Hi Dave,
I think your comments have provided some good sparks to continue this discussion.
Amrhrasach, here are more excerpts from the transcript that I think will add to what Dave is saying.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,5417.0.html -----
So then we read Paul says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace (divine influence upon the heart) which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I….” (1 Cor 15:10)
“Yet not I” what? He said I labored, you know what that means, work. I’ve ‘worked’ harder than all of them, yet it wasn’t I that works, right. Notice it wasn’t I that was doing the work, but the grace of God which was with me. The grace of God, what? These things are all understood, notice it, I am what I am by His divine influence upon my heart, which He bestowed upon me and it was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all labored: yet not I labored, but the grace of God labored. That’s what it’s saying, can you see that? So what is the grace of God doing in Paul’s heart? It LABORS, it works.
It’s not some ‘thing’ like, ‘well I have the grace of God, that save me.’ They take that word and just tack it on the wall... ‘grace’ there it is, I got it. God said I got to have it and there it is ‘grace.’ It can’t be in a book, it can’t be on the wall, it’s got to be IN YOUR HEART. What does it do there? IT LABORS - IT WORKS.
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Grace is a gift, but it’s got to be USED. Listen when something influences something, that means it does something. If you are inspired about something, you either think or write or do something, that’s the proof of the inspiration. So if something influences you it makes you think, say, do, work or something, are there is no influence. We just read that faith is divine influence upon the heart and that grace teaches us, the same that judging chastens us. It’s the same Greek word. It’s interesting it says in Eph. 2:8, “for we are saved by grace” Well that’s great, that’s wonderful (period). No, no period... comma, “THROUGH FAITH.” Well shucks, we’re saved by grace through faith, okay. Well what does that mean? ‘Through’ is a channel.
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That’s the way grace and faith is. Grace is this influence, but faith is the channel and a channel always does something, it channels something - shows motion - shows a destination. So there’s a destination to being divinely influence by God on your heart. That’s the grace and that’s free, it’s a gift. But it doesn’t mean there is nothing to be done.
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In Luke 6: 46 Christ says, “Why call you Me Lord, Lord.” Listen, that’s faith. If you call Him Lord, it means you believe He’s Lord, right, that’s faith. So He says, why do you pretend to have faith in Me, by calling Me Lord, but you don’t do what I say? See it’s a false faith, “you do not do what I say.” It is a contradiction to say, you have faith and you don’t do anything. Notice the rest of this verse in Ephesians.
Eph 2:8 for by grace (a gratuitous gift - divine influence upon the heart) are you saved through faith (believing and doing God‘s will); and that (faith) not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
v. 9 not of (our) works, less any man should boast (you boast when you do your own works).
v. 10 For we are HIS workmanship (His achievement - His works), created in Christ Jesus unto good works...
Do you get that? Where it says “not of works” ...but “for good works.” Wait a minute is that a contradiction? No, “not of (our) works” but “for (His) good works.” There are works, they’re just not ours, but we are of His workmanship. Workmanship has the word ‘work.’ The Concordant translates it ‘achievement.’ When you want to achieve something it takes work. Who’s doing the work here? God is doing the work. What is that work? Divine influence upon the heart and then you do things.
Eph 2:10 “…created in Christ Jesus UNTO GOOD WORKS, which God has afore ordained that we should walk in them.”
So there are works.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat