Not By Works

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PennEd

Senior Member
Apr 22, 2013
13,575
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In light of the American Holiday weekend I would like to propose a "cease Fire" from the thread until Wednesday July 5th...then we can all go back to blowing our brains out against each other....

Honestly...lets take a break from this one for a few days folks....I will be on the board some but think a break on this one would do me some good...besides the smoker is loaded with all sorts of fatty, salty goody proteins and it is a weekend to reflect and enjoy the freedoms we have in Christ and in the USA and the World....

Happy 4th to the folks in the USA and a great weekend to all our friends in the world...
Yes, Cheers to the ORIGINAL"BREXIT"!!

Still love you Brits!
 
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Burninglight

Guest
Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of Godrevealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (the faithful to God and His righteous ways are the righteous by faith) "ie" steadfast obedience from heart purity...........
The only way to have a pure heart is for God to create it in us. Otherwise, it ain't happening. David said create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right spirit within me. Only God can do that. With all due respect, you seem to imply we must do what only God can. If that is the case, you are leading people away from Christ sorry to say... Does anyone else see it this way?
 
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UnderGrace

Guest
Absolutely!!

The only way to have a pure heart is for God to create it in us. Otherwise, it ain't happening. David said create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right spirit within me. Only God can do that. With all due respect, you seem to imply we must do what only God can. If that is the case, you are leading people away from Christ sorry to say... Does anyone else see it this way?
 
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willybob

Guest
The only way to have a pure heart is for God to create it in us. Otherwise, it ain't happening. David said create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right spirit within me. Only God can do that. With all due respect, you seem to imply we must do what only God can. If that is the case, you are leading people away from Christ sorry to say... Does anyone else see it this way?
that is not biblicaly true, the apostle Paul said they were made clear/pure in repentance with great effort and zeal having come clean with God in repentance, 2 Cor. 7....God doesent repent for you, and you cant become reckoned to be pure by God outside of repentance....The apostle James says to cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts ye double-minded, James 4-8...its up to everyone of their own freewill to come clean with God, and yes it is God who determines if he sees purity, he will never say no to an honest repentance...Or as Solomon said in the proverbs, the preparation of the heart belongs to man, but the answer of the tongue is Gods'...be blessed
 
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willybob

Guest
repentance that purifies

2 Cor. 7

10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear ("hagnos", meaning pure) in this matter......

I dont think Ive ever heard any mainstream preacher ever address these two verses...its almost unknown amongst what is called Christianity....... what thinkest thou?
 

graceNpeace

Senior Member
Aug 12, 2016
2,180
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repentance that purifies

2 Cor. 7

10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear ("hagnos", meaning pure) in this matter......

I dont think Ive ever heard any mainstream preacher ever address these two verses...its almost unknown amongst what is called Christianity....... what thinkest thou?
I would have no problems preaching from this text.
Of course the context is the whole epistle, and in fact 1 Corinthians as well...
So, I doubt I would come to the same conclusions as you, but there you go!
 
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willybob

Guest
the simplicity of the matter is if one comes clean with God in repentance he gives them a new heart in a clean vessel of which the HS can dwell, hence forth becoming a vessel fit for the Masters use....The heart is simply the center desires of the soul. God doesn't change anyone's desires, but rather HE gives us extensive influence to do so ourselves via His Spirit that convicts, John 16-8.....God will never circumvent man's freewill to remain in darkness or humble himself and come to the light......be blessed
 
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willybob

Guest
I would have no problems preaching from this text.
Of course the context is the whole epistle, and in fact 1 Corinthians as well...
So, I doubt I would come to the same conclusions as you, but there you go!
Here is the context>>> For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation...Please dont try and twist it, its to painful to read your rhetoric....be blessed
 

graceNpeace

Senior Member
Aug 12, 2016
2,180
107
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Here is the context>>> For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation...Please dont try and twist it, its to painful to read your rhetoric....be blessed
Well, you do seem to treat the word of God as alphabet soup - give it a good stir, pull out a verse (out of context) and impress a meaning on it...
 
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willybob

Guest
Well, you do seem to treat the word of God as alphabet soup - give it a good stir, pull out a verse (out of context) and impress a meaning on it...

i knew the rhetoric would be vexing to the spirit, i guess their is nothing that can be said to turn you from arguing in favor of sin....at least thoise looking on with a sound logical mind seeking the truth are able to see the clear distinction between the easy grace false gospel contrasted against the light of the truth in scripture.....the word of God never returns void...
 
