I'm Depending On Jesus and My Good Works.
This is such a common view people have for getting in to heaven. Want a good illustration to share to enlighten them? Then watch the following video. (This is the last of mine.)
1.-Read Rom.4:1-12. Share one thing that strikes you from this chapter and/or the video.
2.-Write on your MP3 card this great verse- "to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." Rom.4:5.
God does not justify righteous people, he justifies wicked people (we qualify), who put their faith in Christ to save them. Then He credits their empty spiritual bank account with His spiritual riches and righteousness. Thank You Father! How very rich we are!
If you haven't read the email I sent you Sunday, please do so today. Tomorrow I'm gonna ask you if ya' gotter dun.
Today's fire team warriors are Robert, Vince, Antonio, Guillermo and Lucas.
Make a point to pray for each other and encourage each other from time to time. Thanks also for reaching out today to encourage Gary, Guillermo, Lucas and Phil. If these brothers are on your fire team, please also contact them. Remember, you can find all their contact info on our Contacts tab at the bottom of our Scoreboard page. Thanks for being good shepherds to one another. I will contact them tomorrow to see who contacted them. Bless you!
1. Thank you Dave for all of these great videos. One thing that I thought was very important was that 'Jesus alone is our bridge'. There is no other way for man to get to heaven but by Jesus alone.
ReplyDeleteEph. 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Amen Roger. SOLO CRISTO.
DeleteRoger. Thanks for your dedication to M3 and your great posts. It's great that you share your love of Jesus through your words
DeleteUmm amen without Christ there is no extension of Grace for justice remains unpaid.
DeleteThank you Roger and what a great verse!
ReplyDelete1. Justified means to be made right. We are all blessed because as today's Scripture says God credits our being made right not on works. When we trust in the God who justifies he credits us righteous. It's a gift! Like the video said, our works would be unreliable small threads on a big long bridge to God. We can't depend on them.
ReplyDelete2. Did it.
Right on!
DeleteEphesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Right on!
DeleteEphesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Yes, He has justified us- declared us right in His sight.
DeleteEddie I really like the verse George shows us from Ephesians 2:8-9
DeleteEddie. Absolutely what a wonderful gift he is using you to enhance the Kingdom. You are a great example
Delete1.Thank you Lord God help us to increase our faith.
ReplyDeleteHebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him
James 2:20
You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless
James 2:18
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
George. Great verses
DeleteYou are a great follower of Jesus and thanks for your scripture and posts
Amen it is a delicate and tender balance.
DeleteThanks George.
ReplyDeleteWe are saved by faith alone, that is the root;
but the faith that saves always bears fruit.
Eph.2 emphasizes the first line of that rhyme- the heavenly view and divine action.
James 2 emphasizes the second- the earthly view and human reaction to what God has done for us.
1. So then, he (Abraham) is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. Romans 4:11b
ReplyDeleteCircumcision was a visible sign of God's covenant/promise to the Jews. God no longer requires circumcision of the flesh, but rather of the heart.
"No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God." Romans 2:29
"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)" Ephesians 2:11
Video: We're justified by God's grace, not by works! Good works are a byproduct of salvation, not out of obligation but out of overflowing gratitude for how much He's done for us. "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10
3G= We confess our GUILT, we receive God's GRACE and then we go on to live a life of GRATITUDE (Nancy Lee Demoss)
Justified= "Just as if I had never sinned" (Author unknown to me)
Great word Robert!
DeleteRobert. Thanks for your consistent posting brother as you are inspirational.
DeleteIt is obvious that you have a circumcised heart and follow Jesus
Amen circumcision of the heart. The permanent change.
DeleteMay we continue to live gratuitously and share our God given gifts. Great job as always Robert.
DeleteRobert, I like the 3G quote thanks for sharing it.
DeleteWell put brother!
DeleteYes it is by faith in Jesus that we were given to by the grace of God that saves us from are
ReplyDeletesins and in way no by are works.
