What matters is what the Text says!
Acts 20:32. And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word [logos, which may be translated “message”] of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified [set apart as holy].
Titus
2:11. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12. teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13. looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
14. who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
15. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
2 Corinthians
3:5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
6. who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7. But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away,
8. how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
9. For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
3:17. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
5:14. For the love of Christ constrains us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
15. and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
18. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
19. that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
21. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
6:1. We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
Galatians
2:20. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
2 Peter
17. You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18. but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
1 John
7. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
19. We love Him because He first loved us.
The Foundation and Good News of the Grace Message
The foundation of the grace message is the truth of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14-18). The good news of the grace message is that the Lord Jesus loved us so much that He chose to give His life on the cross of Calvary so that we could enjoy Him, His heaven and new earth forever, and have a meaningful personal relationship with Him now as well.
While the grace message is found in the Old Testament, the grace message may be understood and grasped especially from the New Testament. The writings of the Bible were uniquely inspired by God and the New Testament was written by the apostles and prophets of Jesus Christ to churches and individuals in the first century A.D.
The Application of the Grace Message in a Christian’s Life
The grace message of Christ Jesus for the Christian grace-way of life is built on the truth of the gospel, which is that deliverance from sin and death and everlasting life is received only when an individual personally believes that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:30-31). Life with God forever is received as a gift from the Lord Jesus through faith in Him and by faith in Him alone. Good works do not earn the gift or retain it. Sinful thoughts or actions do not remove a believer from his relationship with or position in Christ. “Having been justified by faith we have peace with God,” and nothing and no one “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 5:1; 8:38). Therefore the believer is free to serve the Lord Jesus out of a heart of love and thankfulness for the truly free gifts that God has given because of His love and grace. He or she need not live in fear of losing her salvation or fear from thinking that maybe she did not receive life at all because of her struggle with bad behavior. The truth of the grace message should be set in sharp contrast to teachings that bring about slavery by focussing upon keeping a certain set of rules or traditions in order to retain an eternal relationship with God (Galatians 3:2-6; 5:1).
The true grace message of God instructs and builds up the believer, liberating him to serve the Lord in the freedom of faith and love (Galatians 5:1-6). This message of grace should be set in contrast to the false teachings that tragically cause enslavement, fear, doubt and uncertainty in the life of the believer in Christ Jesus.
Titus
2:11. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12. teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13. looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
14. who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
15. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
2 Corinthians
3:5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
6. who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7. But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away,
8. how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
9. For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
3:17. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
5:14. For the love of Christ constrains us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
15. and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
18. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
19. that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
21. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
6:1. We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
Galatians
2:20. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
2 Peter
17. You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18. but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
1 John
7. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
19. We love Him because He first loved us.
The Foundation and Good News of the Grace Message
The foundation of the grace message is the truth of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14-18). The good news of the grace message is that the Lord Jesus loved us so much that He chose to give His life on the cross of Calvary so that we could enjoy Him, His heaven and new earth forever, and have a meaningful personal relationship with Him now as well.
While the grace message is found in the Old Testament, the grace message may be understood and grasped especially from the New Testament. The writings of the Bible were uniquely inspired by God and the New Testament was written by the apostles and prophets of Jesus Christ to churches and individuals in the first century A.D.
The Application of the Grace Message in a Christian’s Life
The grace message of Christ Jesus for the Christian grace-way of life is built on the truth of the gospel, which is that deliverance from sin and death and everlasting life is received only when an individual personally believes that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:30-31). Life with God forever is received as a gift from the Lord Jesus through faith in Him and by faith in Him alone. Good works do not earn the gift or retain it. Sinful thoughts or actions do not remove a believer from his relationship with or position in Christ. “Having been justified by faith we have peace with God,” and nothing and no one “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 5:1; 8:38). Therefore the believer is free to serve the Lord Jesus out of a heart of love and thankfulness for the truly free gifts that God has given because of His love and grace. He or she need not live in fear of losing her salvation or fear from thinking that maybe she did not receive life at all because of her struggle with bad behavior. The truth of the grace message should be set in sharp contrast to teachings that bring about slavery by focussing upon keeping a certain set of rules or traditions in order to retain an eternal relationship with God (Galatians 3:2-6; 5:1).
The application of the grace message of Christ Jesus is a life lived in response to His love and grace. Those who have believed in Jesus should please and honor Him out of gratitude for what He has done for them and in appreciation for what He continues to do and will do for them (Colossians 2:6-7). Believers in Christ Jesus are called to keep on growing “in the grace and knowledge” of their Savior (2 Peter 3:18).
The true grace message of God instructs and builds up the believer, liberating him to serve the Lord in the freedom of faith and love (Galatians 5:1-6). This message of grace should be set in contrast to the false teachings that tragically cause enslavement, fear, doubt and uncertainty in the life of the believer in Christ Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment