Law or Grace...Works or Faith...Man or Christ?

[I_Believe]

Don't be deceived and corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Paul did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Don't be foolish, you received the Spirit by hearing with faith so don't try to be perfected by the flesh.

We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance.

God, being rich in mercy made us alive together with Christ, having forgiven us all our trespasses.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

We are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

Paul wrote to us to give insight into the mystery of Christ which has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

We are to grow in the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity in Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.

We need to walk by the Spirit and not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Christ loves the church (us) and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.

God sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.

For you are not under law, but under grace. Being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life.

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God says He will remember our sins and our iniquities no more.  And where there is remission of sin, there is no more offering for sin.

He made us alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.  

He wiped out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.

Let us draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water.

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to I_Believe,

AMEN BROTHER!

It is GRACE, FAITH, AND CHRIST for my family and I. All I could possibly add is:

Thanks be unto God for HIS unspeakable GIFT, JESUS CHRIST, my Lord and Saviour Forever!

Love In Christ,
Tom

[JudgeNot]

Grace. Faith. Hope. Charity.
For me:
Grace beget love for Him.
Faith beget respect for Him.
Hope beget trust in Him.
Charity beget works for Him.

Pretty much in that order.  

All of the above beget praise to Him.  

[Heidi]

Good post. In Luke, 16:16, Jesus said; "The Law and the Prophest were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forging his way into it." Since Christ fulfilled the law for us, we are now under grace.

[I_Believe]

Heidi,

Amen!

[michael_legna]

Don't be deceived and corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Paul did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Don't be foolish, you received the Spirit by hearing with faith so don't try to be perfected by the flesh.

We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance.

God, being rich in mercy made us alive together with Christ, having forgiven us all our trespasses.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

We are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

Paul wrote to us to give insight into the mystery of Christ which has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

We are to grow in the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity in Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.

We need to walk by the Spirit and not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Christ loves the church (us) and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.

God sealed us, and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.

For you are not under law, but under grace. Being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life.

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God says He will remember our sins and our iniquities no more.  And where there is remission of sin, there is no more offering for sin.

He made us alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.  

He wiped out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.

Let us draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water.

Can you provide scripture verse to support this doctrine because I can provide many that show that the Gospel is not simply believing in Christ in just one role of sacrificial lamb, but instead requires us to believe in Him as Lord and Shepherd as well and that requires us to follow Him and that means works along with faith are required for a proper acceptance of the free gift.

I await to see what verse you think your doctrine is based on and will be asking you to show that that doctrine is consistent with the verses I offer and I will be more than willing to show that the doctrine I espouse is compatible and consistent with both the verses you reference as well as the ones I reference.

[michael_legna]

Good post. In Luke, 16:16, Jesus said; "The Law and the Prophest were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forging his way into it." Since Christ fulfilled the law for us, we are now under grace.

Luk 16:16  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

The Greek here is "everyone advances violently into it".  in relation to the surrounding text where Jesus denounces the Pharisees for looking to earthly prosperity as a sign of God's favor we see that this violence is one we do to ourselves in the sense of depriving ourselves of everything for the Kingdom of God.  So we see this "pressing" or as your translation has it a "forging" is works.  

So while the law and the Prophets were preached until John they have not passed away as Jesus Himself tells us that He came not to destroy but to fulfill (Matt 5:17), and He taught us that Love fulfills all the law and the Prophets (Matt 22:36-40).  These teachings of fulfilling the spirit of the law through love (2 Cor 3:6) are what makes the Gospel (which must be obeyed (2 Th 1:8 and 1 Pt 4:17) less than simple, regardless of the number of touching stories one tells trying to support the idea.

[I_Believe]

Can you provide scripture verse to support this doctrine because I can provide many that show that the Gospel is not simply believing in Christ in just one role of sacrificial lamb, but instead requires us to believe in Him as Lord and Shepherd as well and that requires us to follow Him and that means works along with faith are required for a proper acceptance of the free gift.

I await to see what verse you think your doctrine is based on and will be asking you to show that that doctrine is consistent with the verses I offer and I will be more than willing to show that the doctrine I espouse is compatible and consistent with both the verses you reference as well as the ones I reference.

Start here http://forums.christiansunite.com/index.php?board=6;action=display;threadid=3752;start=45 and follow to page 5.

[I_Believe]

For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (2Co 11:2-3)


The "Church" has so established itself through it's tradions that it is a barrier to "the simplicity that is in Christ".  The "Church" traditions have corrupted the simple truth of the Good News of Christ and has "shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men".


Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, ...For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments, and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi, Rabbi' by men. But don't you be called 'Rabbi,' for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers. Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don't enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter. (Mat 23:1-14)

[I_Believe]

The one body is in Christ not the Roman Catholic Church.

Church doctrine-
"The evil men do must be atoned for either in this world by penance or in the world to come in purgatory or hell, according as the sin that stains the soul, and is not repented of, is mortal or venial, and merits eternal or temporal punishment. God has provided a remedy for sin and manifested His love and goodness in the face of man's ingratitude by the Incarnation of His Divine Son; by the institution of His Church to guide men and interpret to them His law, and administer to them the sacraments, seven channels of grace, which, rightly used, furnish an adequate remedy for sin and a means to union with God in heaven, which is the end of His law.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm#V"

The traditions of man through the "Church" which serve to corrupt the simplicity that is in Christ.  The "Church" has tried to hide the truth of the Good News of Christ in its traditions so that it can have power as it "guides men and interprets to them His law, and administers to them the sacraments".

This is the tradition that the apostles gave us in letter and word. Right?  Not even close!

Christ removed the veil and the "Church" created a new one through it's traditions.

But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.
(2Co 3:16-18)

For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (2Co 11:2-3)

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2Ti 4:6-7)

… Now, behold, I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there; except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me. But these things don't count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God. "Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching the Kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am clean from the blood of all men, for I didn't shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood. For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn't cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears. Now, brothers, I entrust you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up, and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified…(Act 20:18-38)

Every priest indeed stands day by day serving and often offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins, but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, "This is the covenant that I will make with them: 'After those days,' says the Lord, 'I will put my laws on their heart, I will also write them on their mind;' " then he says, "I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more." Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having a great priest over the house of God, let's draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful. (Heb 10:11-23)

By so much, Jesus has become the collateral of a better covenant. Many, indeed, have been made priests, because they are hindered from continuing by death. But he, because he lives forever has his priesthood unchangeable. Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them. (Heb 7:22-25)

[I_Believe]

Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it. Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the holy brothers. (1Th 5:21-27)

Who are you that judges another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. But he will stand, for God is able to make him stand. One indeed esteems a day above another day; and another esteems every day alike. Let each one be fully assured in his own mind. (Rom 14:4-5)

So then each one of us will give account of himself to God. Therefore let's not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother's way, or an occasion for falling. (Rom 14:12-13)

Beloved, while I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I was constrained to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jud 1:3-4)

[I_Believe]

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings out good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings out evil things. But I say to you that every idle word, whatever men may speak, they shall give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned. (Mat 12:34-37)
 

- The fruits of the heart, either by grace through faith or by law through flesh

- The heart is proven by its fruit whether good or bad

 
Wisdom is justified by all her children." (Luk 7:35)

 
- The products or fruits of wisdom

- True wisdom is proven by her children

 

For if Abraham was justified [or, declared righteous] by works, he has [grounds for] boasting-_but_ not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "But Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." But to the one working, the reward [or, his wage] is not accounted [or, considered] according to grace, _but_ according to debt. (Rom 4:2-4)

- True faith shows itself by its children

 Abraham our father, he was justified [or, shown to be righteous] by means of works, having offered Isaac his son upon the altar, was he not? [Gen. 22:9] Do you see that his faith was working together with his works, and by means of the works his faith was perfected? And [so] was fulfilled the Scripture, the one saying, "But Abraham believed [or, trusted] God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called a friend of God.  So you* see that a person is justified [or, shown to be righteous] by means of works and not by means of faith only. So likewise also Rahab the prostitute was justified [or, shown to be righteous] by means of works, having welcomed the messengers and having sent [them] out by a different way, was she not? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also one's faith without such works is dead. (Jam 2:21-26)


Justified as used in James is to be "shown to be righteous".  

Context showing ones faith to another...Giving evidence of ones faith to another.

Yes, a man will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith. (Jam 2:18)

[I_Believe]

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. By faith we understand that the ages were framed by a word of God, so that the things being seen not to have come into being out of the things that appear...  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah prepared an ark... By faith Abraham obeyed... By faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive... because she judged Him who had promised to be faithful... By faith Abraham..offered up Isaac... And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, did not receive the promise, for God had provided some better thing for us, that they should not be made perfect without us. (Heb 11:1-40)

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice on the hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we glory in afflictions also, knowing that afflictions work out patience, and patience works out experience, and experience works out hope. And hope does not make us ashamed, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. For we yet being without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will with difficulty die for a righteous one, yet perhaps one would even dare to die for a good one. But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. (Rom 5:1-9)


God's ways are above our ways..."while we were yet sinners Christ died for us"

We also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.