I am so glad that you asked this. I will prove it.
Whenever Paul speaks of not of by works, it is CIRCUMCISION that he is referring to. Circumcision is the symbol of the purification/ceremonial works.
You just continue to amaze me with the way that you torture and twist the scripture to make (not really, but ATTEMPT to make) the scripture fit your distorted and ridiculous "story".
Do you really expect us to believe that CIRCUMCISION is the ONLY "work" that Paul is talking about? Do you also believe that when Paul talks about WORKS of righteousness, that THESE works are (singular) CIRCUMCISION?
That is completely insane.
Easily I will prove it.
John 14:23 Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
Acts 5:32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."
Your "all believers are Israel" has blinded your eyes to the reality of WHO Israel really is. You'll never understand anything until you get over that.
Not of yourselves, this means no one can clean themselves anymore to come before God. All must be cleaned by Jesus’ blood.
AMEN. Therefore, no "obeying" is involved in THIS cleansing. We are DEAD in Christ.... baptized INTO HIS DEATH.
Christ died for the ungodly…who were the ungodly? The ungodly were the Gentiles who did not obey God and get circumcised. They were ungodly.
Paul is explaining that Jesus died for the ungodly, uncircumcised Gentiles, and did NOT make them get circumcised before he would save them.
Read this scripture carefully. Read where it says they [THE GENTILES] were DEAD in their sins---in the UNcircumcision of the flesh.
Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
No way, God calls unbelieving ISRAEL uncircumcised!
Acts 7:51 (AKJV/PCE)
(7:51) ¶ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers [did], so [do] ye.
The ungodly regarding Christ's death for sin is everyone! Christ died for EVERYONE!
Rom 5:6-9 (AKJV/PCE)
(5:6) For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (5:7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. (5:8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (5:9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Do you think that there was anyone that was sinless and did NOT need Christ do die for THEM?