What exactly is grace?

[Guest JRT]

Sorry a correction to my post above somehow the word LIFE was left out in #4

It should have read.

As simple as it gets.

"For GOD so LOVED the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON so that whomsoever would believe on HIM would have eternal life!"

Now the Free Gift is called GRACE = JESUS

Salvation  is  =

1. By JESUS BLOOD = (forgiveness of past sin, permanent)

                                               +

                                     (ability to have future sins forgiven permantly)

2. By JESUS FAITH   = (ability to believe)

3. By JESUS LOVE     = (Laid aside His will and obeyed HIS FATHER even to laying down HIS                                        LIFE showing HE LOVED HIS FATHER and that HE also LOVED us)

4. By JESUS POWER = (over came the world by being raised from the dead so that we to who                                         were once dead in our sins can be made alive through JESUS)

A. We are  asked to accept! (by our will) called free choice.

B. Taking up GOD'S will 1. thru 4 above called being born again!

Maintaing ongoing appling of 1. thru 4 above on ones life!

1. Confessing, repenting and asking JESUS our HIGH PRIEST sitting at the right hand of the         Father to forgive a future sin after it happens.

2. JESUS believed so we to believe using JESUS Faith!

3. JESUS LOVED so we to Love by obeying GOD'S commands thereby showing we love GOD     and by which we show we to love our brethen!

4  JESUS POWER overcame the world so we to have the ability through JESUS to overcome!

The act of Maintaining = over time changes ones image to that of our LORD JESUS!

The act of Maintaining = also called remaing steadfast to the end!

You see all the work was done for us that no man can boast! No pride in ones self is possible! So to GOD be all the GLORY Forever and ever! In JESUS NAME!

[BlindSeeker]

Greetings JRT,

Thank you for your contribution. I appreciate the simplicity of your post.  I would like to see you present a equally simple response to the questions presented in my opening post pertaining specifically to "grace."

I am certain it would be a blessing for us all.

By the way,   :t3:  "Welcome to Worthy Land!"

You will find George and Timothy and the other moderators knowledgeable and friendly (as a Christian should be) as well as the majority of the posters.  I look forward to your continued contribution.

Peace

William / BlindSeeker

[BlindSeeker]

Brother Michael,

I appreciate your posts.  I am silently waiting to see if you have provoked thought or response of others, so don't take my lake of response to your posts as a sign of neglect.

Peace my friend.

William / BlindSeeker

[BlindSeeker]

. . . I am crucified with Christ and yet I live, NOT I but CHRIST who lives in Me.

There is none righteous, not one. So, If I am the righteousness of God in Christ, it is only the Christ in me that is righteous.

As I said, God's grace gives us power to overcome, but it's not our fortitude that causes us to overcome, it is simply God.

[wordsower]

You are very wrong.  I have prayed about this and when I did the initial post I prayed about it and a lot was revealed to me in posting it.

Tell me, what the foundation of Christ's righteousness is?  He is God, He doesn't have a beginning, He has been, is and will be righteous.  I don't understand that statement at all.

Is it Christ in you that makes you righteous,  regardless?

Or is it Christ in you enabling you to be righteous?

Christ in me makes me righteous, regardless because alone I am anything but righteous.  Christ enables me to act out my righteousness but He does not (future tense) enable me to be righteous as if it is something that hasn't been done yet.  When I accepted Him I became righteous in God's eyes, as time goes on I develop His character more and more as I learn more and as I develop a relationship with Him and allow Him to lead me.

What you do affects your future (heavenly) rewards and your present protection and blessing, if you are stupid and do a bunch of stupid things God doesn't just put a grace blanket over you and let you get by with it, you reap what you sow, but just because I tell my child not to put a nail in the electric socket and he does it anyway doesn't mean he is no longer my child.  He acted stupidly because he doesn't have my knowledge and my experience and he sees the world through a very limited view.  As he gets older and wiser he will see what a stupid thing that would be to do and he wouldn't do it.

We are not all in the same spiritual developmental stage, amen?  Corect me if I'm wrong but you are saying if you are righteous you will act righteous, right?  Is that what you are saying?  

What if you don't?  God will deal with you, the holy Spirit will convict you, He will complete the good work in you!  You are still righteous.  That is the gospel, that is grace and that is why Jesus had to die.

[Guest shilou]

Ok Blind I will do the foot work. I'm not sure how everyone comes by grace, I only know what happened to me which was the filling of the Holy Spirit first and later the knowledge. It was a wonderful thing to read it and say wow thats what I went through or am going through right now. I know that Wisdom of God's word is a very wonderful thing and believe me I read it alot. As I said I see the big pictures in it, so I'll have to try and break it down a bit or your going to get the whole book from me here. But I would like to throw a word of caution out there. I have known a few people who can't read but speak the wonderful words of God. The few I know do go to church so they hear it, but the intricate manner these people know it is amazing and could have only been taught to them by the Holy Spirit.

