Not By Works
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You don't see yourself as a new creation man through and in Jesus, the anointed One. Wonder why?
Unfortunately one of the reasons why some cannot see the kingdom of God is because they can't see the new creation in Christ.
They can't see that Jesus took away the sin of the world. They can't see the circumcision of the heart where the body of the flesh is "cut away" from the inner man that is in Christ and thus the whole issue of sin is deceiving them as it can do to all of us.
Without seeing these truths that are realities in us now because of Christ's finished work on the cross and resurrection - we need to create a religion of " mimicing the teachings of Jesus" - thinking that is the way to salvation.
No, He alone is our life and it is Him living in and through us that is the true Christian life while on this earth. Gal. 2:20 & Col. 3:3
Believing in Christ and His words are the way but we need to interpret all scripture through what Christ has already done on the cross and resurrection or we end up creating a religion that uses the terms "Christ, word of God, Spirit of God"...etc.
But in reality we are denying "Him" and replace "Him" for what we do or don't do in order to remain saved. It is the classic works-based belief system.
The Lord will be faithful to all of us to reveal His true self to us and the seeing of Him will bring the freedom from all things because the truth is - "He has set us free!"
I can tell you for me, I did not recognize that I was still walking around in my grave clothes (my flesh) and consequently failed to walk in the Spirit. After some time, and many hardships due to not discarding my grave clothes, the Lord opened my eyes to His Grace in a way I didnt understand before, and I was able to walk in the Spirit much more consistently.
This in turn has greatly matured me, and made me useful for His Kingdom.
It is struggle to have the obedience of faith and to reject the world and my flesh. That is as honest as I can be about my own walk as I have experienced it. It is hard to walk by faith. It gets easier, but I remember a lot of my initial arguments for why I HAD to save money or I would be eating cat food in my old age. I remember saying to God: but what about all of the starving christians in the world? That was my struggle to walk by faith and not by what seemed to be to me. His answer was: I'm sorry, you mean I haven't kept my promise to some of my children? Please give me their names immediately so I can feed them. Give me their names if you know them. What are the names of MY children who are starving to death?
1 Corinthians 51It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. 2You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. 3For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6Your boasting is not good.Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?7Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Congratulations! You have just proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that you DON'T know the Bible as well as me like you claimed.
Now that you have openly proven what you don't know, you can stop with your leaven of malice & wickedness against me.
Galatians 5 is Paul talking about freedom in Christ. in v.9 Paul says " a little leaven leavens the whole lump". now, I will not even ask for an apology, I will just ask you to be more respectful of other's Bible knowledge.
and, how is commenting about belief systems leaven and wickedness??
When did you ever see me say that works are an insult to God? I know myself, and those words are not in my thinking.
What I say is that the unsaved does good works too. Anyone can do a good deed because the tree of knowledge is dualistic. We know what is good.
The work of Jesus only saves all mankind, but...one is required to believe. Do you agree here? Did not Jesus die for all the world, and in particular, us who believe, yet was while we were still in sin? Do you agree?
Then what are the works of the new creation body of Christ Jesus? And where do we get our instructions from, remembering that we are now of the new and living way, which is again...the members of His body?
The scriptures are a guide. But, the Voice of God is personal. And the gifts of God enable us to see and hear what the Lord wants in ministering to others. Personally from Him to us...and to us to others. A new Living way.
I truly believe you would like to have this, but there's a block somewhere.
What a great question! One which I believe will help all of us to build on Christ Himself in our lives as He alone is the foundation and the whole building itself.
This is my view concerning your question.
I love this verse below.
1 John 2:6 (NASB)
[SUP]6[/SUP] the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
How did Jesus walk? By complete dependence on the Father inside of Him to manifest His life. Jesus said that He could do nothing from His own initiative but it was the Father in Him doing the works.
We too live by complete dependence on the life of Christ inside of us with Him bearing His fruit on us the branches. Without Him we can do nothing. So, to walk as Jesus walk means to live dependent on Christ inside of us living in and through us.
Galatians 2:19-20 (KJV)
[SUP]19 [/SUP] For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
[SUP]20 [/SUP] I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Colossians 3:3 (NASB)
[SUP]3 [/SUP] For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
True New Covenant Christian living is not trying to mimic Christ or His teachings per se but it's Christ Himself living in and through us manifesting His life of grace and love to those that need to know His true nature and love for them.
To me - this is done now in my life by believing in this "now" rhema word for me from the Lord. For it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Phil. 2:13
I say to the Lord and my Father - You are in me both to give me the desire and also the capability ( grace ) to do what brings pleasure to You for I am one spirit with You forever. You are my life - I have died and my real life is hidden with Christ in God.
Then I simply walk out the desires that He has put in my heart and when the storms of life come and the "flies of the enemy attacking my mind" - I speak to Him of what He has said He will do and I rest in that reality while the waves and winds of this corrupted world are "declaring something otherwise."
Having done all to stand in His armor - stand. This is the good fight of faith. The just shall live by faith.
A group of us were praying for someone in our fellowship years ago, and I see this picture similar to a drainpipe, and it had a big clog stopping the flow of water. In this case I knew it was unforgiveness. Didn't know why though. And today, this has resulted in a divorce.
I totally agree with your post, but unforgiveness of all offenses towards us personally will keep the living water out of our "system".
What would be our work then? Is it not intercession in the Spirit?
Its no wonder the church is so messed up...but that's another thread.
gb9.... you are dead wrong that Gal 5.9 is teaching about freedom in Christ....you fail to understand the context here...Gal 5.9 says the false teaching that bewitched the Galatians is the leaven....Vs 7 is asking who is keeping you from the truth, Vs 8 says God did not send them the false teaching and Vs 9 says this false teaching is a leaven and it has infected the whole body[lump] you proof texted Vs 9 to support hyper grace belief...
