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NASB | James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of [breaking] all of it. |
Subject: Joe, I agree with you here. |
Bible Note: Joe, Here's my understanding: "What is the ultimate reason for God saving us?...is there " a "bigger picture"?" -- Joe, there is indeed a bigger picture and you have stated it better than I could right here: "I hold that God's highest passion is to glorify Himself, since he is the epitome of all that is holy and just and morally upright...Therefore, I am not the center of God's creation; He is." -- Joe, I agree 120 percent. Especially with the fact that I am not the center of God's creation, He is (although we both know that Christ was not 'created' like man was). "As far as works go, I hold that good works ALWAYS accompany the transforming presence of Christ in those who have true faith." --Joe, some people do not live long enough after conversion to manifest any good works. Granted, this is rare, but it is none the less true. So to say that "good works ALWAYS accompany the transforming presence of Christ" is probably a little stricter than what I would say. I would phrase it this way: Given time, the transforming presence of Christ will manifest itself through good works. We are created for good works and I agree with that whole-heartedly. But, in my opinion, to say that good works ACCOMPANY the presence of Christ implies that the presence of Christ and good works are separate. I.e. good works and Christ presence are distinct from each other. I believe that Christ's presence is the SOURCE of the good works. As you know from my other posts, I think that any good works that we do apart from Him being our source are works of the flesh and will be burnt up. I believe that God will only bless what He initiates and performs through us. Christ did many good works but He did them through the power of the Spirit and because the Father told Him to. So, technically, good works did not ACCOMPANY Christ. He performed them as He abided in His Father. I hope you don't think that I'm nit-picking. But I do feel the distinction is important. As Christ abided in the Father, we are called to abide in Christ. "God-honoring traits and actions are the work of God..." --Notice what you say here, Joe, they are the WORK OF GOD manifested "... in the lives of every believer to demonstrate that we truly are his." --Agreed. "Works are important, and God will require them" --Once again, Joe, I have a problem with the words 'God will require them.' Every good and righteous trait and deed that we as Christians manifest is merely a reflection of what God has given and done in us. God requires holiness. Thru Christ He makes us holy. God requires perfection. Thru Christ, He makes us perfect. God requires 100 percent obedience. Thru Christ, God makes us obedient, etc. This is the nature of grace. What God required, fulfillment of the Law, He Himself fulfilled in Jesus Christ. What God requires of us, He Himself supplies. He says, "Love Me above all else." Then John says, "We love Him because He first loved us." God says, "Forgive men." Paul writes, "Forgive others as Christ has forgiven you." He is the source. We respond to Him, not He to us. "That is why, as a believer, I delight in the moral commandments of God found in the Law." --Joe, this is not one-upmanship, but I delight in Christ. I will boast in what He has done not the Law. Christ alone is my glory. Christ's 'morality' transcends even the Law. He demonstrated this with the Sermon on the Mount. How righteous do we have to be? As righteous as the Law? No. As righteous as the Father in heaven. And that kind of righteousness only comes as a gift. "Of course, we have and always will fall short of those requirements." --In our actions while on earth, yes. That is why God gave us His righteousness. We could never accomplish His righteousness on our own. "Gospel is the proclamation of God's grace and mercy extended to us who fall short of fulfilling God's demand of absolute holy conduct, through the work of Christ Jesus, who did indeed fulfill the Law in his sinless life on earth." --Agreed. And the mystery of this wonderful Gospel, Joe, is that through the Holy Spirit, this Jesus Christ who is the epidomy of God's glory is united with God's creation, man. Man now 'measures up' because of the union we have with Christ. We died to the Law so that we could be married to Christ. The marriage supper hasn't happened yet but we are already in union with Him, are we not? We are baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ and He is in us. No longer is God separate from His creation. We can manifest God to others around us through good works because this God that they long to see actually dwells within. What a wonderful salvation! In Christ, Bill Mc |