Results 1 - 5 of 5
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Grace AND? | Matt 6:20 | Morant61 | 120371 | ||
Greetings Rowdy! I'm not sure if we're in as much agreement as you think! :-) Let's just be clear here that we can produce fruit because we do abide in Him. Abiding in Him is not conditioned upon producing fruit. The production of fruit comes as a result of us abiding in Him. In other words, my salvation is not based upon, nor dependent upon what I do in any way. It is entirely based upon His grace. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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2 | Grace AND? | Matt 6:20 | Rowdy | 120376 | ||
I'm all for active listening and confirmation of understanding whenever possible. Let's reverse the scenario for a moment. Say, I or anyone else does a self-inspection (soul searching) and concludes he/she isn't doing quite enough in response to our God's love which really should happen almost every day above ground. If we determine that our talents are not being utilized to the fullest potential, we should do some shopping and try something else. Read God's Word with special emphasis in this area, i.e. fruits of the spirit, James or Matt 25 and other key areas of the Bible for "inspiration" or ideas. Basically we should be compelled to do everything we can to fulfill our part of that vineyard. We should make certain our heart and mind are completely humble and submissive to God's Will. We could always ask the senior members in our congregation, like the elders and deacons what areas of the Lord's church in their opinion could use another warm body and see if our talents and interests lie in that particular branch of the vine. As long as we ARE in fact doing everything we can to be productive and fruitful for the Lord, then His Grace will cover the rest. One of the most neglected areas I like to try to tackle is that ministry of Barnabas, referred to as encouraging christians in their trials and tribulations. Yes, again, I say Amen! Our salvation is NOT based on ANY thing we can do. Our Lord does it all BUT like I said, IF we look back on our lives and don't see some fruit of His Godliness in our lives, how can we expect Him to see it on Judgment Day? I'm thinking maybe this whole controversy with Hank, BradK and everyone else dealing with this subject is based on the word "works." Maybe it's a translation thing, I'm not sure. But I'm convinced like you that we can't possibly earn our way to Heaven but I'm also convinced we can't go to Heaven unless we've done everything in our power and truly gave it our best effort to be fruitful and productive in the Lord's vineyard, His church here on earth. So again, I guess it boils down to our attitude. Does this clear up the questions you had? I hope so. God bless. --Rowdy |
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3 | Grace AND? | Matt 6:20 | BradK | 120384 | ||
Rowdy, You're almost getting it my friend:-) If you would, re-read what Tim wrote you. It is succinct. You said "But I'm convinced like you that we can't possibly earn our way to Heaven but I'm also convinced we can't go to Heaven unless we've done everything in our power and truly gave it our best effort to be fruitful and productive in the Lord's vineyard." This still sounds like you're stradling the fence- maybe we need to substitute "should" for "can't" when you speak of going to heaven. It's a done deal if I'm IN CHRIST! I am motivated to good works BECAUSE of His grace (Eph. 2:10,Titus 2:11-12). Speaking the Truth in Love, BradK |
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4 | Grace AND? | Matt 6:20 | Rowdy | 120387 | ||
It's only a done deal if we're actually drawing nearer to God as He draws us nearer to Him. Remember the guidance from 1 John; we must maintain that fellowship in God's light AND our fellow brethren in God's family. Also, we must die or meet the Lord's return with a completely guilt free conscience. If we're in prayer constantly or as much as humanly possible and repent of our shortcomings as much as possible, then of course God's Grace will cover us. I hope this helps and God bless. --Rowdy PS: Do you have a response to the other points in my recent posts? Nos 120368 and 120278 |
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5 | Grace AND? | Matt 6:20 | BradK | 120395 | ||
Rowdy, I'm afraid you're completely miising the point. you are back to saved by grace, kept by works:-( You're mixing the completed work of salvation with the PROCESS of santification. We need to revisit the definition of salvation. We'll dialog a bit more later. I've got to go, my friend. BradK |
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