Word sower you are absolutely correct, people are at different places and if we read the entire chapter of Job it should give us a heads up as to telling others that they aren't where we think they are supposed to be. We may just find ourselves getting a dressing down from the Lord, because they could be right where He wants them to be. That chapter also showed me that some things may not have a thing to do with me but may have something to do with the heavenly realm, I just need to pray and see where the Spirit leads. Blind would you like me to copy all the scripture here? LOL

I won't get to the scripture part today, sorry, but I will get to it by Monday. This is a really good thread.

In Yashua's Love

Shilou

[Guest Michael]

Hi Wordsower,

You asked:

What church tells it's congregation they can sin because of grace?  I've been in a lot of churches and I have never heard anyone preach that you can sin because of grace, that is a ridiculous idea, because of Grace, you don't want to sin.

Me:

I guess I have been in some places maybe you have not. Many think in terms "If I sin Gods grace will cover it". Instead they should be thinking by Gods grace I will overcome the sin.

This is really common thinking among many Christian groups.

Paul knew people who felt the same way as they do. To them he said the following:

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?    Romans 6:1-3

                                                              peace, Michael

[Guest Michael]

Hi Blindseeker,

I have read some of your posts here and rejoiced at the word you are bringing. Hope to get to know you.     peace, mike

[Guest Michael]

If grace is God working in us what part do we play?

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

By whom also we have access INTO THIS GRACE wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1

So by FAITH WE ENTER INTO GRACE. Our part is to abide in Yashua BY FAITH.

Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine: no more can ye except ye abide in me.

I am the vine ye are the branches: He that abideth in me and

I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit: FOR WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING. John 15:4-5

As we abide by faith in Yashua there is a steady flow of grace given to us. That flow is his POWER AND STRENGTH which continually works in us to produce fruit. As long as we are believing his word and walking in that flow of his POWER we can do all things.

I can do all things through Christ WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME.

Phil.4:13

Abiding in him means we have traded our life for his. It means we are now partaking of his very nature!

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 TO LIFE AND GODLINESS, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Whereby are given unto us 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.

2 Peter:1:2-4

It is our part to exercise FAITH IN HIS PROMISES. As we do this HIS DIVINE POWER (GRACE) supplies everything we need for life and Godliness.

We are saved by grace through faith. Are we expected to ADD ANYTHING TO THIS?

Let us continue reading in Peter.

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. 2 Peter 1:5-7

So we see we must add to our faith all of these things.

But everything we are to add to our faith can be added by faith itself! All we are to do is believe Gods promises.

The more we appropriate Gods promises the more of his DIVINE POWER we can know.

So grace isnt just automatic either. It must be entered into or activated by faith. For we are saved by grace through faith! grace to you,mike

[Guest Michael]

I have mentioned earlier  that many have perverted the truth of this great blessing of grace. They have bought into"once in grace always in grace" otherwise known as "once saved always saved".

Does scripture say men can receive the grace of God in vain?

We then as workers together with him beseech you also that you receive not the GRACE OF GOD IN VAIN. 2 Cor.6:1

Does scripture say men can FALL FROM GRACE?

Christ is become of no effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are FALLEN FROM GRACE. Gal.5:4

Does scripture say men can fail the grace of God?

Looking diligently lest any man FAIL OF THE GRACE OF GOD:

lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled. Heb.12:15

Does scripture say men can despise the grace of God?

Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath DONE DESPITE UNTO THE SPIRIT OF GRACE? Heb.10:29

What is the punishment of those who after being sanctified by Yashua continue to sin willfully and thereby despise Gods grace?

For if we sin willfully AFTER THAT we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

But a CERTAIN FEARFUL LOOKING FOR OF JUDGEMENT AND FIERY INDIGNATION, WHICH SHALL DEVOUR THE ADVERSARIES. Heb.10:26-27

This doesnt seem to be saying a person can never LOSE GODS GRACE. It sounds like they will be devoured (consumed) in the lake of fire!

We are saved by grace through faith. If a believer gets out of the faith walk and thereby loses his connection with grace how can he be saved apart from grace?

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Heb.4:1-3

Here Paul warns fellow Christians what happens if we dont continue in faith.

He SWEARS IN HIS WRATH they shall not enter into his rest.

Remember we only have access to grace BY FAITH.

By whom also we have access BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:2

As our faith goes so go we. If our faith slips away our obedience also will slip away.

Only the obedient enter the gates of the heavenly city.

Blessed are they that DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may ENTER IN THROUGH THE GATES into the city. Rev.22:14

My conclusion is once in grace always in grace or once saved always saved are the  doctrines that WEAKEN OUR FAITH WALK so we lose touch with Gods grace causing us to lose our salvation.

Gods grace is amazing because it is,

God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Phil.2:13 Believe and live! mike