Gal 5.7-12
[SUP]7 [/SUP]You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?[SUP]8 [/SUP]This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. [SUP]9 [/SUP]A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. [SUP]10 [/SUP]I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. [SUP]11 [/SUP]But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. [SUP]12 [/SUP]I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.
leaven is not simply mixing law and grace...it is deeper than that....In the OT and some of Jesus teaching leaven represents SIN and anything that denies Jesus[Sadducee]....In the NT it still means both...to simply suggest it is the mixing of grace and the law is not accurate or intellectually honest....leaven is SIN, denial of Jesus and false teaching
The interesting thing in this post is that G777 quotes other scriptures about abiding, but totally disregards the most important one..... Jesus' teaching on abiding.
There is no such thing as "going in and out of Christ' That is just religious nonsense from those that want to tell Christians that their loving Father will throw them into hell and the lake of fire.
1 John 2:27 (NASB)
[SUP]27 [/SUP] As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
1 John 4:15-16 (NASB)
[SUP]15 [/SUP] Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
[SUP]16 [/SUP] We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
Those that say our Father throws His children into hell - do not know the love of the Father yet as they ought to. They can be seen in the older brother in the parable Jesus told of the loving father for His children. But they will one day!...
John here says that the "truth" is in us forever. Someone is lying or most likely just deceived by their church denominational teachings here when they say that God leaves us and separates us from Himself.
2 John 1:1-2 (NASB)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth,
[SUP]2 [/SUP] for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:
Jesus Himself said that the Holy Spirit will be in us forever when He comes. John 14:16.
Is Jesus now a liar? If He lied about this - then He lied about "all that come to me I will in no wise cast out". And He lied about "No one can pluck you out of My hand nor the Father's hand".
And "All that the Father gives to Me - I will not lose one of them". Again this must be Him lying again to us?
Out hearts are not wired by God to believe in such a "being" that is a liar. This is the reason why "workers for salvation" say that we need to do things in order to remain saved - because their own belief system doesn't believe what Jesus said. Their church teachings have darkened their minds to distort the love of the Father for them.
They all give "lip-service" to Eph. 2:8-9 because they cant get around the truth of the gospel but they reject the finished work of Christ and try to maintain their own salvation by what they do or don't do.
No, Jesus is NOT a liar. He is the Savior of the world and especially of believers just like Paul told Timothy. We are in Christ and He is in us and He said "I will never leave nor forsake you".
Thank you Lord Jesus - we believe and trust ourselves to You alone. We are one spirit with You for all eternity because of your grace in which we believe in what You have done for us because of your great love, grace and mercy.
I wonder why?
John 15
1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.8“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.This scripture tells plainly that we live because we're attached to Jesus, the true vine.
Being "thrown away" plainly means to be separated from Christ. No Christ, no life.
Being thrown in the fire means thrown into Hell. Again, it's plain.
Bearing fruit is mandatory. Those bearing fruit are empowered to bear more. This shows the christian is expected to grow & mature spiritually, bearing more fruit as they grow.
This scripture is much more important than these others quoted above. Here's why:
1. Jesus taught it. That makes it absolute truth.
2. Jesus teaches Abiding in its completeness. No pieces, or one-verse wonders.
3. It teaches the truth about fruit bearing. It states fruitfulness is mandatory & what happens when you do & what happens if you don't.
4. It leaves no room for twisting its symbolism nor its message. That's why false teachers won't use it.
5. It states plainly that obedience is the fruit & proves we're abiding in Him.
6. It proves we glorify God by bearing much fruit, & in doing this, prove to the world we're Christ's disciples.
7. It locks in the meaning to properly interpret other teachings about abiding in Christ, so we know what the other authors are really saying, keeping others from twisting them to their advantage.
It's a wonderful scripture, showing us that God makes us able to bear fruit, & multiplies our ability to do so when we live by faith & walk in loving obedience to Him.
Now, that's real grace in action.
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If this were true, all apostate rebellion would cease, because the goodness of the Lord is everywhere.
Mat 13:36 Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and asked, "Explain to us the parable about the weeds in the field."
Mat 13:37 He answered, "The person who sowed good seed is the Son of Man,
Mat 13:38 while the field is the world. The good seed are those who belong to the kingdom, while the weeds are those who belong to the evil one.
Mat 13:39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.
Mat 13:40 Just as weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at end of the age.
Mat 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes others to sin and those who practice lawlessness
Mat 13:42 and they will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!"
Mat 13:37 He answered, "The person who sowed good seed is the Son of Man,
Mat 13:38 while the field is the world. The good seed are those who belong to the kingdom, while the weeds are those who belong to the evil one.
Mat 13:39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.
Mat 13:40 Just as weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at end of the age.
Mat 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes others to sin and those who practice lawlessness
Mat 13:42 and they will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!"
The bible is clear......
a. Some walk faithfully producing works of gold, silver and precious stones
b. Some walk worldly producing works of wood, hay and stubble
a. Some produce an abundance of fruit
b. Some produce a little fruit
c. Some may only produce 1 piece of fruit
e. Some may take a while to produce
f. Some may produce and then quit producing
g. ALL take growth and maturity to produce
h. A lack of teaching, maturity and or lifestyle will determine what gets produced
ALL who are genuinely saved have done the works of the FATHER<--believing on him whom he has sent!
So then your salvation is based upon what YU do and not what Christ has done? I don't believe that!
- Because we love god, we walk in obedience to Him. Our obedience is bearing fruit.
- We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to bear good fruit
- We glorify God, & prove the Gospel is true by bearing much fruit.
- A christian will bear much fruit, because God prunes us, empowering us to do more for Him.