ONE BAPTISM - Ephesians 4:5
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I encourage all those that are interested in learning about what happened with us at the exchanged life we have in Christ to watch this video. It'll bless you and you'll grow in the grace and knowledge of the great salvation we have in the finished work of our Lord Jesus..
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[video=youtube;Q9HFnMiusPU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9HFnMiusPU[/video]
.[video=youtube;Q9HFnMiusPU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9HFnMiusPU[/video]
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I heard something today on a radio sermon that supports that, When God created adam he placed him in the garden and commanded to do two things to cultivate it and to keep it/guard it. we in our own individual sphere's are placed in a garden(in Christ) God provides everything else but he doesn't til the ground for you and spread the seeds that's your job. Second we must guard our garden so some slithering snake doesn't sneak in and deceive you, teach you a false doctrine like the serpent did then and continues to do.
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the gift is a pair of "Gods NIKE'S" to run your mail route each day, but you have to tie your laces every day when you put them on. the reward is God handing you your paycheck at the end of week-(your life) cuz you ran your whole route each day diligently. (just don't throw the mail on my steps I have a mail slot on my door....
the gift is a pair of "Gods NIKE'S" to run your mail route each day, but you have to tie your laces every day when you put them on. the reward is God handing you your paycheck at the end of week-(your life) cuz you ran your whole route each day diligently. (just don't throw the mail on my steps I have a mail slot on my door....
Here is a great article on James and works and grace.
What is the Key to James?
The Epistle of James may be the most misunderstood book in the New Testament. In this short series we have looked at some of the “troublesome” verses in James. Where others have found law and condemnation, we have found grace and freedom! In case you missed it, here’s a summary of what we’ve covered so far (click on the links to read the original posts):
Part 1: Works under grace
Part 2: The works of Abraham
Part 3: The works of God
Part 4: The works of Rahab
Part 5: James – preacher of grace
It’s time to put this series to bed. We’ve covered a lot of ground but perhaps there is a verse in James that still troubles you. To help you I want to give you a simple key for unlocking the whole epistle. If you don’t have this key, James is a frustrating book. If you don’t have this key you may be tempted to dismiss James for one of the following reasons.
1. James is preaching salvation by works (so he shouldn’t be in the New Testament)
The problem with this excuse is that there is a grain of truth behind it. In a manner of speaking, Rahab was saved by works. If she hadn’t opened her door to the spies of Israel, she would’ve perished along with the rest of Jericho. But we misread James if we think our works make us pleasing to God. Jesus is pleasing to God. Our work is to believe in the one He sent (Jn 6:29). Our work is to be fully persuaded that He has made us eternally acceptable in the Beloved (Eph 1:6).
Rahab’s work was a fruit of repentance. We see the work, but God saw the change of heart. Along with everyone in Canaan, Rahab believed that God was angry with her. But then Rahab changed her mind about God and decided to trust in His mercy. She humbled herself and God lifted her up. God both saved Rahab (revealing His mercy) and then elevated her to the royal family tree (revealing His grace). Is this a message James preaches? Yes!
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.” (Jas 4:6,10)
2. James is writing for Jews (so it’s not relevant for me)
This is a convenient excuse (particularly if you’re non-Jewish!) but it’s misguided. True, James does identify his audience as “the 12 tribes” of Israel (Jas 1:1). But the gospel is the same for both Jews and Gentiles – there is no difference. We are all one in Christ.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in
Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal 3:28-29)
Who is a true Jew? According to Jesus it is someone who does the works of Abraham (Jn 8:39). According to Paul it is someone whose heart has been circumcised by the Spirit and not by the law (Rms 2:29). So if you are a Christian, then you are Abraham’s seed and James is especially relevant for you! You cannot dismiss it!
3. James was not aware of Paul’s gospel (so I know more than he did)
Several readers have written to me saying James was written early in the piece and before the gospel of grace was widely understood. The implication is, “we know the gospel better than James so we don’t need to take James too seriously.” Oh boy.
This excuse is convenient, dangerous, and based on a whole lot of “we don’t knows.” We don’t know exactly when James was written. (On my shelf are several authoritative sources that date James anywhere from AD45 to 150.) We don’t know for sure whether James was written before or after Romans, Galatians or Colossians.
It doesn’t matter a whole lot when James wrote his letter. The real question is this: Was James acquainted with the gospel of grace? As I have explained in this series, I believe he was. And one thing we do know for certain was that he and Paul met on more than one occasion (see Acts 15, 21, Gal 1:19). Luke wrote about it one of these meetings:
“The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard this, they praised God.” (Acts 21:20)
These weren’t just social visits. Paul said he went to Jerusalem to set before the James and the other leaders “the gospel that I preach” (Gal 2:2). It is true that Paul was the boldest, most prolific preacher of the gospel in the New Testament. But he certainly wasn’t the only preacher of grace. To dismiss an entire book of the Bible on the basis of things we don’t know is reckless. I don’t recommend it.
The key to James
As we saw in Part 1 of this study, there is absolutely no chance you can come under law if you read James through the finished work of the cross. But that’s only half the story.
To rightly interpret scripture we also need to consider the audience. Yes, James is writing for Jews and yes that means you even if you’re Japanese or Javanese. But the key to understanding James is this: he has two messages for two audiences. Parts of James are written for saints and other parts are written for sinners.
Like every good preacher, James knows he’s addressing two groups of people. Sinners are rebuked for being adulterous friends of the world in chapter 4, while saints are reminded of their righteousness in chapter 5. Sinners are exhorted to humble themselves and submit to God, while saints are exhorted to pray and turn sinners around.
For sinners, Rahab is held up as a model unbeliever. She was living under condemnation but she was smart – she repented. For saints, righteous Abraham is held up as model believer. The issue for him was not salvation but an inheritance which belongs to all of us who are fully persuaded that God will do what He said.
If you’re a saint, it’s silly to think that James is writing to you when he says, “cleanse your hands, you sinners,” (Jas 4:8). And if you’re a sinner holding out against the grace of God, then don’t think James is speaking to you when he writes about the prayers of righteous men (Jas 5:16). Praying doesn’t make you righteous. Jesus does!
Perhaps the best reason why some folk have trouble with James is that they don’t know where they stand with God. Instead of hearing what James has to say to them, they’re getting mixed messages. Another reason is that try and unlock James with an inferior key, such as the three listed above.
Unlocking the Bible is not hard provided you have the right key. Jesus is the key. We need to read the Bible in light of what Jesus has done. You are either resting in His finished work on the cross or you’re not. In either case, the Bible has good news for you! But the message for those in Christ is not the same as those who are rejecting Christ.
There is life and health in the word of God, but you will come to grief if you swallow medicine that was meant for others. Don’t read the Bible to learn what to do. Read the whole Bible – including James – to discover Jesus.
Here is the link for the article and for others like it. I like to use this website a he tackles the obscure scriptures as well as the false accusations against the grace of Christ. The comments on the bottom are good too. We need to feed ourselves with grace-based teaching to be strengthen in the Lord.
http://escapetoreality.org/2010/10/13/what-is-the-key-to-james/
What is the Key to James?
The Epistle of James may be the most misunderstood book in the New Testament. In this short series we have looked at some of the “troublesome” verses in James. Where others have found law and condemnation, we have found grace and freedom! In case you missed it, here’s a summary of what we’ve covered so far (click on the links to read the original posts):
Part 1: Works under grace
Part 2: The works of Abraham
Part 3: The works of God
Part 4: The works of Rahab
Part 5: James – preacher of grace
It’s time to put this series to bed. We’ve covered a lot of ground but perhaps there is a verse in James that still troubles you. To help you I want to give you a simple key for unlocking the whole epistle. If you don’t have this key, James is a frustrating book. If you don’t have this key you may be tempted to dismiss James for one of the following reasons.
1. James is preaching salvation by works (so he shouldn’t be in the New Testament)
The problem with this excuse is that there is a grain of truth behind it. In a manner of speaking, Rahab was saved by works. If she hadn’t opened her door to the spies of Israel, she would’ve perished along with the rest of Jericho. But we misread James if we think our works make us pleasing to God. Jesus is pleasing to God. Our work is to believe in the one He sent (Jn 6:29). Our work is to be fully persuaded that He has made us eternally acceptable in the Beloved (Eph 1:6).
Rahab’s work was a fruit of repentance. We see the work, but God saw the change of heart. Along with everyone in Canaan, Rahab believed that God was angry with her. But then Rahab changed her mind about God and decided to trust in His mercy. She humbled herself and God lifted her up. God both saved Rahab (revealing His mercy) and then elevated her to the royal family tree (revealing His grace). Is this a message James preaches? Yes!
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.” (Jas 4:6,10)
2. James is writing for Jews (so it’s not relevant for me)
This is a convenient excuse (particularly if you’re non-Jewish!) but it’s misguided. True, James does identify his audience as “the 12 tribes” of Israel (Jas 1:1). But the gospel is the same for both Jews and Gentiles – there is no difference. We are all one in Christ.
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in
Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal 3:28-29)
Who is a true Jew? According to Jesus it is someone who does the works of Abraham (Jn 8:39). According to Paul it is someone whose heart has been circumcised by the Spirit and not by the law (Rms 2:29). So if you are a Christian, then you are Abraham’s seed and James is especially relevant for you! You cannot dismiss it!
3. James was not aware of Paul’s gospel (so I know more than he did)
Several readers have written to me saying James was written early in the piece and before the gospel of grace was widely understood. The implication is, “we know the gospel better than James so we don’t need to take James too seriously.” Oh boy.
This excuse is convenient, dangerous, and based on a whole lot of “we don’t knows.” We don’t know exactly when James was written. (On my shelf are several authoritative sources that date James anywhere from AD45 to 150.) We don’t know for sure whether James was written before or after Romans, Galatians or Colossians.
It doesn’t matter a whole lot when James wrote his letter. The real question is this: Was James acquainted with the gospel of grace? As I have explained in this series, I believe he was. And one thing we do know for certain was that he and Paul met on more than one occasion (see Acts 15, 21, Gal 1:19). Luke wrote about it one of these meetings:
“The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard this, they praised God.” (Acts 21:20)
These weren’t just social visits. Paul said he went to Jerusalem to set before the James and the other leaders “the gospel that I preach” (Gal 2:2). It is true that Paul was the boldest, most prolific preacher of the gospel in the New Testament. But he certainly wasn’t the only preacher of grace. To dismiss an entire book of the Bible on the basis of things we don’t know is reckless. I don’t recommend it.
The key to James
As we saw in Part 1 of this study, there is absolutely no chance you can come under law if you read James through the finished work of the cross. But that’s only half the story.
To rightly interpret scripture we also need to consider the audience. Yes, James is writing for Jews and yes that means you even if you’re Japanese or Javanese. But the key to understanding James is this: he has two messages for two audiences. Parts of James are written for saints and other parts are written for sinners.
Like every good preacher, James knows he’s addressing two groups of people. Sinners are rebuked for being adulterous friends of the world in chapter 4, while saints are reminded of their righteousness in chapter 5. Sinners are exhorted to humble themselves and submit to God, while saints are exhorted to pray and turn sinners around.
For sinners, Rahab is held up as a model unbeliever. She was living under condemnation but she was smart – she repented. For saints, righteous Abraham is held up as model believer. The issue for him was not salvation but an inheritance which belongs to all of us who are fully persuaded that God will do what He said.
If you’re a saint, it’s silly to think that James is writing to you when he says, “cleanse your hands, you sinners,” (Jas 4:8). And if you’re a sinner holding out against the grace of God, then don’t think James is speaking to you when he writes about the prayers of righteous men (Jas 5:16). Praying doesn’t make you righteous. Jesus does!
Perhaps the best reason why some folk have trouble with James is that they don’t know where they stand with God. Instead of hearing what James has to say to them, they’re getting mixed messages. Another reason is that try and unlock James with an inferior key, such as the three listed above.
Unlocking the Bible is not hard provided you have the right key. Jesus is the key. We need to read the Bible in light of what Jesus has done. You are either resting in His finished work on the cross or you’re not. In either case, the Bible has good news for you! But the message for those in Christ is not the same as those who are rejecting Christ.
