Good questions. Once a person has been convicted and reproved of sin by the work of the Holy Spirit, they are free to accept or reject so great a salvation. The false narrative is that if you accept that, that is a form of work; therefore, you are responsible for saving yourself.
That is foolishness.
If your parents buy you a bed to sleep in and pay for the food you eat, and you pick up a fork to eat it and lay down in the bed to sleep, does that mean you provided the food and bed? In some way, you are telling those who provided the needs.
For you, "it was me who did this because I had to use the spoon or fork to eat with or I had to get into the bed to sleep.
Does anyone see the foolishness in that midset?
“The false narrative is that if you accept that, that is a form of work; therefore, you are responsible for saving yourself.”
whats a form or work ? Is this preaching works and saving oneself ? Or does it require us to hear and believe Jesus as if he is the way and truth and life ?
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which
believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:31-32 KJV
if I believe in him I’m going to hear what he’s saying and he teaches us what to believe and do and not do ect
It’s not “ I don’t need to do what he’s teaching me to do because that’s a work of the law “ rather it is “ I believe in Jesus and what he’s telling me is life I need to hear and learn from him and actin those things , I need to
walk in faith and follow him “
faith sometimes is interpreted “ I believe so therefore I dont need to repent and obey him anymore I have faith now “
thats not faith though. The doctrine isn’t “ God is going to eventually do everything he told me to do “ it is “now that I have his spirit with me I can do all things through him who makes me strong enough
“
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Philippians 4:13
Grace and faith doesn’t erase our role it empowers us to change and be free and do our role by his spirit
in us giving us power over the flesh that has ruled us all our lives
We still have to do our part because we believe it’s not that we believe and now we are saved and don’t need to do what god says will save us or stop doing what he said will destroy us
this is true
for a believer too
“For
we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that
every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”
2 Corinthians 5:10-11 KJV
Gods Grace towards us is the source of our forgivness and his truth in the gospel becomes our faith to believe and follow the result is that we can partake in the divine nature of Jesus and overcome sin and begin willingly serving the lord with freedom and joy and promise
Listen to Peter here they were t preaching any inactivity because of grace and faith but we’re
preaching due diligence because of grace and faith
“Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as
his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this,
giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue
knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to
temperance patience; and to
patience godliness; and to
godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness
charity.
For
if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But
he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was
purged from his old sins. ( purged doesn’t only mean forgiven for but also purified from )
Wherefore the rather,
brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:1-11 KJV
Its the equivalent is Paul teaching them to “ obey more and more and work out thier own salvation with fear “
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
Philippians 2:12-13 KJV
a they were teaching the church not to be complacent , to be diligent to do as much good as possible , and to repent not sin anymore . But whenever they did to repent and confess to the lord because we have an atonement .
The message is t a certain goal we have to reach but to remain diligent and active and be fruitful and multiply the church
it feels like today people interpret grace and faith in extreme ways wherby they somehow become thier own doctrine seperate from all else that’s said in scripture sort of a magic carpet to get out of repentance and obeying the lord
It’s actually the reason why we do repent and obey him the reason why we can do the things we’re supposed to do is because we believe rather than being the reason we never need to hear and obey him
terms like “ faith” and “ grace “ are being really abused it feels like to create the idea no one needs to hear and believe what Jesus said about salvation or repentance but just “say I Believe and I’m saved instead “
I’m not at all saying this is what you are saying brother but , just that it’s happening a lot in the church and destroying peoples faith
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