Not By Works
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Hi Fran,
Sorry if I conveyed what you think I was saying.
That was not my intention.
What I am trying to say is that focus in our lives can be wrong.
You would be surprised at how many beleivers focus inwardly on the sins they commit and is their focus.
This then leads to sin management.
Now I have come along many beleivers who focus is this
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
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 homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
and this
The 10 commandments (won't post them)
they spend their lives trying not to be rather than being.
This can then lead whether it be intentional or not to pride.
We come before God and say "bless me cause I didn't do this today or that"
This can then lead to looking at others and raising eyebrows at others who are struggling with stuff they are not.
As I said the focus can be on doing rather than being.
Being what?
A child of God, secure in the knowledge he loves us and that he will work in us to conform us to the image of Jesus.
To me that does not mean we are to sit back and do nothing. We do have a part to play which is allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and as he reveals the stuff in our life that needs dealing with.
As he does the stuff mentioned above will decrease as a result of this
Galatians 5:22-26
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
All of this we cannot do in our own strength.
That is why Jesus said
John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
So to finish
Matthew 22:37-40
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.”
These two commandments encompass the 10 commandments
and Jesus took it further
Matthew 5:43-44
Love Your Enemies
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
So to me our focus should always be on Jesus, we say I want to be like you.
He will say, you can be and that's why I had to go back to heaven so the Holy Spirit must come to help you and guide you.
Sorry if I conveyed what you think I was saying.
That was not my intention.
What I am trying to say is that focus in our lives can be wrong.
You would be surprised at how many beleivers focus inwardly on the sins they commit and is their focus.
This then leads to sin management.
Now I have come along many beleivers who focus is this
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
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 homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
and this
The 10 commandments (won't post them)
they spend their lives trying not to be rather than being.
This can then lead whether it be intentional or not to pride.
We come before God and say "bless me cause I didn't do this today or that"
This can then lead to looking at others and raising eyebrows at others who are struggling with stuff they are not.
As I said the focus can be on doing rather than being.
Being what?
A child of God, secure in the knowledge he loves us and that he will work in us to conform us to the image of Jesus.
To me that does not mean we are to sit back and do nothing. We do have a part to play which is allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and as he reveals the stuff in our life that needs dealing with.
As he does the stuff mentioned above will decrease as a result of this
Galatians 5:22-26
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
All of this we cannot do in our own strength.
That is why Jesus said
John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
So to finish
Matthew 22:37-40
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.”
These two commandments encompass the 10 commandments
and Jesus took it further
Matthew 5:43-44
Love Your Enemies
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
So to me our focus should always be on Jesus, we say I want to be like you.
He will say, you can be and that's why I had to go back to heaven so the Holy Spirit must come to help you and guide you.
And this is our part of the new covenant. We are not to break with covenant from our side, and He will never leave or forsake us:
Hebrews 10v22-23
[SUP]22 [/SUP]Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
[SUP]23 [/SUP]Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised
Hebrews 10v22-23
[SUP]22 [/SUP]Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
[SUP]23 [/SUP]Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised
Did Israel keep their side of the covenant?
Has God forsaken them?
E
I know you said that,
And I am saying, God knew that person would leave before he even attempted to give that person a gift, So God would not give it to him in the first place.
No, You can not leave God, Jona tried to leave God instead of Going to ninevah, How well did he succeed?
As the psalmist said, wherever we go, God is always there, we can not hide from God..
And I am saying, God knew that person would leave before he even attempted to give that person a gift, So God would not give it to him in the first place.
No, You can not leave God, Jona tried to leave God instead of Going to ninevah, How well did he succeed?
As the psalmist said, wherever we go, God is always there, we can not hide from God..
I love you too, Dan! I think you are such an amazing asset to this site, and have many fine qualities Your love of God is evident and an inspiration to others... that I would sin no more is a promise that I look forward to, yes, Lord, please let it be today, will You return today to bring an end to this fallen world? Scripture says in 1 John 5:4, everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we overcome the world, for it is He Who overcame sin and death, which we have not yet conquered, for we are still to die, and then be raised to new life through our faith in His finished work on the cross, where He poured out His righteous blood that we may become the righteousness of God and attain to life ever after, in a world where there will be no more sin nor sorrow nor suffering nor pain nor death.
But that day has yet to come. If I were sinless, I think I would know it. I am not, and yet He lives in me, and hope for the world to come lives in me also. When I stand before Him on judgement day, there will be no condemnation for my sins, for I will be clothed in His righteousness. The sins that I have committed have been forgiven, and continue to be burned away, and having had an experience of receiving that knowledge, imparted to me through the love of God afforded by His Son, what an amazing experience! Would that I could live in that love at all times, and never fail to deal with others in just such a manner. But I falter, and fall, and I turn to Him when I fail, learning over time that the more I rely on Him, the less I fall into the temptations of the flesh, so many of which I have been delivered of through faith in Him Who loves us so much, He gave His life in love.