There is life and health in the word of God, but you will come to grief if you swallow medicine that was meant for others. Don’t read the Bible to learn what to do. Read the whole Bible – including James – to discover Jesus.
Here is the link for the article and for others like it. I like to use this website a he tackles the obscure scriptures as well as the false accusations against the grace of Christ. The comments on the bottom are good too. We need to feed ourselves with grace-based teaching to be strengthen in the Lord.
http://escapetoreality.org/2010/10/13/what-is-the-key-to-james/
You cannot dissect works of faith/good works from the moral aspect of the law and then teach that we are saved by "these" works, but just not "those" works. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul did not say that we are saved through faith and works of faith/good works, just not works of the law. He said that we are saved by grace through faith, not works.
In the "Law of Moses Dissected: Extracting the Moral Law" thread, you said - "GOD's law is one. It can't be separated into separate parts for the wiles of men." You also said - "The law of Moses is not a bag of trail mix. You can't pick out the pieces you like and ignore the rest." Yet you are trying to separate the moral aspect of the law from the rest of the law in order to accommodate your version of salvation by works.
In James 2:15-16, the example of a "work" that James gives is: "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?" To give a brother or sister these things needed for the body would certainly be a "work of faith/good work" yet to neglect such a brother or sister and not give them the things needed for the body is to break the second great commandment "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39) as found written in the law of Moses (Leviticus 19:18).
In Matthew 22:37-40, we read: Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Please tell me which good works a Christian could do that are "completely detached" from these two great commandments which are found in the law of Moses? (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18).
Either we perfectly keep the law, which includes the moral aspect of the law, and we are saved by works or else we place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and receive His imputed righteousness (Romans 4:5-6; Philippians 3:9). There is no middle ground. It's not Christ did most of it but we did some of it. The good works of a believer are not added as a supplement to Christ's finished work of redemption in order to help Christ save us. We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24). Salvation through faith in Christ is the alternative to salvation by works.
In the "Law of Moses Dissected: Extracting the Moral Law" thread, you said - "GOD's law is one. It can't be separated into separate parts for the wiles of men." You also said - "The law of Moses is not a bag of trail mix. You can't pick out the pieces you like and ignore the rest." Yet you are trying to separate the moral aspect of the law from the rest of the law in order to accommodate your version of salvation by works.
In James 2:15-16, the example of a "work" that James gives is: "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?" To give a brother or sister these things needed for the body would certainly be a "work of faith/good work" yet to neglect such a brother or sister and not give them the things needed for the body is to break the second great commandment "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39) as found written in the law of Moses (Leviticus 19:18).
In Matthew 22:37-40, we read: Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Please tell me which good works a Christian could do that are "completely detached" from these two great commandments which are found in the law of Moses? (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18).
Either we perfectly keep the law, which includes the moral aspect of the law, and we are saved by works or else we place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and receive His imputed righteousness (Romans 4:5-6; Philippians 3:9). There is no middle ground. It's not Christ did most of it but we did some of it. The good works of a believer are not added as a supplement to Christ's finished work of redemption in order to help Christ save us. We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24). Salvation through faith in Christ is the alternative to salvation by works.
Oh no, here we go again. Another false-grace teacher teaching that something in a NT writing is not directed to believers.
False-grace believers are showing their gnostic colors again through their belief that a believer is not a justified and sanctified sinner, but is instead the righteousness of GOD. The old nature is simply discarded and doesn't exist anymore. This is simply a Christian gnostic belief that two contradictory natures can't exist in a person at the same time. So they gotta throw out the verse where James addresses sinning believers as sinners,
Amen Dan!
Well said!..it will always be " Worthy is the Lamb"...it will never be "Worthy is the Lamb.....and me because I did my own work too"
It's His life in us bearing His fruit in and through us to a hurt and dying world as well as to our brethren.
Great job defending the faith. The Lord is using you to benefit us all. Thank you!
Well said!..it will always be " Worthy is the Lamb"...it will never be "Worthy is the Lamb.....and me because I did my own work too"
It's His life in us bearing His fruit in and through us to a hurt and dying world as well as to our brethren.
Great job defending the faith. The Lord is using you to benefit us all. Thank you!
E
I do not get their thinking.
You either are obligated to obey all the law (perfection) or you water down the law to your standard..
I find it amazing they claim we are greasy with our grace so we can sin, When they are greasy with their "law requirment" so they can live in their sin.
The thing which seperates us from them is we freely admit our sin. They have to hide it behind watered down laws, or keep it hidden behind closed doors.
There is no freedom, or hope in their gospel. Only deception and excused lawlessness.. in an order to appear holy to themselves.
As scripture says, They have a form of Godliness (they preach obedience, and loving God by wanting to please him, which is good) but they deny its power (to change peoples lives and to save a soul completely)
You either are obligated to obey all the law (perfection) or you water down the law to your standard..
I find it amazing they claim we are greasy with our grace so we can sin, When they are greasy with their "law requirment" so they can live in their sin.
The thing which seperates us from them is we freely admit our sin. They have to hide it behind watered down laws, or keep it hidden behind closed doors.
There is no freedom, or hope in their gospel. Only deception and excused lawlessness.. in an order to appear holy to themselves.
As scripture says, They have a form of Godliness (they preach obedience, and loving God by wanting to please him, which is good) but they deny its power (to change peoples lives and to save a soul completely)
...Paul always wrote " To the sinners in Rome, Ephesus, Colossae, Galatia..etc "?????
I must have a defective bible as mine says we are "saints".
Philippians 4:21-22 (NASB)
[SUP]21 [/SUP] Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you.
[SUP]22 [/SUP] All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.
Even those saints in Corinth that were having sex with the temple prostitutes, those that were fighting amongst each other. ...taking each other to court...getting drunk at communion...eating all the food so that when the poor people came, there was no food left for them....that were as carnal as can be.....they were still called saints.
1 Corinthians 1:2 (NASB)
[SUP]2 [/SUP] To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
have been sanctified = perfect passive
perfect tense = The basic thought of the perfect tense is that the progress of an action has been completed and the results of the action are continuing on, in full effect. In other words, the progress of the action has reached its culmination and the finished results are now in existence
passive voice = this means that an action has happened to you, you are not involved in the action,. you receive the action
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NASB)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
[SUP]10 [/SUP] nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
[SUP]11 [/SUP] Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Paul was telling the saints to identify with who you were now in Christ....not with your former ways of living. Paul said "were" not "did" do these things. There is a big difference.
Either we are either unrighteous ( unbeliever ) or justified/declared righteous in Christ ( believer ).
We were a sinner before Christ. Now we are a saint ( because of Him and our real selves are in Christ Jesus..the new creation, the inner man....the new man created in Christ Jesus in righteousness and holiness Eph 4:23-24 Col)
We have a new nature in Christ now. We are saints that sometimes sin.
It's all in the identity. Confess who you are in Christ - not what you were. Be who you "are" in Christ - not what you "were" before you became in Christ.
If we don't see that we are new creations in Christ, that He is our righteousness and life - we will never grow up! We can be a Christian for 50 years..even pastor a church for 60 years and still be a baby Christian.
2 Peter 3:18 (NASB)
[SUP]18 [/SUP] but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
I must have a defective bible as mine says we are "saints".
Philippians 4:21-22 (NASB)
[SUP]21 [/SUP] Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you.
[SUP]22 [/SUP] All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.
Even those saints in Corinth that were having sex with the temple prostitutes, those that were fighting amongst each other. ...taking each other to court...getting drunk at communion...eating all the food so that when the poor people came, there was no food left for them....that were as carnal as can be.....they were still called saints.
1 Corinthians 1:2 (NASB)
[SUP]2 [/SUP] To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
have been sanctified = perfect passive
perfect tense = The basic thought of the perfect tense is that the progress of an action has been completed and the results of the action are continuing on, in full effect. In other words, the progress of the action has reached its culmination and the finished results are now in existence
passive voice = this means that an action has happened to you, you are not involved in the action,. you receive the action
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NASB)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
[SUP]10 [/SUP] nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
[SUP]11 [/SUP] Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Paul was telling the saints to identify with who you were now in Christ....not with your former ways of living. Paul said "were" not "did" do these things. There is a big difference.
