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NASB | Matthew 6:20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 6:20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; |
Subject: Grace AND? |
Bible Note: 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 |