Salvation by Grace?

Salvation by Grace?

I fear that as pastors, evangelists and teachers we have done a grave disservice to the New Testament Church in our era. I sincerely agree that salvation is by grace and grace alone. However, I fear, in an effort to distance ourselves from those who would work for what God has offered as a free gift, we have lost the result of that grace; a true salvation resulting in a changed life. Reactionary teaching is likely the cause. In other words, in teaching against something we feel is being taught by others in error we teach the opposite. Sometimes that 'opposite' may not align with scripture in the way we ultimately teach salvation by grace.

We are saved by grace without question. But in a reactionary dogma we often end up with a life of useless church attendance, vain prayers and a light that never shines beyond our own pew because someone taught us that works are not involved. Frighteningly, the end result may actually be myriad false professions.

Look closely at 1Cor. 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” If the Holy Spirit of God lives within the believer can we honestly imagine a life of non-production? Yes, He can be suppressed. But for a lifetime?

In 2Cor. 5:17 Paul makes it clear that change is inevitable, “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away and behold all things are become new.” We are expected to change. Nothing should remain the same. Their ought to be an attitude of total surrender to God as well as a rejection of sin as a result of having been saved, Rom 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” There is no expectation that simply overnight we become super saints. Nonetheless, there is a reasonable expectation that our heart attitude toward God and toward sin does change and that is immediate.

A love of God and a desire for (and a command toward) holiness is replete in the New Testament. We are to be a holy people now that the Holy Spirit of God is dwelling within. Look what Paul says without pause or explanation in Heb 3:1 “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus....” How many of us would shy away from such nomenclature? He called his readers, “holy brethren.” Wouldn't we be prone to say, “Oh, I am not holy” as soon as we realized the Apostle was addressing us? Yet, this is directed at the children of God...you and me. We shy from this because we never made Rom. 12:1 “...present your bodies a living sacrifice...” a part of our salvation prayer. We prayed that God would spare us the eternal punishment of hell without any true sorrow over our sin and without a real change in our attitude toward God our Heavenly Father. Without repentance, that idea of turning about and changing our direction, can we truly be saved? Repentance is not works. It is a genuine change of heart.

I sense my 'grace and grace alone' friends are beginning to shudder now. Please read my statement carefully and not in reaction. I am saying that when we realize we are lost and need the salvation which only the blood of our Lord and Savior can provide there must be repentance, there must be a change of mind about sin and a change of heart toward God.

Jesus said in John 3:3 “Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Today many are saying a prayer while remaining in the same old family. I know my physical siblings. They look like me and, sadly, they often act like me. So how is it that our spiritual family members can look and act like the world while claiming to be the children of God? Peter was not talking to the spiritual elite when he made the following command in, I Peter 1:15-16; “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (or daily life); (v.16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Reading the remainder of the passage it is clear that Peter says this while recalling the value of the blood of Christ, the sacrifice which saved us.

We have lost the value of the sacrifice which saved us and placed us into the family of God. In an effort to remove works from salvation we have inadvertently diminished the value of the sacrifice of Christ. If we could express (though we cannot) the full magnitude of the offering of Christ what would happen? People would fall prostrate on the ground weeping at the sheer wonder of the love of God. The sinner would cry out to God for mercy offering every aspect of his life in exchange if only God would count him worthy of salvation. In our own hearts and clearly audible for all to hear we would tearfully utter over and over, “I am unclean, I am unworthy.” And without doubt everyone who understood the sacrifice of Christ would worship God daily, would rejoice together at every opportunity to fellowship with other believers, and would cherish the opportunity to tell others of the wondrous love of God. We would sing praises in our hearts daily to the God who loved us so. And we would do so without ever having to be told. We would do our very best to live holy lives every day simply to please the one who loved us so deeply that He died in our place.

Salvation is by grace alone. But, true salvation by grace results in works.

 How to be born again:   http://christxalted.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-be-born-again.html

WHEN PRIDE ABATES

WHEN PRIDE ABATES

            My wife just loves to tell about her and her sibling’s names, Tom and Jerry and Sherry and Arie. It is a very long story that basically plays on the rhyme in their names. She (Arie) generally ends with a cute twist in which she says, “But you can call me Jane.” She is proud of her siblings as well as the way her parents named them. And this kind of pride is certainly not wrong.  Being proud of what parents have done or the successes of our children is normal.

            However, we have reached a level of pride in our society which I believe to be unprecedented. We take pride in the most frivolous successes. From childhood we are told to have pride in just about everything. We are encouraged to take pride in this accomplishment or in that one; to have pride in the most minor details of life. We are told that pride is good and something to be sought after. Pride used to be harder to achieve in lower levels of sports, and other competitive programs, for those not actually excelling. So, in order to lift the pride of the more mediocre we began to award ‘participation’ ribbons and trophies, etc., to boost their pride. Yet in Proverbs 16:18 we read, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

            Now we are expected to take pride in our skin color (if we are the right color). Yet, there is virtually no one who has chosen their skin color. How is it that we take pride in something we have absolutely no ability to control? It is simply issued at birth. We are told to be proud of our sex although it too is a given at birth (unless one corrupts what God has given because of personal psychological issues). We take pride in every feat of man provided it allows us to be exalted for even a moment. Acquiring knowledge is also a source of pride even though it is most often the result of simply reading what others have written. The acquisition of knowledge is nothing more than finally being able to understand a miniscule portion of what God in His wisdom was able to create from nothing. Yet when we are finally able to grasp the smallest portion of His creative powers we become proud of our mental prowess. Proud of what? Proud that we finally understood…something?

            It is interesting to me that men will uncover (in music, science, humanities, etc.) some slight portion of truth and then puff their chest like a banty rooster. I might view this differently if men were simply excited about having finally understood something of God’s creative genius. But that is not it. Instead (for the most part) uncovering a small detail of what God has done puffs up the pride of man to such an extent that they then turn that same discovery into proof that God does not exist or that they somehow have discovered the machinations of the cosmos. The Apostle Paul said it best almost 2000 years ago:

Romans 1:19 “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (v.20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (v.21) because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (v.22) Professing themselves to be wise (prideful), they became fools….”

            Men’s foolish pride separates them from God because they become “vain in their imaginations.” Their own pride blinds them. What will their colleagues think if they don’t place science, academia or philosophy above God? Or, what if they express openly that their own pride is misplaced and that God is the source of all wisdom and knowledge? And what if a man were to admit that God is all in all. What then? Then, their friends might laugh them to scorn.

            Salvation, a right relationship with God, requires humble faith (the absence of pride). In Psalm 10:4 David writes, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” So, pride is the antithesis of faith.

            In Luke 16 a rich man who was once filled with pride is in view. He has died but immediately opened his eyes in eternal judgment. In this scene an alarming truth is evident…he no longer has pride. Realizing there is no hope for himself he begs for help in reaching his family before it is too late. In eternal damnation he is finally humbled, but too late.

            Pride will separate men from God today and in eternity. There will be no pride at the Judgment Seat. No matter his accomplishment, his wealth or his great wisdom man will humble himself and agree with God in the final judgement when pride abates.

            Don’t wait for the final judgement. Surrender your pride today. Call on Jesus Christ in faith believing, with a humble heart, before it is too late.

How to be born again:   http://christxalted.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-be-born-again.html