Apr 30, 2016
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Well, you do seem to treat the word of God as alphabet soup - give it a good stir, pull out a verse (out of context) and impress a meaning on it...
Good morning GraceNpeace

I come back every now and then and the difference of opinion is interesting to me.

Willybob says that on must have a new heart and faith in the Word which means obeying the word, IF one has FAITH in IT.

He gets resistance for saying that God is to be obeyed. This was also happening to me which is why I leave every now and then.
The discussion is a little whacky.

He is NOT pulling out verses.
Jesus came to set up a Kingdom. We're either in the Kingdom or out of the Kingdom.
I'd like to see some verses of Jesus talking about salvation as it is understood today.

You won't find any.

He talks about having to be born from above to be able to see the Kingdom.
What does it mean to YOU to be in the Kingdom?

If God has to do it all, as you claim, why did Jesus have to come and teach us, anyway?
God could have just given everybody a new heart.
In fact, I'd say He's rather mean not to.


Acts 20:25-37 is a good read.

verse 21 Paul tells the Ephesians that they MUST TURN to God in repentance and have faith in Jesus.

verse 22 Paul speaks about the gospel of grace. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...
This is the gospel of grace,but it does not negate that we also have to do our part, turn from the world, repent and believe in the gospel. Does the gospel say that God does everything? Did Jesus not leave us with teachings, commandments, requirements? Why would He even waste time doing that IF, once saved, God would do everything for us?

verse 25 Paul states clearly that he went about preaching the KINGDOM. Jesus meant to start a new generation of persons of which HE is the First Fruit and we are to follow in His ways and do as He taught.

verse 28 "Be shepherds of the Church". Paul is telling them that wolves will come ready to destroy them and their new-found faith. There is much resistance to the Word of God. "This is a diffiult teaching, who can accept it?" John 6:60

God's grace throught the Holy Spirit helps us to live in the Kingdom. Never did Jesus say it would be easy. He said to pick up our cross daily and that HE would help us to carry it. Mathew 11:28-30

This would be equivalent to saying that we can do nothing without HIM. HE is our rest.
This does not mean rest from what we are to do, but the rest we find in Him.

Just before this in Mathew 11:21 Jesus tells Chorazin that the people there did not repent. Jesus is looking for repentance, for acceptance of what He taught, and freedom from following Obedience of the Law, and instead we are to follow Obedience of Faith to Jesus and He will help us. It is HIS spirit working IN us, He does not DO everything for us. It is still our CHOICE to obey or not to obey.

verse 30 Jesus warns that from the very midst of believers men would rise up trying to draw away DISCIPLES.
What is a disciple but one who follows a teacher??

It does sound, many times, as if some here say that they are not preaching sin, but then by not admitting that it is NECESSARY to FOLOOW Jesus if we are to be His DISCIPLES, it does APPEAR to be tha way.

verse 31 Paul WARNED everyone day and night. What did he warn them of??

verse 32 is also interesting.
Paul commits them to God and to His word of Grace, which can BUILD THEM UP, and give an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. The inheritance goes to those who are sanctified IN THE END, we must HOLD FAST till the end. Many verses regarding this...

In verse 35 Paul speaks of the works which we are to do.

One cannot read the N.T. and get away from the idea that WE must turn to God of our own free will and we must desire to be in the Kingdom and do what is necessary to remain there.
 
Apr 30, 2016
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The only way to have a pure heart is for God to create it in us. Otherwise, it ain't happening. David said create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right spirit within me. Only God can do that. With all due respect, you seem to imply we must do what only God can. If that is the case, you are leading people away from Christ sorry to say... Does anyone else see it this way?
In Jeremiah and Ezekiel it's written that God would write the Laws in our heart and He would take away the heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh.

So does this mean that everybod gets a new heart?
NO.

Only those who allow this to happen and WANT the new heart.

Jeremiah 31:33
Ezekiel 36:26

No one here is leading anyone away from Christ.

It seems to me that some are saying that we are to do nothing in order to remain in the Kingdom
And some are trying to say that we must be citizens of the Kingdom and follow its rules if we are to remain in it.

Jesus came to teach us how to get into the Kingdom (we must be born of above if we are to even see it) and how to STAY in it till the end of our lives.

ARE WE REQUIRED to OBEY His commands or not??
 
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Ariel82

Guest
I believe we (all born again children of God) are required to OBEY two commandments: love God and love others.

If we disobey we get chastened....not tossed into hell.

Sometimes we fall short due to fear or ignorance and don't love God or others fully as we should, which is what I call sin. At those times God gives us grace and forgiveness and teaches us how to overcome both.

Too often people add man-made laws and traditions and try and enslave others with them, that is a sin.
 