Gotter dun.
Good job Johm!
DeleteJohn. For sure saved by the grace of God as we repent and believe in our hearts-- follow Jesus
Delete1. Romans 4:2 ESVFor if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. This verse stuck out to me the most. Its about Jesus Christ dieing for us to save us. Not us doing good works to save ourselves. Its not about us. Its all about the greatest sacrifice made for us.
ReplyDelete2. Did it!
James. Amen Bro it's all about him and not about us. Believe and trust in God as we follow Jesus
DeleteThe Bible says, for those who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. We are not saved by what we do but by what Christ has done. Salvation is by Gods grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The scripture calls us to depend on Jesus Alone, not religious beliefs.
ReplyDeletePhilip. Right on brother. Give up ourselves to live for him, now it's our great Commission to help lead others to Christ
Delete1. " Blessed is the one who's sin The Lord will never count against them" Romans 4:8
ReplyDeleteJesus is our bridge to freedom and God rejoices as he frees the souls of the wicked through redemption. We all have a multitude of sins, but it is through our faith and believing in The Lord that frees us, as we repent and receive the Holy Spirit within us as we change our earthly ways.
2. Did it
Brother Jack, well said "We all have a multitude of sins, but it is through our faith and believing in The Lord that frees us". Thank you for faithfulness to God and the brethren in Christ :-)
Delete1.-Read Rom.4:1-12. Share chapter and/or the video. Video well presented, direct and to the point, stating what scripture has ordain, that "salvation is by God's grace alone through faith in Christ alone." Rom.4:5 "to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." Though there is wickedness in man, God gives mercy to repentance sinners who faithfully seek and trust in Him. God will consider them righteous and justified for a place in the eternal life. Isa.12:2"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust n not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength n my defense, he has become my salvation."
ReplyDeleteGrace cannot stand alone for what we receive from God. So what is the patience of God necessary and why is it that we are granted something we never deserved. This is because we are all law breakers. The very absolutes that the religious leaders, who persecuted Jesus, tried to keep. Theses are the laws that we could not keep on our own. From Adam's time humanity has broken the laws of God. Just as Paul says in the Chapter, "Everything rests on faith," that God's grace can be imputed into each person.
ReplyDeleteTwo minds think alike. It's funny Gary I did not read your post until I sent my post. SO a big amen on your post.
DeleteFrom what I have read and viewed also have been taught in my walk God is the way the truth and life and he who follows Him will live for ever in heaven. It's not on good works alone that we may enter heaven we have to have a personal relationship with the Lord and be faithful in our walk.
ReplyDeleteBrother Mike, yes "we have to have a personal relationship with the Lord and be faithful in our walk." Oh Lord that we may faithful as you are Faithful!
DeleteRomans 4:1-12
ReplyDeleteWhat stands out to me is the criteria of forgiveness. The man Abraham was accepted by trusting God as a result of relating with God, getting to know his person, character, abilities and promises. As a result to knowing and experiencing God This man Abraham developed trust that produced the visual evidence of knowing God. Such as trusting his promise's and obeying His guidelines. The point is the actions of obedience are a result of acceptance not the criteria for it, it is the effect of being loved.
While watching the video and reading Romans ch 4, a verse came to me, it was one of the first verses my father had me learn, it was "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23 NIV) great verse and a great man my father was.
ReplyDeleteBrother Rich, what a wonderful gift your father gave you, the Word of God!
DeleteWhat stood out is salvation is by Gods grace alone. By faith in Jesus Christ alone. It sounds so easy to do.
ReplyDeleteIf it was, many people would deny themselves and turn from sin. It is a worldly selfish act not to follow Jesus.
I rather experience a life in heaven, than temporary worldly satisfaction and spend eternal life in hell.
Thank God He was patient with me and not disqualifying me.
