We are either saved by grace through faith in Jesus alone, or we are saved by works. As far as salvation is concerned, the two are mutually exclusive. There can be no combination of "grace, with a little works on the side." And God’s Word makes it clear that we are saved by faith in the work of Christ on the cross alone, or we are not saved. There is no other way to be made right with God. And, there is no such thing as a 2nd class Christian. All fall short of the glory of God. All who have truly received Jesus as their Lord and Savior are saved by God's grace and mercy alone. We cannot do anything in and of ourselves to make ourselves right with God. The work of God is that you believe in His Son Jesus Christ (Jn. 6:29). What is saving faith, or what does saving faith look like? You'll see what true faith looks like when you see all the works of the Spirit that God has done in and through a person in their life and over their lifetime. Good works do not earn us salvation, but rather works done in and by the Holy Spirit are the proof of faith. The fruit of the Spirit is love; joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Let's be careful not to judge a book by its cover. We are not called to be spiritual fruit inspectors! We answer to God, and God is able to make those who trust in Him to stand. We all have a sinful nature, even the apostle Paul struggled with his (Rom. 6-8). We are called to minister God’s love and truth, through God’s Spirit and through God’s Word, and let His Spirit do the work in people’s hearts (including our own). He is our God and He will complete the work He has begun, in each of us who have surrendered to the Lord Jesus, until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6)! Oh Holy Spirit change us, and help us to be more like you, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment