The Old Testament says that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. There is nothing about him going around doing good deeds but because he believed what God said it was counted to him as righteousness.
In the New Testament, those who believed in Jesus Christ were offered salvation through the Grace of God based on that belief. God's Grace is His mercy in forgiving the sins of those who believe that Jesus Christ, who is a man of flesh and blood, is the Son of God.
That is our righteousness - that we believe. People of that time believed because they witnessed miracles and they also heard His teachings, wherein He attempted to describe heaven in earthly terms - the parables. But Jesus also said "Blessed are they who have not seen" Him, the miracles, His teachings, and yet believed. Many people view this as silly I guess, this so-called "blind" faith.
Once our sins are forgive we can begin with a clean slate, to "prove" our faith by believing His Words and living by them. Christ said if we claim to believe but don't live by His Words we are liars and we have no place in heaven.
Paul was a Jew who converted and began helping other converts to set up churches in various places, and he stayed with them, helping them to continue on the right path, lest they go astray and practice in "vain", outside of Christ's teachings.
A "vice" is a bad habit, like smoking or drinking alcohol excessively, which is harmful to the health and body, but a "sin" can be a one-time offense, such as killing someone, or stealing something, etc. I guess to a serial killer, killing would be a "vice", or stealing, to a kleptomaniac, but you see there's a difference.
ARC
In the New Testament, those who believed in Jesus Christ were offered salvation through the Grace of God based on that belief. God's Grace is His mercy in forgiving the sins of those who believe that Jesus Christ, who is a man of flesh and blood, is the Son of God.
That is our righteousness - that we believe. People of that time believed because they witnessed miracles and they also heard His teachings, wherein He attempted to describe heaven in earthly terms - the parables. But Jesus also said "Blessed are they who have not seen" Him, the miracles, His teachings, and yet believed. Many people view this as silly I guess, this so-called "blind" faith.
Once our sins are forgive we can begin with a clean slate, to "prove" our faith by believing His Words and living by them. Christ said if we claim to believe but don't live by His Words we are liars and we have no place in heaven.
Paul was a Jew who converted and began helping other converts to set up churches in various places, and he stayed with them, helping them to continue on the right path, lest they go astray and practice in "vain", outside of Christ's teachings.
A "vice" is a bad habit, like smoking or drinking alcohol excessively, which is harmful to the health and body, but a "sin" can be a one-time offense, such as killing someone, or stealing something, etc. I guess to a serial killer, killing would be a "vice", or stealing, to a kleptomaniac, but you see there's a difference.
ARC