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| One pot (3ft diameter), one stone, one lily plant, one flower |
Ephesians 2:8-9
"For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that
not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God: not of works,
lest any man
should boast."
"By grace... through faith..." is possibly the most quoted, but misunderstood and abused passage of Scriptures. The passage is commonly and popularly understood like this:First, it is understood that faith is the gift of God.
Second, God gives the gift of faith to those not yet saved, i.e. still dead in trespasses and sins.
Third, the recipients of the gift, still dead in trespasses and sins, make use of that gift in order to obtain salvation.
Fourth, the act of believing is absolutely necessary to obtain salvation. "Through faith" is equated as "through believing."
This is the common understanding of salvation by grace through faith, i.e. through their own act of believing. Yes, it is by God's grace alone, but it is ALSO through their act of believing at the same time. Eternal salvation by God's free grace involves, and requires the all crucial and determining act of man's believing. "Yes, by grace, through faith" - they exclaimed!
Let me suggest this for your consideration. Feel free to disagree, let me know why.
Faith is NOT the gift; salvation is.
Salvation is NOT through your believing.
Salvation is through the pistis, that is, the faithfulness of Christ.
"By grace" declares the manner salvation is bestowed.
"Through faith" declares the ground of that salvation.
Beware of fables and lies, which make you an usurper and a liar!
Let us reason a bit...
"... and that not of yourselves..." alone should repudiate the fable that man's act of believing is needed to secure salvation from God. But they would retort, "... Exactly! Not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. We merely made use of the gift freely given to us to obtain the salvation! See, it is all by grace!"
How sincere folks could end up interpreting "through faith" as referring to their activity of believing is just astounding. What is declared plainly in the previous few verses COMPLETELY and ABSOLUTELY exclude such smooth fable and lie!!!
2:1 ¶ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 ¶ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Plain facts stated about them:
a. They were dead in trespasses and sins... how could they in such state exercise the gift EVEN if the gift of faith had indeed been given to them?
b. They walked according to the course of this world... how could such utilize the gift, and walk according to the course of the kingdom of heaven?
c. They were fulfilling the desires of their flesh and of the mind... how could they in such condition fulfill the desire of the Spirit of God?
d. They were by nature children of wrath... how could they in such state exercise the gift as children obedience EVEN if indeed the gift of faith was given to them?
e. Those dead in trespasses and sins stand in need of being quickened, brought out of the state of spiritual deadness to that of spiritual life... and those dead in trespasses ans sins are completely unable to do anything to contribute to their quickening from their spiritual deadness. In that sense by grace are ye saved. "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved.).
But such obvious and hard facts escape their attention because they go by SOUND BYTES... but not the SENSE of the word of truth.
They have chosen to believe a fable and a lie!
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." 2Tim 4:3-4
Take a look at this article here:
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2008/01/saved-by-grace-through-faith-whose.html