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Ariel82

Guest
the simplicity of the matter is if one comes clean with God in repentance he gives them a new heart in a clean vessel of which the HS can dwell, hence forth becoming a vessel fit for the Masters use....The heart is simply the center desires of the soul. God doesn't change anyone's desires, but rather HE gives us extensive influence to do so ourselves via His Spirit that convicts, John 16-8.....God will never circumvent man's freewill to remain in darkness or humble himself and come to the light......be blessed
Comes down to what people see when they read the words "free will".

i know what you mean but many have the worldly definition...just as others have the calvinistic definition of terms like predestination, election and eternal security.

Free will to me is the ABILITY to chose good or evil.

God gives us a choice but our fallen nature and the world drew is away from good and towards selfishness and evil.

However God is able to shine a light and draw us back to Him.

Some people believe that folks hearts are renewed BEFORE they confess faith in Jesus. (they call this when folks are born again)

I disagree. I believe before confession of faith we can have godly sorrow unto repentance (baptism of John), but we have to actually hear the gospel of Jesus and accept that Jesus died for our sins and thus we are forgiven before we are born again.

Godly sorrow crucified us with Christ...faith in Jesus raises us again by being baptised by His Holy Spirit.


I am aware you think faith means obedience to God laws, but I disagree.

I believe faith means to trust fully in God and His ability to save us. This trust will lead us to obey Him because he will add to our faith virtue, knowledge, self control and perservance. It is a journey that happens after being born again, not before. Eventually folks will get brotherly kindness (true love for those who love them) and agape love (love for those who are them as their enemies)
 
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Ariel82

Guest
repentance that purifies

2 Cor. 7

10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear ("hagnos", meaning pure) in this matter......

I dont think Ive ever heard any mainstream preacher ever address these two verses...its almost unknown amongst what is called Christianity....... what thinkest thou?
Godly sorrow empowers you to change and overcome sin.

Worldly sorrow is just sad you got caught (worldly people who only pretend to be Christian) or produces condemnation that paralysed you with fear and makes you unproductive in God's kingdom (God's kids who have listened to Satan's lies).


When God chastens His Kids it produces a godly sorrow. However God gives us joy unlike the world because he gives us hope and teaches us a better way. He shows us who we are meant to be. We focus on Him and what He says and know God has washed away our sins and sorrows.
 
Nov 22, 2015
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Man's heart was corrupted with the mystery of iniquity that entered into man-kind through Adam's transgression and it is passed on through the blood which is one of the reasons why Jesus had to be born from the Holy Spirit to by-pass the blood of man contaminating Him.

In the OT man's heart was desperately wicked because people were still "in Adam". The heart is the old man that was in Adam but now that Christ has came - we believers have a new heart. We have a new inner man of the heart now in Christ.

Get this wrong and we create a doctrine of a "new evolution" instead of a new creation in Christ.

We create an works-based humanistic mindset that actually denies the work of the Lord Jesus Christ by trying to achieve through what we do - what Christ has already done in His finished work on the cross and resurrection.

In the next post I will show that believers in Christ have a new heart now. I believe the understanding of this is vital to growing up in the Lord. We need to get our "identity" correct.
 
Nov 22, 2015
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All born-again Christians are pure in heart. It's the same reason why all water is wet. It's the very nature of it.

Thank God that the gospel of the grace of Christ has given us believers a new heart which is pure because it is in Christ!

I believe that scripture teaches that we have new hearts now in Christ as a new creation in Him.

In the Old Testament David cried out prophetically - looking into this New Covenant and sais - "Create in me a clean heart O God". Jesus Himself says to "clean up the inside of the cup and the vessel will be clean".

We don't need to search our hearts for wrong things - we need to have our minds renewed to the truth of Christ living in us now.

It's the flesh that "speaks" to us as all the "works" in Gal 5 are from the flesh. We are not "in the flesh" as Paul says in Romans 8:9 - but we are "in the Spirit" - our inner man in Christ.

We need as Christians to learn to live from this new heart that was "created" in us because of Christ's finished work for us.

I firmly believe we are confusing the "desires of the flesh which still has the law of sin in it" ( Romans 7:23 ) and wrongly calling it our heart.

We have been circumcised with the circumcision of the heart - called the circumcision of Christ and the body of flesh. Col 2:11. This is also called "being sealed by the Holy Spirit" Eph 1:13

The Holy Spirit "cut away" ( as in physical circumcision ) the body of the flesh from the inner man who is in Christ - the new creation - created in righteousness and holiness. Eph 4:23

Here are the reasons why I believe we Christians have a new heart now in Christ and not a corrupted heart. We need to learn how to live from this new heart which is where Christ is in us as one spirit by the Holy Spirit.

