Grace is a gift which calls and empowers us to works.

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C

chancer

Guest
#1
#1
Phil 4:19:8-10
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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

It doesn't matter how long we are in receipt of a gift, whether yesterday or 10 years ago, a gift will always remain a gift.
We need to remind ourselves daily that grace is a gift, so we do not gradually slide into the trap of believing that the grace in our life has anything to do with our level of obedience or service through works.
Our mind set needs to maintain the continued revelation that our works come from His gift of grace, therefore we can only boast in the gift and the one who gives and never in the works which it empowers us to accomplish.












 
T

thepsalmist

Guest
#2
#2
"We need to remind ourselves daily that grace is a gift ........Our mind set needs to maintain the continued revelation that our works come from His gift of grace, therefore we can only boast in the gift and the one who gives ..." - Chancer

Indeed, amen ... well said. Let us remind ourselves daily of this truth. :)
 
C

chancer

Guest
#3
#3
chancer said:
Phil 4:19:8-10
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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

It doesn't matter how long we are in receipt of a gift, whether yesterday or 10 years ago, a gift will always remain a gift.
We need to remind ourselves daily that grace is a gift, so we do not gradually slide into the trap of believing that the grace in our life has anything to do with our level of obedience or service through works.
Our mind set needs to maintain the continued revelation that our works come from His gift of grace, therefore we can only boast in the gift and the one who gives and never in the works which it empowers us to accomplish.










I just wanted to clarify my meaning in this part, as after reading it again I think it was a bit unclear.

"so we do not gradually slide into the trap of believing that the grace in our life has anything to do with our level of obedience or service through works."

My meaning was not to say that grace and our level of obedience and service through works are not in relation to one another, for they are in the sense that grace empowers us not to sin, empowers us to service and good works (love) and is the starting point, catalyst and ongoing substance to the above. By saying 'nothing to do with' I am emphasising greatly the need not to fall into the trap of considering our works to promote our grace, or that works is the starting point for grace. I do however believe that the grace of God becomes more tangible and potent as we relate to our maker in heaven. Not that we have more grace, but rather the evidence of our grace becomes more evident as we are transformed into the image of Christ and we surrender all areas of our Christian life to Him.
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p_rehbein

p_rehbein

Senior Member
#4
Sep 4, 2013
30,242
6,565
113
#4
chancer said:
Phil 4:19:8-10
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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.


We need to remind ourselves daily that grace is a gift, so we do not gradually slide into the trap of believing that the grace in our life has anything to do with our level of obedience or service through works.
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I certainly agree. However, if that is all we ever remind ourselves of, we are ignoring WHY He imparted that precious gift of grace to us are we not?

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

We must also remind ourselves daily that He has purposed us for a reason, and just sitting around lauding "grace only" won't cut it. We need to be about our Fathers Business, for that is why we were CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS.

(just saying)
 
T

thepsalmist

Guest
#5
#5
chancer said:
chancer said:
Phil 4:19:8-10
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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

It doesn't matter how long we are in receipt of a gift, whether yesterday or 10 years ago, a gift will always remain a gift.
We need to remind ourselves daily that grace is a gift, so we do not gradually slide into the trap of believing that the grace in our life has anything to do with our level of obedience or service through works.
Our mind set needs to maintain the continued revelation that our works come from His gift of grace, therefore we can only boast in the gift and the one who gives and never in the works which it empowers us to accomplish.










I just wanted to clarify my meaning in this part, as after reading it again I think it was a bit unclear.

"so we do not gradually slide into the trap of believing that the grace in our life has anything to do with our level of obedience or service through works."

My meaning was not to say that grace and our level of obedience and service through works are not in relation to one another, for they are in the sense that grace empowers us not to sin, empowers us to service and good works (love) and is the starting point, catalyst and ongoing substance to the above. By saying 'nothing to do with' I am emphasising greatly the need not to fall into the trap of considering our works to promote our grace, or that works is the starting point for grace. I do however believe that the grace of God becomes more tangible and potent as we relate to our maker in heaven. Not that we have more grace, but rather the evidence of our grace becomes more evident as we are transformed into the image of Christ and we surrender all areas of our Christian life to Him.
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"I do however believe that the grace of God becomes more tangible and potent as we relate to our maker in heaven. Not that we have more grace, but rather the evidence of our grace becomes more evident ..." -Chancer

I like that ... :)

As the book of James points out ... works is the evidence of our faith~
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C

chancer

Guest
#6
#6
p_rehbein said:
I certainly agree. However, if that is all we ever remind ourselves of, we are ignoring WHY He imparted that precious gift of grace to us are we not?

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

We must also remind ourselves daily that He has purposed us for a reason, and just sitting around lauding "grace only" won't cut it. We need to be about our Fathers Business, for that is why we were CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS.

(just saying)
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Read the second part ...
 
Grace777x70

Grace777x70

Banned
#8
Nov 22, 2015
20,436
1,430
0
#8
Great OP!..yes as your title says - grace empowers us to "works"...works that are good in His eyes.

True grace doesn't not permit us to stay the same; after we know we are not condemned - it empowers us to change and to do good works from the life of Christ in us.

Grace was never intended to allow us to keep on being the same as true grace after knowing acceptance grace and having this truth cemented in our hearts - it is then that God's empowerment is released through the life of Christ in and through us that transforms us.

When we see that we are called to the true life in Christ and we know that we can't work it up and can't accomplish it in our own self-effort and strength but we surely desire to live this life that is in us in Christ - that's when empowering grace comes to make our faith a reality in our lives.
 
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R

reneweddaybyday

Senior Member
#9
Mar 23, 2016
6,857
1,646
113
#9
From Thayer's Greek Lexicon
χάρις is used of "the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues"
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2 Corinthians 4:

14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
 
D

DP

Banned
#10
Sep 27, 2015
3,325
41
0
#10
chancer said:
Phil 4:19:8-10
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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

It doesn't matter how long we are in receipt of a gift, whether yesterday or 10 years ago, a gift will always remain a gift.
We need to remind ourselves daily that grace is a gift, so we do not gradually slide into the trap of believing that the grace in our life has anything to do with our level of obedience or service through works.
Our mind set needs to maintain the continued revelation that our works come from His gift of grace, therefore we can only boast in the gift and the one who gives and never in the works which it empowers us to accomplish.
Click to expand...
The grace vs. works argument is a DEAD ARGUMENT. The two cannot... be compared to each other. That is why every believing Christian is to be involved in BOTH, His Grace which is a free gift by Faith, and works which He commanded us to have.

If there is any disagreement in that, then it is from the children of darkness trying to insert ideas from outside God's Word.
 
F

FreeNChrist

Guest
#11
#11
DP said:
The grace vs. works argument is a DEAD ARGUMENT. The two cannot... be compared to each other. That is why every believing Christian is to be involved in BOTH, His Grace which is a free gift by Faith, and works which He commanded us to have.

If there is any disagreement in that, then it is from the children of darkness trying to insert ideas from outside God's Word.
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The grace vs. dead works of the flesh will not doubt continue until the Lord returns.
 
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