SBCer's WHERE DO YOU STAND ???
Acknowledge God’s intentions.
Forgiveness is God’s gift to you and His intention for you. He has forgiven each disciple of all confessed sins. His forgiving compassion inspires Christians to forgive others and gives us the freedom to do so. Those not experiencing the grace, love, and joy of God’s salvation may have greater difficulty forgiving (Mat_18:21-35).
Mat 18:21 Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"
Mat 18:22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
Mat 18:23 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
Mat 18:24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
Mat 18:25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Mat 18:26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'
Mat 18:27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.'
Mat 18:29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'
Mat 18:30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.
Mat 18:31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.
Mat 18:32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
Mat 18:33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'
Mat 18:34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.
Mat 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."
WORKING FOR GOD’S FAVOR FORFEITS IT
.... Do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see...
MATTHEW 23:3-5
The New Testament views Christian obedience as the practice of “good deeds” (works). Christians are to be “rich in good deeds” (1 Tim. 6:18; cf. Matt. 5:16; Eph. 2:10; 2 Tim. 3:17; Titus 2:7, 14; 3:8, 14). A good deed is one done (a) according to the right standard (God’s revealed will, i.e., his moral law); (b) from a right motive (the love to God and others that marks the regenerate heart); (c) with a right purpose (pleasing and glorifying God, honoring Christ, advancing his kingdom, and benefiting one’s neighbor).
Legalism is a distortion of obedience that can never produce truly good works. Its first fault is that it skews motive and purpose, seeing good deeds as essentially ways to earn more of God’s favor than one has at the moment. Its second fault is arrogance. Belief that one’s labor earns God’s favor begets contempt for those who do not labor in the same way. Its third fault is lovelessness in that its self-advancing purpose squeezes humble kindness and creative compassion out of the heart.
In the New Testament we meet both Pharisaic and Judaizing legalism. The Pharisees thought that their status as children of Abraham made God’s pleasure in them possible, and that their formalized daily law-keeping, down to minutest details, would make it actual. The Judaizers viewed Gentile evangelism as a form of proselytizing for Judaism; they believed that the Gentile believer in Christ must go on to become a Jew by circumcision and observance of the festal calendar and ritual law, and that thus he would gain increased favor with God. Jesus attacked the Pharisees; Paul, the Judaizers.
The Pharisees were formalists, focusing entirely on the externals of action, disregarding motives and purposes, and reducing life to mechanical rule-keeping. They thought themselves faithful law-keepers although (a) they majored in minors, neglecting what matters most (Matt. 23:23-24); (b) their casuistry negated the law’s spirit and aim (Matt. 15:3-9; 23:16-24); (c) they treated traditions of practice as part of God’s authoritative law, thus binding consciences where God had left them free (Mark 2:16-3:6; 7:1-8); (d) they were hypocrites at heart, angling for man’s approval all the time (Luke 20:45-47; Matt. 6:1-8; 23:2-7). Jesus was very sharp with them on these points.
In Galatians, Paul condemns the Judaizers’ “Christ-plus” message as obscuring and indeed denying the all-sufficiency of the grace revealed in Jesus (Gal. 3:1-3; 4:21; 5:2-6). In Colossians, he conducts a similar polemic against a similar “Christ-plus” formula for “fullness” (i.e., spiritual completion: Col. 2:8-23). Any “plus” hat requires us to take action in order to add to what Christ has given us is a reversion to legalism and, in truth, an insult to Christ.So far, then, from enriching our relationship with God, as it seeks to do, legalism in all its forms does the opposite. It puts that relationship in jeopardy and, by stopping us focusing on Christ, it starves our souls while feeding our pride. Legalistic religion in all its forms should be avoided like the plague.
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6 comments:
Excellent words! Thank you. All the good deeds in the world without the right heart are meaningless. 1 Corinthians 13!
Justification is by grace alone through faith alone. However, as the reformers said, "Faith is never alone."
Works flow out of a regenerate heart to glorify God.
Thanks for the post.
Chris
The Moment of Truth
Bryan and Chris,
GOD'S GRACE, That he first chose us and we were not deserving of his GRACE. Only by the Blood of Jesus do we have his Saving Grace.
Thanks for visiting
Your Brother in Christ
FIRST-PERSON: Spiritual warfare and you
By David Jeremiah
Aug 25, 2006
David Jeremiah
EL CAJON, Calif. (BP)--Arizona police officers were dismayed to discover that their bulletproof vests were defective. Now it’s a full-blown scandal.
Christians are engaged in spiritual warfare against a powerful enemy. Paul says, in essence, “You’re going to face a powerful, invisible enemy every day -- the devil. ... Put on your body armor and be prepared to fight him and his demonic hosts. Put on every piece of your battle dress” (Ephesians 6:10-20).
Paul lists seven pieces of equipment every Christian should wear to win this spiritual battle:
“Stand ... having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always ...” (verses 14-18).
-- The combat harness.
The Christian’s combat harness is truth. Paul said, “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.” Jesus said, “I am the ... truth” (John 14:6). Satan is like a roaring lion seeking someone to destroy. He’s a liar, deceiver, serpent, the accuser of the brethren. Whatever he says to us is a distortion.
-- The bulletproof vest.
