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A Momentous Message
Mindlessly Mangled!
"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." Eph. 2:8-9
This is such a
glorious Scriptures declaring the grand truth of the gospel of grace!
The gift spoken of
is salvation, which is by grace through faith.
'By grace' declares
of the MANNER the gift is bestowed by God, i.e. freely, without any condition
whatsoever.
'Through faith'
states the BASIS or GROUND of that salvation, i.e. through the fidelity or the faithfulness of Jesus Christ in the work of redemption.
Take it any other
way, that salvation would be by works of some sorts, and man has some good
reason to boast.
Popular fable 1:
'Faith' speaks of
the gift of God to the dead in trespasses and sins.
- They attribute
stupidity to God... that He would even give the gift of faith to the dead in
trespasses and sins!
- Maybe they give
gifts to the dead too, expecting the dead to benefit from them!
Popular fable 2:
The dead in
trespasses and sins are able to utilize the gift of faith to them, i.e. the
spiritually dead can believe in order to be saved.
- So, their
salvation is through their work of utilizing this gift.
Popular fable 3:
The dead in
trespasses and sins utilize the gift of faith to believe in order to be saved
are NOT work. They insisted the dead must do something to be saved!
- If they don't
utilize the faith, there is no salvation for them!
- So their work of
utilizing the gift is the determining factor in their salvation! But it is
insisted that it is still by grace, and not of works!
- How weird! They
insist there must be works but deny works are involved in the same breath!!!
How confused and self-deceived!
Popular fable 4:
The dead in
trespasses and sins cannot utilize faith in a vacuum.
- They need the
preachers to do the works of preaching the gospel to them. Faith comes by
hearing... hearing is work just as much as preaching the word is work!
- How weird! They
insist there must be works but deny works are involved!!! How confused and
self-deceived!
Ro 11:6 And if by
grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it
be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Why is it so hard
for those whom God HAS SAVED by His grace alone to confess and acknowledge that
they have been saved by grace alone? Why do you need to sneak in their works
somewhere into the equation of their salvation?
Works are activities
of the living; works of righteousness like believing and preaching are
activities of those whom God has saved, i.e. effectually called out of their
native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation!
Works of righteousness are the effects of salvation by grace; they are not the means unto salvation.
Rom 3
21 But now the
righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law
and the prophets;
22 Even the
righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all
them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Sins brought
condemnation and death.
Righteousness
secures justification and life.
No righteousness, no justification nor life!
That righteousness
is secured either through your own obedience to the law or through Christ's obedience
to the law. It is either the righteousness of God's provision or the righteousness
of your own provision!
The righteousness of
God's provision is through the PISTIS - FIDELITY / FAITHFULNESS of Christ in
His work of redemption.
All are plainly
stated in the Scriptures above!!!
See the intimate connection between: "For by grace are ye saved, through faith" and "being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus"?
Justification by
God's grace [i.e not by your faith! that's a horrid lie from hell!] is the
FIRST divine activity in the application of eternal salvation to an elect...
Justification by God removes condemnation, giving divine warrant for the Spirit to regenerate the one to whom God has applied the righteousness of Christ. One whom the Spirit regenerates, the Father adopts!
The effectual
calling of an elect out of his native state of sin and death to that of grace
and salvation requires these divine activities... in these NUMBER and LOGICAL
ORDER (though chronologically simultaneous) because the effectual call is instantaneous
by the direct and immediate act of God without any means.
- justification by
the grace of God to deal with condemnation. (This is distinct from justification by the blood of Christ at the
cross, and justification by the believer's faith at conversion)
- regeneration by
the Spirit of God to deal with death!
- adoption into the
family of God, giving access to all the rights and privileges belonging to the
sons of God.
When effectually
called, an elect is perfectly fit for eternal glory.
The gospel ministry
is ordained for God's children, i.e. those already born of God; it is essential for their temporal well being as God's child while he journeys
through this world to his eternaal inheritance.
