the emphasis on the profession of faith.  By "professing" to believe in Christ, the sinner is led to believe that Christ's death covers his unconfessed  and unforsaken sins. A changed life is not expected since it is taught that it is impossible for man to do good with his fallen human nature.  So, the reality is that there is no test to know if one is saved  because it is only the profession of faith that counts. This  false gospel that presumptuously claims the merits of Christ when the heart remains filthy is the prevalent teaching in the Christian churches today. An excuse is made for sin when in fact there is no excuse for sin. God has provided a remedy in the person of Jesus Christ.

The common  teaching heard in churches throughout the land is "we have the assurance of salvation". This is the truth turned  into a lie. This assurance is based upon the belief that  Jesus covers our sins when we have professed faith in Him, even when we have not repented of a known sin. As one popular theologian puts it,  the monstrous teaching in the churches is that "when one sins, he must be re-justified."  In other words, that one must repent before there is salvation is being called  a monstrous teaching.

This teaching almost ruined my soul and a few new relationships as a brand new Christian. Within our tiny congregation the elders I so loved and depended upon for initial instruction (Christianity 101) taught two different things on this subject. It caused me extreme turmoil which, in turn, disrupted the peace of these precious elders. It was not until I began to get a handle on the teachings of Paul that it became clear to me the critical importance of the "die daily" concept while claiming the merits of Christ's blood atonement on my behalf. That is when unmerited favor became real and I began to comprehend, even in a small way, what actually happened at the cross and in Christ's High Priest ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. Which brings me to another subject: The sanctuary service.

We need to teach new converts the meaning of the sanctuary service from beginning to end in order for them to avoid the pitfalls pointed out in this discussion. That is where truth is found. Relationship theology, cheap grace, counterfeit righteousness, false assurance of salvation and a host of other errors can be avoided with a right understanding of the sanctuary service.

[Tim2]

God rested on the 7th day after He had finished His work of creation.

[Mimi]

That absolutely flew over my head. Of course, He did!

Onward and forward as I wipe the residue of egg off of my face!

[Tim2]

Save some egg for me, dear sister.

[Tim2]

There is an aspect of this counterfeit righteousness that comes from a misunderstanding of Christ's nature; at least in my own mind, there is an overlap of resulting conclusions.  I think this reply could just as well go in the thread on "the nature of Christ" (maybe I'll copy and paste it).  If by not studying the subject out carefully for ourselves, we believe that Jesus came in exactly the same sinful, fallen nature that we have and that by extension we can overcome in exactly the same way He did, thereby gaining righteousness in exactly the same way He gained it by our perfect obedience (because we are required to do so); then our walk with Jesus tends to be of a legalistic nature.  I have also noticed that those who emphasize "Christ as our example" (which He was), tend to be "brother watching" a little more than they should.  This camp tends to simplify the concept of what sin is (of course there are variations).

Even if a correct understanding is reached (in terms of ongoing study) and a balanced view is obtained, there is still a tendency to see, even the obedience that the Holy Spirit is "doing in us" as fruit, being meritorious of earning salvation (of course there are variations).

A person will not truly "know" a correct understanding by being told what the proper conclusion is.  This is the "short cut" that many are looking for -- "just tell me what I need to do and I'll do it." -- or just tell me what the correct theology is and I'll believe it.  This camp tends to listen to many tapes (CD's) and other theologians to find a person they can trust, so that they can arrive at and adopt the proper understanding of "righteousness by faith" based on "hearing the word." This camp is formula driven.  (of course there are variations).

The polar oposite view to the first view is, of course that He had advantage and did it all "for me", because I am not required the level of His infinitely, perfect obedience.  (of course, you quessed it, there are many variations).

So what is the "intelligent faith" based on the experimental religion that comes from praying to, relying on and walking with Jesus in a daily "beholding" that takes us from "glory to glory?

[Richard Myers]

A nominal faith in Christ, which accepts Him merely as the Saviour of the world, can never bring healing to the soul. The faith that is unto salvation is not a mere intellectual assent to the truth. He who waits for entire knowledge before he will exercise faith, cannot receive blessing from God. It is not enough to believe about Christ; we must believe in Him. The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour; which appropriates His merits to ourselves. Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul becomes a conquering power.  

Our confession of His faithfulness is Heaven's chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world. We are to acknowledge His grace as made known through the holy men of old; but that which will be most effectual is the testimony of our own experience. We are witnesses for God as we reveal in ourselves the working of a power that is divine. Every individual has a life distinct from all others, and an experience differing essentially from theirs. God desires that our praise shall ascend to Him, marked by our own individuality. These precious acknowledgments to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christ-like life, have an irresistible power that works for the salvation of souls.

The righteousness of Christ is a living reality in all who possess Christ. It is the evidence seen in the life of the true Christian.

[Tim2]

Who can argue with those wonderful words!  We can agree with these thoughts at the beginning of our relationship with Jesus; and at any point along the way as we examine ourselves to see whether we are "in the faith."