no peter, I see your break from the site has not opened your eyes. grace is not speaking against good works, he ( and I ) and THE BIBLE say that our good works do not save us, they are a result of it.
when I was unsaved, I believed in God, Christ, virgin birth, the resurrection , etc.. , I just did not care, Jesus was not my personal Lord and Savior. when I made that decision, it changed my behavior. I did not change my behavior so that Christ would accept me, I changed BECAUSE He did.
How come we seem to be saying the same thing except you cannot accept God has
done a good work in you.
"In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Phil 1:4-6
Paul is expressing his delight in the Philippians that they are responding to the gospel
and following Christ. It is a good work that has taken root.
Now gb9, I am recognising this work in me and my brothers and sisters.
It appears you do not believe there is such a thing. If not, why are you a christian?
You could be anything, it makes no difference, you are as you are.
Your history like many others was being very religious, but Christ was not your Lord.
Now I understand this in many peoples lives, but it does not make all believers who
are not like you, are like you used to be. But I would question what you believe to
be a great change, when condemnation and accusation follows you so closely.
You have had a conversion experience, but I do not know to what, because you
oppose the fundamentals of the faith. Jesus is our all in all. If He calls us to do
anything, why would we question it?
And thankyou gb9, you changed your behaviour. "YOU" changed, it was a choice,
a reaction to knowing Christ and His love. I likewise have changed because of this
love, so how come you treat me like an enemy? Is it because you still are not following
Christ, just now have a cop-out as to why you do not love?
These conversations remind me of two men agreeing with each other, but both are
agreeing with something different, but refuse to admit it, and blame the other for being
wrong, without using appropriate language to define it.
When we meet Jesus, we are always sinners saved by grace. Without His forgiveness
no one enters heaven, but equally without the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and
the fruit of this work we are deceived.
I get the feeling many doubt God has worked in them, and fear to rest on the promise of
reality coming to their lives, because they do not know what this actually is.
Open hearts, walking with ones emotions being on display and letting Christs love to flow.
But maybe when hearts open, the fear is bile will flow, and Christs love is far off. In this
case there is a problem, which needs to be resolved. We are always to humble ourselves
at the foot of the cross and know the reality of being loved and accepted and learn to walk
with an open heart. This is what it means to be free, to not be scared of what is within, or
have rages that run free, or times of self pity, or shaking out of pure dread and loneliness.
But you do not talk like this. What are you so scared of facing within?
Jesus has won the victory, know it in your heart.