Either we are either unrighteous ( unbeliever ) or justified/declared righteous in Christ ( believer ).
We were a sinner before Christ. Now we are a saint ( because of Him and our real selves are in Christ Jesus..the new creation, the inner man....the new man created in Christ Jesus in righteousness and holiness Eph 4:23-24 Col)
We have a new nature in Christ now. We are saints that sometimes sin.
It's all in the identity. Confess who you are in Christ - not what you were. Be who you "are" in Christ - not what you "were" before you became in Christ.
If we don't see that we are new creations in Christ, that He is our righteousness and life - we will never grow up! We can be a Christian for 50 years..even pastor a church for 60 years and still be a baby Christian.
2 Peter 3:18 (NASB)
[SUP]18 [/SUP] but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
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I really don't like that term (moral) because it's man-made. We can't separate the law into distinct parts so as to follow one part and not another. The righteous effect of every bit of the law will be fulfilled in those who walk by faith (Romans 8:4). So works of faith are the righteous effects of the law. It does not mean trying to be justified by the letter (which is impossible), but working out of faith to actually do the righteous effect of the law.
The word saint just means holy one, someone set apart for GOD's use. It has nothing to do with one's nature. It is the anointing of the spirit that makes sinners holy (saints). The sin offerings in the temple were most holy, and the priests even ate of them.
This highlights the difference between true Christian faith and Christian gnostic faith. In the former holiness derives from the abiding anointing of the holy spirit. In Christian gnosticism, holiness derives from an entirely new nature.
This is what believers in the grace of our Lord Jesus have to say about "sanctification"..the word itself means = "to be set apart"
We are perfectly sanctified in Christ now....very true....we as an identity the new creation in Christ will never be more holy....however there is a "sanctifying" of our behavior that is on-going that reflects our true nature in Christ...so in essence...we are becoming outwardly who we really are in our inner man which is in Christ.
God sets apart ( sanctifies ) our attitudes and actions outwardly but you are 100% set apart ( sanctified ) as a person..the real you in your inner man..the new creation in Christ.
Hebrews 10:14 (NASB)
[SUP]14 [/SUP] For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. ( this is present passive..passive is that something is being done to you ...the Spirit of the Lord in us changing us. )
Here is what Jesus told Paul on the road to Damascus....having been sanctified ( perfect passive )..= done deal
Acts 26:17-18 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,
[SUP]18 [/SUP] to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' ( perfect passive )
Sanctification to our "religious minds" could mean a lot of different things to different people as it depends on the religious beliefs formulated from our backgrounds....to some it's not doing the "biggie sins"...and stuff like..no smoking..no drinking..no going to church..no reading your bible every day..no praying for an hour each day.....no going to a movie...reading a newspaper...no being a servant of God...to the self-righteousness/holiness D.I.Y. mindset is means - no doing "what I don't do.."...
We are perfectly sanctified in Christ now....very true....we as an identity the new creation in Christ will never be more holy....however there is a "sanctifying" of our behavior that is on-going that reflects our true nature in Christ...so in essence...we are becoming outwardly who we really are in our inner man which is in Christ.
God sets apart ( sanctifies ) our attitudes and actions outwardly but you are 100% set apart ( sanctified ) as a person..the real you in your inner man..the new creation in Christ.
Hebrews 10:14 (NASB)
[SUP]14 [/SUP] For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. ( this is present passive..passive is that something is being done to you ...the Spirit of the Lord in us changing us. )
Here is what Jesus told Paul on the road to Damascus....having been sanctified ( perfect passive )..= done deal
Acts 26:17-18 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,
[SUP]18 [/SUP] to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' ( perfect passive )
Sanctification to our "religious minds" could mean a lot of different things to different people as it depends on the religious beliefs formulated from our backgrounds....to some it's not doing the "biggie sins"...and stuff like..no smoking..no drinking..no going to church..no reading your bible every day..no praying for an hour each day.....no going to a movie...reading a newspaper...no being a servant of God...to the self-righteousness/holiness D.I.Y. mindset is means - no doing "what I don't do.."...