Grace verses works

[IreneMcg]

GRACE VERSES WORKS

QUOTE

Grace

Kindness; favour. The unmerited favour of God.

Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us

Eph 2:5 (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together with Christ (by GRACE you are saved),

Eph 2:6 and has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,

Eph 2:7 so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His GRACE in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Eph 2:8 For by GRACE you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,

Eph 2:9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

. (Eph_2:4-9)

In order to understand this subject more fully I think we should first take a brief look at the nature of God,

Character and Attributes of God

He is Omnipresent from everlasting to everlasting) , invisible (spiritual),He is Omniscient , (all seeing) , He is Omnipotent , ( all powerful) He is the one true God. He is a Triune God. (Father Son and Holy Spirit) He is a majestic God and He is Divine. He is magnified and highly exalted, and his manifold wisdom goes beyond our understanding. He is life and bestows life.

His character and will are perfect, complete, and divine. He is gracious, kind, merciful), compassionate, and completely trustworthy. He shows his love (loving-kindness) and faithfulness to all. He is not forgetful or slack, and knows all things. He rules as a righteous and just God. God is pure and sinless and cannot look upon sin. His burning anger is provoked because he is zealous for His holiness.

Where does man stand in relation to God?

Gen 1:27 And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female.

Man is made in the image of God; no other creature is fashioned quite like man, but since Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden all men have sinned.

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,

God being a righteous God cannot look upon sin, the Bible tells us the punishment for sin is death, but God in His infinite mercy provided a way for man to be reconciled to Him.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In the next section we are going to look at how we can receive the gift of God.

Salvation by the grace of God

. Eph 2:8 For by GRACE you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,

Eph 2:9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

God

[jamie]

If our realtionship with Jesus is intimate and healthy, He will bring about the works in our every day lives by way of divine appointments. It's not something we have to strive for it will just happen naturally. Could be as simple as someone calling you you have't heard from in a long time who needs a little encouragement. Could be running into an unbeliever and planting a few seeds.

It's not something we plan, but HE plans. I get pretty uptight if someone tells me I've got to go out and do this work or that work, or go "wittnessing". When God brings it about it just flows naturally from my relationship with Him. "His yoke is easy and His burden is light".

[Guest LCPGUY]

If our realtionship with Jesus is intimate and healthy, He will bring about the works in our every day lives by way of divine appointments. It's not something we have to strive for it will just happen naturally. Could be as simple as someone calling you you have't heard from in a long time who needs a little encouragement. Could be running into an unbeliever and planting a few seeds.

It's not something we plan, but HE plans. I get pretty uptight if someone tells me I've got to go out and do this work or that work, or go "wittnessing". When God brings it about it just flows naturally from my relationship with Him. "His yoke is easy and His burden is light".

Ditto Jamie

Bro John