Brother Sam, "Thank God He was patient with me and not disqualifying me." Yes, thank God His mercies are new every morning :-)
DeleteToday's section reminded me of when I first had my spiritual experience with the lord almighty an him telling me what I was, am, and going to be. It's in this chapter that o found my way to depending on his will and not mine or my good works.
ReplyDeleteEphesians 2:1-5
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
When we look back and realize the disastrous predicament we were in, it makes us look back up with thanks and praise.
Delete1.-Read Rom.4:1-12. Share one thing that strikes you from this chapter and/or the video.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was another excellent mini video. I loved the illustration of the bridge. The strong ropes representing God's solid provision of salvation through the life and sacrifice of His beloved son. The thin thread representing any and all of man's religious rituals and works of achievement to earn God's favor. The bridge was ruined because of the weakness of the thread. The bridge would surely fail when someone tried to crossed over it. I see the connection with the Romans 4:1-12 passage. Praise God that He accomplished it all to save man from our sins. Human works results in boasting. Wages indicate obligation. If God had accomplished 99% of man's salvation and left man with 1% to contribute to his own salvation, man would elevate his 1% so highly as to make it the most important, predominant part. It would overshadow and diminish God's 99% that He accomplished. Where in reality the truth is that man cannot add one thing to God's salvation, the Catholic Church and some other churches add rituals, prayers, sacraments, church laws, traditions etc as man's necessary part for salvation. What God has done is barely regarded as necessary. Their way to God is doomed to miserable failure and end's up in hell.
2. Did It.
This is a reminder that Christianity is not a religion that makes us follow Spiritual rituals. It is accepting Christ and following what the Bible says. You can say 100 Our Fathers and it won't guarantee a free ride to heaven.I think that's what the passage meant with Abraham's faith being credited before him being circumcised It wasn't the Spiritual ritual of circumcision that earned him credit, it was is faith in God.
ReplyDeleteBrother Chuy, you hit it right on the head "It wasn't the Spiritual ritual of circumcision that earned him credit, it was is faith in God."
Delete1.-Read Rom.4:1-12. Share one thing that strikes you from this chapter and/or the video.
ReplyDeleteThis video was good like the rest of them in explaining things in an easy to understand way. I liked the example of the rope bridge and the reminder that “Salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.”
Romans 4:5 “But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners” ties into the video and reminds us that we are saved through God’s grace not by our works.
Romans 4:7-8New International Version (NIV)
ReplyDelete7 “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven,whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”
I feel we need to depend on God and not lend on our own understanding. Thank God that it's not by works that we get to heaven. I believe I haven't done enough to get there honestly. Not only that I feel heaven is worth more than just works. It take your heart, mind and soul to be fully committed to Christ.
God bless
You are right Vince. I love what Col. 1:13 says about the "The Incomparable Christ" -- For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,... Wow, and it is all thru faith in Christ alone! Woo Hoo :)
DeleteBrother Vince, I also feel that I haven't done enough. But as the Lord allows, we should do as much as we can! You're a mighty man of God :-)
Delete1. I like what Dave G says in the video, " to mingle faith in Jesus with 'faith and religious rituals' is a demeaning insult to the All Sufficient sacrifice of Christ..... Reliance on religious rituals is something to be ashamed of, not proud of. Salvation is by God's grace alone, thru Faith alone, in Christ alone!"
ReplyDelete--- Galatians 2:16 says, "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified."
--- Romans 3:28 says, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law."
Thank God for being justified by Faith in Christ alone :) for our salvation.
2. did it
I like how the video compares trusting in Jesus and in our good works at the same time to a faulty bridge. I also like how the video said that trusting in religious rituals for salvation is an affront to God. Good works are a result of redemption and salvation; they are not the reason for it. The only thing that ever mattered for our salvation is that we trust and have faith in Jesus.
ReplyDeleteLet us be the light of truth to people who think rituals or good works will get them into heaven. Let is shine light unto darkness and reveal the great need of CHRIST and to know THE reliance we need through the cross.
ReplyDelete