The believers new heart in Christ is created in righteousness and holiness: First it was prophesied in the Old Testament.

Ezekiel 36:26 (NASB)
[SUP]26 [/SUP]
"Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone ( old man ) from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ( new man in Christ )


Romans 2:29 (NASB)
[SUP]29 [/SUP] But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but
from God.

By grace we have been given a new heart that is obedient.

Romans 6:17 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you
became obedient from the heart
to that form of teaching to which you were committed,

God cleaned house and moved in. God will not dwell in unrighteousness. God through the Holy Spirit is in our inner man now.

Ephesians 3:16-17 (NASB)
[SUP]16 [/SUP] that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power
through His Spirit in the inner man,

[SUP]17 [/SUP] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith
; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

God sealed us and gave us the Holy Spirit in our new hearts.

2 Corinthians 1:22 (NASB)
[SUP]22 [/SUP] who also sealed us and gave us
the Spirit in our hearts as
a pledge.

We have the Spirit of God's Son in our hearts now.

Galatians 4:6 (NASB)
[SUP]6 [/SUP] Because you are sons, God has sent forth
the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

God has cleansed our hearts by faith.


Acts 15:8-9 (NASB)
[SUP]8 [/SUP] "And God,
who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;

[SUP]9 [/SUP] and He made no distinction between us and them,
cleansing their hearts by faith
.

We love from our hearts now as it is pure.


1 Timothy 1:5 (NASB)
[SUP]5 [/SUP] But the goal of our instruction i
s love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

2 Timothy 2:22 (NASB)
[SUP]22 [/SUP] Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace,
with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (
this is a believer in Christ..hang around them )

1 Peter 3:4 (NASB)
[SUP]4 [/SUP]
but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

There are more but this should work to show that the believer has a new heart in Christ.

We still have the flesh to deal with in our bodies and we are admonished to not to yield to that...but all that is a different subject.


There is also the renewing of the mind to the truths that are real in Christ for us that are joined as one spirit with the Lord forever.
 
Apr 30, 2016
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I believe we (all born again children of God) are required to OBEY two commandments: love God and love others.

If we disobey we get chastened....not tossed into hell.

Sometimes we fall short due to fear or ignorance and don't love God or others fully as we should, which is what I call sin. At those times God gives us grace and forgiveness and teaches us how to overcome both.

Too often people add man-made laws and traditions and try and enslave others with them, that is a sin.
WHAT are the man-made laws and traditions that you feel are being added on that try to enslave?

And what makes you think anyone is speaking about these?

I think that this is why you feel I read into wording, because maybe YOU do it and so you feel I do also.

I take everything at face value.
Since I didn't bring up any particular laws, let alone man-made laws, WHY WOULD YOU??
 
Apr 30, 2016
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Comes down to what people see when they read the words "free will".

i know what you mean but many have the worldly definition...just as others have the calvinistic definition of terms like predestination, election and eternal security.

Free will to me is the ABILITY to chose good or evil.

God gives us a choice but our fallen nature and the world drew is away from good and towards selfishness and evil.

However God is able to shine a light and draw us back to Him.

Some people believe that folks hearts are renewed BEFORE they confess faith in Jesus. (they call this when folks are born again)

I disagree. I believe before confession of faith we can have godly sorrow unto repentance (baptism of John), but we have to actually hear the gospel of Jesus and accept that Jesus died for our sins and thus we are forgiven before we are born again.

Godly sorrow crucified us with Christ...faith in Jesus raises us again by being baptised by His Holy Spirit.


I am aware you think faith means obedience to God laws, but I disagree.

I believe faith means to trust fully in God and His ability to save us. This trust will lead us to obey Him because he will add to our faith virtue, knowledge, self control and perservance. It is a journey that happens after being born again, not before. Eventually folks will get brotherly kindness (true love for those who love them) and agape love (love for those who are them as their enemies)
Just two comments:

1. Free Will, when discussing the bible, means exactly what you said it does. Freedom to choose good or evil.

2. It's the sentence I highlighted above which could cause much confusion.
I know what you mean, but I'd be careful with words for new Christians and those reading along.

This is my Whole point. You just stated that it is NOT necessary to obey God's Laws.

FAITH DOES MEAN OBEDIANCE.

If you have faith in a person, and he tells you what to do, you do obey him. You obey your boss at work. You obey your husband. You obey your kids many times! You obey your parents.

Why make statements that make it sound like it's not necessary to obey GOD???