Interesting discussion going on here - I see Margo74 as someone honestly and openly endeavoring to serve the Lord, admitting sin and failure and struggle, but growing in grace and love.
To say that "we are saved by grace because we cannot obey"? Really, where does the Bible say this? The command to obey is repeated and given throughout the New Testament. Never that I know does the Word say we cannot obey. Surely the Word admits our humanness and our inability to follow God perfectly and completely, but this is quite different from saying we "are saved by grace because we cannot obey. "
If you say something like this I would agree: We are saved by grace and not by works. We have all sinned and were it not for the grace of God none of us would be saved.
To accuse someone of peddling a "works doctrine" and "robbing Jesus of His glory" and "calling Him a failure in His ability to keep a person saved" are quite severe charges! Now perhaps Margo74 has actually said these things? Or, is she being interpreted this way because she does not believe in OSAS?
Margo, do you believe in a works doctrine? do you believe you help Jesus keep yourself saved? do you believe that Jesus is a failure because He is not able to keep you saved? (Do you believe these or have you said these things?)
We ABSOLUTELY cannot obey!
THAT is the whole point as to why Jesus had to come. Once we are born again, we have the Holy Spirit, and a NEW heart to help us obey. But we will NEVER FULLY obey, until we leave this body of death, and are given our incorruptible body.
Notice we were DEAD, but it was GOD THAT MADE US ALIVE!! Think about that. We were dead, UNABLE to obey, and the HE MADE US ALIVE!
Ephesians 2:1-10 New King James Version (NKJV)
By Grace Through Faith
2 And you
He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the [
a]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised
us up together, and made
us sit together in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in
His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 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.
Praise Jesus!