>What do you do with verse 20 ("The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.") Does this mean Christ's righteousness is not credited to us? Are we responsible for our own righteousness?
What use is a religion (a faith, a belief - the label is secondary) if it doesn't result in a change of character? God sent Jesus Christ is as an Educator. If the students - i.e., Mankind - say "yeah, yeah" but don't put the Teachings into practice, then nothing has been achieved.
Difference in opinions hath cost many millions of lives: for instance, whether flesh be bread, or bread be flesh; whether whistling be a vice or a virtue; whether it be better to kiss a post, or throw it into the fire... (from Gulliver's Travels)