Your love of God is evident and an inspiration to others... that I would sin no more is a promise that I look forward to, yes, Lord, please let it be today, will You return today to bring an end to this fallen world? Scripture says in 1 John 5:4, everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we overcome the world, for it is He Who overcame sin and death, which we have not yet conquered, for we are still to die, and then be raised to new life through our faith in His finished work on the cross, where He poured out His righteous blood that we may become the righteousness of God and attain to life ever after, in a world where there will be no more sin nor sorrow nor suffering nor pain nor death. But that day has yet to come. If I were sinless, I think I would know it. I am not, and yet He lives in me, and hope for the world to come lives in me also. When I stand before Him on judgement day, there will be no condemnation for my sins, for I will be clothed in His righteousness. The sins that I have committed have been forgiven, and continue to be burned away, and having had an experience of receiving that knowledge, imparted to me through the love of God afforded by His Son, what an amazing experience! Would that I could live in that love at all times, and never fail to deal with others in just such a manner. But I falter, and fall, and I turn to Him when I fail, learning over time that the more I rely on Him, the less I fall into the temptations of the flesh, so many of which I have been delivered of through faith in Him Who loves us so much, He gave His life in love.
The gift which we receive in this thread is Salvation , not by works, but the gift which we receive from God's hand is His Son, Jesus Christ. Yet quite varied is the understanding of many concerning the Lord Jesus. If you would allow me to say it, among God's children some consider the Lord Jesus as their first gift, for they believe there are many gifts besides Him - gifts which may run into thousands or even tens of thousands in number; whereas others confess the Lord Jesus to be the gift of God, that is, He is God's sole gift.
Many are saved when they first receive the Lord Jesus. Later, they learn they still have many deficiencies and needs. Some may discover that their quick temper persists even after are saved; others notice that their pride follows them; while still others may find that their cowardice remains with them.
In the experience of God's children it is often observed that after being saved many are asking, expecting, believing, and praying before God concerning many, many gifts which they duly receive. And they number Christ among the ranks of these many gifts, viewing Him as but one, though admittedly the first and foremost, of God's gifts.
It is quite surprising that we notice our needs when we commence to follow the Lord. Yet we are not already Christians? Why then should we be in need? Yet this is how we in fact feel. We are new Christians but with deficiencies. Whatever our deficiencies may really be, they are not proper; we therefore strive to deal with them.
We pray and hope, believe and desire, and furthermore, we get what we need. And it is certainly feels good when we have overcome our special deficiency. Our heart rejoices over the fact that we have obtained a gift.
Now this is the kind of situation many of God's children view God's gift and grace as that which replenishes our want. Indeed, a number of people will probably say, "What else is God's grace for if it is not to fill up our lack?" Well, I have a paper Bible next to me, and I am missing the page which asks God to replenish me with His grace. In other words, what I lack is only bits and pieces, but I will be complete when that piece is filled in. Some people need five pieces, others need ten pieces because that is what they lack. My personal love is almost perfect, though it will be even better if a little humility and a little patience is added.I may still need these bits but I she;ll be perfected after these are supplemented. Man's concept is always a matter of lack or want; consequently, he usually asks God for that particular supply.
Hence the situation is as follows. What we lack and ask for are all things, objects which can be counted in number. We declare we are wanting in this or that, and if only God will replenish it, we then will be all right.
But what most people fail to recognize is that in the spiritual realm there is nothing but Christ Jesus.There is no patience nor humility nor light in the spiritual world; these things do not exist. It is Christ and Him alone.
In view of this fact we need to have a further work of God done in our lives. When we were first saved we were shown that what we needed was Christ, not works. We were saved thru Christ and not by our efforts. Just as similar a drastic and thorough revelation should we have in our present concern; namely, that what we need is Christ, not things. Just as there were many matters eliminated when we first believed, so many more matters must be totally wrecked today. The only difference being, that what was first destroyed were sins, while what is later to be demolished are spiritual things. It was at first that our pride, jealousy, conceit, ill-temper, or some other sin(s) were destroyed; today our patience, humility, and self-styled holiness must also be destroyed in order that we may understand that Christ is our life and our all.How vastly opposite is this Christianity which people usually conceive of.
You, ought to realize before God that that which is spiritual is not a thing but is the Lord Jesus Christ: not what you have, nor what you can do, nor yet you can get, but only what Christ is. Except He becomes that thing in your life, nothing else is of any spiritual worth. ...Nada. In the spiritual world, there is nothing but Christ since He is God's everything. Thus, where He is taking you to is Himself actually in you - for real -, not an improved you - having no spiritual value of Himself in you..
Can an absence of not doing something is a sin?
In Ezek 3:20 God says this
Since you did not warn them ... I will hold you accountable for their blood.
Not doing some good action James calls sin if you are aware you should do it.
Resisting temptation, is an effort to not do something that is evil.
This does take effort, so if this is included in not sinning description then this
is a work.
In Ezek 3:20 God says this
Since you did not warn them ... I will hold you accountable for their blood.
Not doing some good action James calls sin if you are aware you should do it.
Resisting temptation, is an effort to not do something that is evil.
This does take effort, so if this is included in not sinning description then this
is a work.