Our “shield of righteousness” is the Christian’s bulletproof vest. Be honest, upright, authentic and full of integrity. The little sins we tolerate represent dangerous “holes” in our bulletproof vests. You can be sure that sooner or later, Satan will aim right at that spot.
-- The tactical duty boots.
Wear the shoes of the Gospel of Peace. Just as the right boots protect our soles, the peace of the Gospel protects our souls. The Good News of Christ brings composure to our lives, putting hard leather between us and the jagged stones of fear and doubt.
That’s why the Bible constantly tells us, “Do not fret ... do not fear ... do not let your hearts be troubled ... do not be anxious ... don’t be discouraged.”
-- The riot shield.
Trust God and keep going when everything falls apart: “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
-- The helmet.
Wear the “helmet of salvation. Possess the mind of Christ. Think as Jesus thinks, equipping yourself with the wisdom of God.
Our battle will be won or lost in the realm of ideas. We read in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5: “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
Are you increasingly letting the Holy Spirit give you His wisdom as you read the Word of God and pray?
-- The assault rifle.
The “sword of the Spirit” is our assault rifle. Until now, all the armor has been defensive. Now we come to our offensive weapon -- the Word of God.
In Matthew 4, Jesus confronted Satan with three simple words: “It is written....” And then He quoted passages from Deuteronomy to defeat Satan.
Think of areas in which you know Satan will tempt you, find some Bible verses relating to those areas, write them out on little cards, and put them where you see them often. Memorize them. Learn them by heart, and be ready to use them when the Enemy confronts you.
-- The radio -- prayer.
Paul says, "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18).
Praying always ... all prayer ... all perseverance ... for all the saints. Our prayer lives should be strong, consistent, and sincere. The prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective (James 5:16).
God intends us to be “more than conquerors,” but we have to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Be dressed for battle, keep your armor on, and when it’s all over but the shouting, you’ll still be on your feet.
--30--
David Jeremiah is the founder of Turning Point for God, senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif., and chancellor of San Diego Christian College (formerly Christian Heritage College). For more information on Turning Point, visit www.TurningPointOnline.org.
Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Early in the Morning
Scripture Reference: Nehemiah 4:1-23
Working Together
So we labored in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
It was not until the year 539 B.C. that the Persian king Cyrus decreed that Jews and other captives could return to their homelands after a long Babylonian captivity. Wave after wave of expatriates made the journey back to a beleaguered land of promise. While yet captive, however, the news came to Nehemiah that the wall of Jerusalem had never been repaired since its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. Brigands and robbers could attack the city at will. Nehemiah was distressed and became terribly burdened for his home town. He secured the necessary papers from Artaxerxes, the Persian king at that time, to return to his homeland and rebuild the wall around Jerusalem.
In 444 B.C. Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem and soon afterwards went by night on an inspection tour of the city walls. He elicited help to rebuild the ruined fortification both from residents and returnees. Volunteers quickly came to his side, but so did villains. Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite heard that Nehemiah had come to rebuild the walls and "it grieved them exceedingly that there was a man come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel" (Nehemiah 2:10).
At first Sanballat and Tobiah had only scorned the idea that these feeble Jews would fortify their city. But now they had become seriously alarmed. A conspiracy was formed of the Arabians, Ammonites, and Philistines of Ashdod. The enemies of Nehemiah were ready to attack Jerusalem before the fortifications could be completed.
When Nehemiah heard the news of this conspiracy, he made proper response. Nehemiah 4:9 says, "Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them." Nehemiah immediately turned to God in prayer but just as immediately made preparations to defend himself. This is the delicate balance between faith and works which is needed in each of our lives. With a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other the workmen continued to rebuild the walls. They would both watch and pray. The end result was summed up in Nehemiah’s words, “So we labored in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared” (Nehemiah 4:21). With each one doing his part, the task was finished in record time to the glory of the Lord.
The story could have been much different if, for example, those who worked complained that those who watched were not doing their fair share. Nehemiah’s workmen had to recognize they were all laborers together with God (1 Corinthians 3:9), as we must today if we are going to accomplish anything for God.
The following parable illustrates this principle. A carpenter’s tools were having a conference. Brother Hammer was presiding, but the others informed him that he’d have to leave because he was too noisy. “All right,” he said, “I’ll go, but Brother Plane must withdraw too. There’s no depth to his work. It’s always on the surface.” Brother Plane responded, “Well, Brother Rule will also have to go. He’s constantly measuring people as if he were the only one who’s right.” Brother Rule complained about Brother Sandpaper, saying, “He’s always rubbing people the wrong way.” In the midst of the discussion the Carpenter of Nazareth entered. He went to His workbench to make a pulpit from which He would preach the gospel. He used the hammer, the plane, the rule and the sandpaper. All were important in their own way.
If Christians criticize one another, insult one another, and refuse to work together for God, the task of gleaning the whitened harvest fields will never be completed for His glory. Though differences remain between believers, let us always recognize who the true enemy really is. It is Satan. Each of us possesses different gifts and abilities, but none of us is unimportant in the work of the Lord. Let’s defeat our common enemy this day.
MORNING HYMN
To the work! to the work! we are servants of God,
Let us follow the path that our Master has trod;
With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew,
Let us do with our might what our hands find to do.
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