THE TEST OF GRACE AND FAITH
WEDNESDAY 12-28-11
~Ephesians 2:8-9, “For By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith, And That Not Of Yourselves; It Is The Gift Of God, 9 Not Of Works, Lest Anyone Should Boast.”
~Genesis 4; ~Cain Approached God On The Basis Of His Works; ~Abel Approached God On The Basis Of Faith.
~Ephesians 2:9; Paul Talks About Both The Positive And The Negative Side Of The Way Of Salvation.
~In Verse 9, He Talks About The Negative Side Of Salvation –
~NKJV “Not Of Works, Lest Anyone Should Boast.”
~NLT “Not A Reward For The Good Things We Have Done, So None Of Us Can Boast About It.”
~The Word “Works” Refers To “That Which One Undertakes To Do.”
~This Word Refers To Religious Works And Deeds.
~This Flies In The Face Of Thousands Of Years Of Human Thinking, Effort And Religious Activity.
~Man Has Always Felt Like He Had To Have A Part In His Salvation.
~Paul Tells Us That Works Are Excluded From The Process Of Salvation “Lest Any Man Should Boast.” ~The Word “Boast” Means, “To Glory In Something.”
~God’s Plan Of Salvation Is Something Far Different. ~God Works His Salvation In Us By Grace. ~Works Will Never Be The Answer… Grace Is God’s Answer!
~Rom. 3:25-28, “For God Presented Jesus As The Sacrifice For Sin. People Are Made Right With God When They Believe That Jesus Sacrificed His Life, Shedding His Blood. This Sacrifice Shows That God Was Being Fair When He Held Back And Did Not Punish Those Who Sinned In Times Past, 26 For He Was Looking Ahead And Including Them In What He Would Do In This Present Time. God Did This To Demonstrate His Righteousness, For He Himself Is Fair And Just, And He Declares Sinners To Be Right In His Sight When They Believe In Jesus. 27 Can We Boast, Then, That We Have Done Anything To Be Accepted By God? No, Because Our Acquittal Is Not Based On Obeying The Law. It Is Based On Faith. 28 So We Are Made Right With God Through Faith And Not By Obeying The Law.”
~And Now, The Positive Side Of Salvation – “Through Faith” – Vs. 8, “For By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith…”
~Salvation Is Not The Result Of Doing Anything; It Is The Result Of A Lost Sinner Simply Taking God At His Word. ~Romans 10:9, “If You Confess With Your Mouth That Jesus Is Lord And Believe In Your Heart That God Raised Him From The Dead, You Will Be Saved.”
~The Way Of Salvation Is Simply Taking God At His Word And Believing The Gospel.
~What Is The Gospel?
~1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I Delivered Unto You First Of All That Which I Also Received, How That Christ Died For Our Sins According To The Scriptures; And That He Was Buried, And That He Rose Again The Third Day According To The Scriptures:”
~The Act Of Faith Is Ours To Make, But The Faith To Act On Came From God.
~“Faith Is Simply Breathing In And Breathing Out The Breath That God’s Grace Supplies.”
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