how to stop sinning

Who are the self-righteous, by Alan Ballou

So many people today have it backwards and call those who have faith in Jesus, “self-righteous.” They say that we are trying to earn salvation, but they do not know what they are talking about.

We were created in Christ “to do” good works, which God created for us to do in advance.

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. NKJV

Notice that we are saved by grace through faith, but we are also “created in Christ” to do good works. We don’t work to get saved, but after we are saved, we do good works.

We’re not working to get saved, but we are just being obedient to our Lord and savior. Guess what happens to those who do not follow Christ after they get saved?

Luke 6:46-49

46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?  47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.   49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” NKJV

Imagine that. Now, do you think that people who tell you “not” to do what Jesus has appointed you to do after you get saved know what they are talking about? No my friend they don’t. We were appointed by Jesus to bear fruit, and afterwards God the Father will answer our prayers.

John 15:16-17

16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  17 These things I command you, that you love one another. NKJV

According to that passage of scripture, when will God our Father give us “whatever we ask?” Right, and now you know why we don’t receive whatever we ask; we don’t bear the fruit. No, we would rather attend meetings where everyone is running around like loose chickens shouting, “My breakthrough is coming,” rather than simply taking Jesus at His Word, just as Noah took God at His Word, which describes faith (Hebrews 11:7).

How do we “love one another” so that we can do what Jesus commanded us to do, and then ask God for whatever we want, according to John 15:16-17 above? How do the following verses instruct us to love one another?

1 John 3:16-20

16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. NKJV

Let us “not love with word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (verse 18 above). Can we give everybody in the church a hug and call that obeying Jesus? We could, call it love, since that is the extent most love.

The instructions are very clear. Whoever has this world’s goods, and then sees his brother in need should help him, but there isn’t any glory in that for us is there? No, we would rather tithe according to the Laws of Moses, but that describes the “self-righteous.”

Philippians 3:9

9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith NKJV

Self-righteousness is trying to be right with God through obeying the laws of Moses, and not through faith in Jesus. We’ve got it backwards. Only those who live by faith are sons of Abraham, but those who continue in the law are under a curse (Galatians 3:7-12), and will soon fall away from grace (Galatians 5:4).

Imagine that. It is the people who live according to the Laws of Moses that call me self-righteous, but they are self-righteous according to their Bibles. They’re hypocrites, and yet they are so spiritual. Does the Spirit lead us back to the Laws of Moses?

Galatians 5:18

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. NKJV

No, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom from the Laws of Moses (2 Corinthians 3:17, Romans 10:4). Yes, they are spiritual, but it is a different spirit that they follow.

1 Timothy 4:1-2

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron NKJV

When you start hearing all kinds of things that are not in the Bible anywhere, but they speak them as if they are a command of God, then you will know what you are dealing with (Matthew 15:9). If you cannot find what you are hearing written in your Bible, one thing is for sure, you don’t need it, since everything we need for this life has already been given to us through our knowledge of Him (2 Peter 1:3-4).

We have to die to the Law in order to serve in the new way of the Spirit. Those who do not die to the Law are not serving in the Spirit.

Romans 7:4-6

4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another — to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. NKJV

Who can claim that they are a part of the bride of Christ, but they have not died to the Laws of Moses (verse 4 above)? No one, and yet these hypocrites make people obey parts of the Law that deal with the tithe and reject anyone who teaches faith in Jesus Christ. Go figure.

We have to die to the Law in order to “bear fruit to God” (verse 4 above). We can’t do both (Romans 4:13-15), but what denomination is going to stop forcing people to tithe in accordance with the Laws of Moses and give up their money machine? No, not one, no not one.

Therefore, which denomination is going to stop promoting self-righteousness? No, not one, no not one. Which will teach people how to get their prayers answered through faith in Jesus rather than tithing according to the Law in order for God to open the windows of Heaven? No, not one, no not one.

Check this out. Read these verses over and over until you can see them. How can you tell that you “belong to the truth,” and that you abide in Jesus?

1 John 3:18-24

18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. 24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. NKJV

Do those commands sound like the Ten Commandments to you (verse 23 above)? What is promised if we keep His commands and do the things that please Him (verse 22 above)?

These are the type of things that we need to be learning in a place called church, and not junk like “your ship is on the way!” Hypocrites teach such, all the while forcing you to tithe in accordance with the Laws of Moses to feed their greed.

You don’t need a middle man to handle your ten percent, unless you give to your local food bank, children’s shelter, or homeless shelter. Read the following passage and tell me where those, who are righteous by faith in Jesus, end up? Those who continue under the law, trying to be right with God through it, fall away from grace and yet they are the first ones who want to teach you about grace (Galatians 5:4). Go figure.

Matthew 25:34-46

34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;  36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’  40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;  43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’  45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’  46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” NKJV

The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:21-22). What do people who have faith in Jesus Christ do, but love one another as I have described above (John 13:34-35). Let’s get it right! I’m Alan Ballou; a servant. If I may be of service to you, ask.