One thing a lot of people don't seem to understand is that you need Jesus' grace on an ongoing basis if you are going to live by the new, stricter covenant.
Someone who's done something like kick a porn habit or one of the nastier, more pernicious sins like pride will understand this. Things that are habitual or compulsively disordered sins are better identified and conquered with the help of grace. You are unlikely to get this grace if you don't at least go to church.
I’m not familiar with the concept of a stricter covenant. Would you define that?
Matthew 5:21-48.
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In your second paragraph are you referring to reaching a state of not sinning?
That is an "unlikely" state unless you are Jesus or Mary. None of the following actually mean that any of us will achieve perfection on this side of Heaven. But what they do say is that we should strive for perfection. Yes, works are required. We must at the very least avoid sins that Jesus Himself says will bar us from heaven. We can be closer to God by building up (working on) treasurer in Heaven while we are on Earth Matthew 6:19-21.
