Or did Christ die for us to redeem us as a people zealous of Good works
Did not Jesus die for us to take sins upon him?
Those sins that seperated us from God.
The temple curtain was torn in two and as a result we can come before God.
The purpose to reconcile us to God through faith in Jesus.
So Jesus did not die for us to redeem us as a zealous people of good works.
When a person comes to Jesus they are not zealous of good works, if they were doing such works, would there be a need for Jesus to die?
So does the following apply, given your statement?
Romans 4:1-4
Abraham Justified by Faith
(Gen. 17:10)
1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
Romans 4:5-8
David Celebrates the Same Truth
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”
So I say that when a person who comes to faith in Jesus they are not thinking "Whey hey I'm going to do great works"
They come to Jesus for many reasons, but not the above.
That does not mean that works do not follow.
But the majority of people come to Jesus out of their pain of life, hurts etc.
Such people are who I walk with in my church. It's my ministry.
In fact today I spent 3 hours with a guy.
Very shocking upbringing, similar to mine.
Sexual abuse, broken family and everything that results from it.
Addiction, anger, pain, broken heart and so on.
We looked and walked through forgiveness.
It broke my heart to see this pain and hurt but I was reminded that I was there and God brought me through me it.
I quoted to him
Romans 8:28-29
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Most people stop at v28 and also misinterprete it.
Most that I have walked with think it means that God makes all the bad things that happened to them good.
I told him that is not the case.
But he will work in those things and then quoted v29.
He works good in the bad in order to conform you to the image of Jesus.
As he does then
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.
You see unless we understand what is said in Romans and allow God to work in us and understand we are saved by faith then it is going to be very difficult to walk in the good works he has called us to.
Now these good works are not just sin management.
These good works are what God gives us to walk with others who have been through what we have been through.
What use would I be to this guy if I hadn't been through it, experience the pain and consequences?
NADA, zilch, zero.
So I encourage him to work through this so that God will heal him and use him to help others.
When he came to Jesus he was not thinking of zealous works.
In fact the opposite. He was looking for Security, Acceptance and Significance that can only be found in Jesus, out of which everything flows.
Sorry for the long post but I'm responding to your quote based on my interpretation of it.