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This is exactly the problem with religion. What you call requirement. I call privilege. Once you are free from requirements you can move on to following Christ out of your freedom. And how do you follow Christ? By loving one another. Religion is worthless if it doesn't include taking care of people. - James
Let's see... Scripture tells us that anything done outside of faith is sin. Interesting. Did you realize that sin leads us to death and destruction? But He is life. When we know His ways are good we actually don't desire death and destruction anymore!
Here's an analogy: Did you go out last night and rummage around in garbage to find something to eat? No??? Why not? I mean you're totally allowed to go eat garbage, why wouldn't you? Because you have food at home. So you don't need garbage. When you realize God is steak, you don't desire garbage. This is why the goodness and kindness of God leads you to repentance. Which is a change of mind. Rejoice always, be thankful always. Are you rejoicing and being thankful always? If not, it's because you don't quite understand how good God is! When we know how good He is, we actually want His ways in our lives. It's not a servant mentality, but a mentality that gets to follow Him. Not have to's, but get to's. And that's what a renewed mind looks like that proves His will to the world. His love for us becomes His love through us.
Sure sounds a lot about what Paul says here:
Philippians 3:8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.
Grace properly understood actually empowers holiness. When people realize they are holy, they do holy things.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
When you realize who you are in Him the natural response is to proclaim His excellencies! To praise Him! And it doesn't become a requirement, but simply a privilege to share His love with the world. Because we are made in Him image. And by knowing Him we know love.
1 John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
You don't love because you try to love people. You love because you know love Him. And it becomes a fruit of who you are and your relationship and knowledge of Him.
Galatians 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
So no. It's NOT a requirement. It's not something you have to do it's something you get to do. And later as you get there one day you realize it's actually simply who you are in Christ. Because we have died to sin. And now live to Him who is love.
C.
This idea goes against this Scripture:
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Psalm 139:13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
Job 10:11
clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews?
Psalm 119:73
Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.
Ecclesiastes 11:5
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
Isaiah 44:24
"This is what the LORD says-- your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself,
And we know God isn't a respector of persons. He loves us all.
Ephesians 4:14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Psalm 139:13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
Job 10:11
clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews?
Psalm 119:73
Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.
Ecclesiastes 11:5
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
Isaiah 44:24
"This is what the LORD says-- your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself,
And we know God isn't a respector of persons. He loves us all.
Ephesians 4:14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
So you just generalize every single person who doesn't believe like you. And say they love with a fake love. Because they say I love you and hug each other?? Paul HIMSELF says greet each other with a holy kiss! And I know PLENTY of people who have given their lives every single day for Christ who ACT for Him. And they believe they are FULLY SAVED. And they know their identity in Christ. Which is "New Grace" as you categorize it. I've found the most loving, active, powerful Christians are those who know how loved they are and how saved they are. And those who don't are well, confused. They see people through the same lens that they believe Christ sees them through.
C.
C.
Actually it goes beyond 'privilege'... loving God and neighbor is part of our new nature...
Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
But what is overlooked, even denied, is that there is the battle between our new nature and the flesh (selfish nature)...
Gal 5:16-17 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
So even though we are not under the law that doesn't mean we no longer give in at times to the flesh (hence, sin).
Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
But what is overlooked, even denied, is that there is the battle between our new nature and the flesh (selfish nature)...
Gal 5:16-17 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
So even though we are not under the law that doesn't mean we no longer give in at times to the flesh (hence, sin).
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Not to worry crosswalk, God took care of that too when He said that grace will TEACH us to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world. It all ties together. We can't do it ourselves so He even did this for us as we walk in His love and grace.
Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
P
Well,sort of.
There are believers struggling with addictions.
Under some of what has been said here,they just need a healthier understanding of grace.
Paul said if any sins he has an advocate with the father,jesus christ.
IOW,we have a LAWYER.
Is any sick? Let him call for the elders of the church........AND THE PRAYER OF FAITH.........AND THEIR SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN.
"............and the sin that so easily besets us....."
If you are going to paint a picture that "grace covers all",you better qualify it with "grace is AVAILABLE to all",because if you are on the road to freedom,and enjoying a level of freedom,the enemy will "prove" that position.
Grace is a paid for salvation.
Ignoring the other dimensions,or accountability,is almost as bad as a legalist,pharisee.
Paul saw the danger in his statement .
Rom 6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
so,if I want to be free,my level of freedom is a by product of resurrected life FROM A CRUCIFICTION.
There are believers struggling with addictions.
Under some of what has been said here,they just need a healthier understanding of grace.
Paul said if any sins he has an advocate with the father,jesus christ.
IOW,we have a LAWYER.
Is any sick? Let him call for the elders of the church........AND THE PRAYER OF FAITH.........AND THEIR SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN.
"............and the sin that so easily besets us....."
If you are going to paint a picture that "grace covers all",you better qualify it with "grace is AVAILABLE to all",because if you are on the road to freedom,and enjoying a level of freedom,the enemy will "prove" that position.
Grace is a paid for salvation.
Ignoring the other dimensions,or accountability,is almost as bad as a legalist,pharisee.
Paul saw the danger in his statement .
Rom 6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
so,if I want to be free,my level of freedom is a by product of resurrected life FROM A CRUCIFICTION.