Hi Doug,
Of course we can only do things thingsa as Christ is in us...
This you state and it shows you believe in the sovereignty of God. But then you say this.
But what about me? Am I pleasing Him? Am I gratifying the flesh or the spirit? That is where the rubber really hits the road. DO I LOVE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATE WICKEDNESS?.......
But I WANT to DO THE RIGHT thing! EVEN IF IT TAKES GREAT EFFORT!......
The cross of Calvary has secured everyones salvation. Lets get beyond that! I am not worried about that. I have much greater hopes in mind. I can see my life becoming more pleasing to Him. I can see my thoughts and actions becoming subject to Him. It gives me hope! It gives me hope to attain to the First Resurrection! I want to be with Christ in the First resuurection. That is the goal of our faith, that is the salvation of our souls.
Then saying something like that can be somewhat confusing, to me anyway. It's like your saying our effort makes a difference. I think of all the numerous people down through the ages who have devoted their whole lives to seeking and serving a god, like monks and nuns and so many others who go to extremes effort to service their god. But of course that will not get them the first resurrection. It just doesn't seem to me that we should emphasize OUR efforts, because even our desire to put forth effert comes from the sovereign God.
Here is a part of the Bible study 'Do James and John Contradict?' that I think Ray makes the point so well through the Scripture that everything comes from God.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,9742.msg82512.html --------
“BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH”
In Ephesians 2, here Paul puts it all together for us.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith (alone?)…
Is that what it says? That’s what Martin Luther would have you think it says. That’s what A. E. Knoch would have you think. That’s what Dobson and Billy Graham and all the rest of these guys, the modern Worldwide church of God, would have you believe. No!
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that (‘this’ would be a better word)...
Now I‘ve always said ‘that,’ that being the faith. That that faith is not your own it’s the gift of God. But I think it is talking about ‘this’ or ‘these.’
v. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith…
‘This’ grace and ‘this’ faith, both of them, not just the one, but both of them.
v. 8 …
not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
v. 9 Not of works…
Here it is, here we get to bring it on down. It’s “not of works,” it’s of FAITH. But it’s not your own faith, it’s this gift of God faith and this gift of God grace. That’s how you're saved, not by your works. Not by works, because that is something you do. This faith and this grace, it’s not yours, it comes from God. It a gift, that’s not yours, it’s God’s, but He gives it to you. That’s what is going to save you, not your own works. Your own works will not save you, it takes this gift of grace, gratuitous, free, favor, love from God and the faith of God as a gift to you. That’s going to save you, not your good works, lest you boast.
v. 9 …lest any man should boast.
Then you would say, ‘well I earned it, I did it, I deserve it, I did it and I earned it.’ It’s not of works. Now get the context here. Sometimes we read these verses and we don’t put them all together in one thought, in one sentence. This grace and this faith of God is given to you as a gift and that is what is going to save you, not your own works.
v. 10 For we are HIS workmanship…
Now if you read that, for WE are His workmanship, well then you lost it. No no no, you’ve got to know how to put the emphasis on the right words.
From Eph. 2:8-10, it’s grace and faith from GOD, a gift from GOD, not of yourself, from GOD, that saves you. Not your works, this gift is from GOD, for we are HIS workmanship…
What kind of workmanship?
v. 10 …created in Christ Jesus unto good works…
Now are good works absolutely essential to this thing called salvation? Absolutely, you just have to get it straight in your mind. It’s not your faith, it’s Christ’s faith, it’s God’s faith. It’s not your grace, it’s God’s grace. It’s not your works, it’s GOD’S works in you. Do you see it? It’s God’s works in you.
v. 10 …which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
This is ordained, it’s got to be. This is not like, ‘well it’s nice if you have some, but it’s okay if you don’t, because you’re saved by faith alone.’ No, this is essential. Do you see how he brings faith and works together? They are both essential, they just come from God.
But this idea that Paul taught faith and James taught works, is nonsense. If you believe that you can add the word ‘alone.’ It’s not faith alone, it’s faith and God working in you through Christ Jesus to do the good works that He’s declared you have to do.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat