Tag: GRACE

 

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.   

 

Sometime things are hard to see even if it is right in front of our eyes, but praise God he has giving us a Spiritual Mirror so we can not only see but understand his words. 

Story:    I once had a Boat named the Egabrag 1

You might ask what was so great about the Egabrag,it was no different then any other Vessel, but it had one of the most importance jobs in the Military working for the US Navy

Every day it preformed it job flawless, it never failed to do its job, too much was counting on it to fulfill its daily mission.

For almost 20 years it worked non stop, She was not much to look at but her Crew had great pride in running her

When she was decommissioned and I took her over, I just could not help but wonder, Who could of came up with a name like Egabrag 1 the name just did not made sense, until one of the Crew told me, people in California did not like a boat being called the Garbage 1   Egabrag backwards is Garbage         

Sometimes the Bible is like that; but just because we don’t understand a topic in the Bible it does not mean we should just skip over or pass it by, for it is by studying God word that we uncover the true meaning of the hidden truth berried deep in Gods word.

Let Us Pray

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Are law’s importance?

Do laws put us in bondage?

Have you ever lived in a place where there were no laws?

What do you thing would happen to the USA if there were no law’s to govern the people?

 

Just think, if there were no laws; you could do whatever you want and no one would stop you. Except everyone else is doing the same thing as you, and there is no one stopping them either.

 

Do you see where a problem could come from?

 

What if I don’t like stopping for red lights, there are always a pain and turn red at the wrong times. So I am going to just drive straight through them from now on. I might not live long doing that; but remember there are no laws telling me I can’t.

 

Laws are not made to keep us from something good! They are made to keep us happy and safe. So everyone knows what to expect from the other person.

 

Were Gods Law’s to be a burden or a joy to mankind?

 

What about Grace if we have Grace Do we still need Law’s?

First we must understand What is GRACE?

We don’t have to earn it. It is the most valuable gift of all. The Scripture says in Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Salvation does not come from any human effort. It is a free gift without money and without price, or let’s says with out cost to Mankind

In Revelation 5:9, the redeemed are pictured as standing before the throne of God, both the redeemed from the Old Testament times and from the New Testament times, singing glory to Jesus, the Lamb, “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”

A great, fundamental truth is expressed here—the only way a sinner can be saved is through the blood of Jesus. Since the time of Adam, sinners have been saved only by believing and having Faith in Jesus.

If men are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, where does the Ten Commandment law come in?

Throughout all the ages of controversy between Christ and Satan, the devil has sought to destroy the authority of God over man by casting the law aside and by preventing knowledge of the truth about God’s law.

The enemy of Christ brings this about by rejection of the law; or a wrong concept or understanding of the dispensation of the law as opposed to the dispensation of the gospel.  This is what we call being one sided or not seeing the hold picture.

Satan could bring in the principle of salvation through works, and prevent the functioning of the law according to God’s design.

Kind of writing it out backward so that you see it but don’t truly understand what it is saying.   Do you see the ECARG & HTIAF  Grace & Faith

 

The role that the law fulfills in relation to the gospel is two-fold.

1.  First, it is God’s standard of what is right and true.  As a standard the law expresses the mind and the will of God, for in Psalm 40:8 it says, “I delight to do thy will, 0 my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.”

2.  Second the law also declares man’s duty to God, for in Ecclesiastes 12:13 we read, “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

How often I have heard Christians boast that they don’t care about those old laws of God. “Why”

 Because they hide behind Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

They say that since they are saved by grace, through the atoning blood of Christ, they don’t have to keep God’s commandments at all. Have you ever heard that theory?

BUT:  You can not take just one scripture from the Bible and make a completed doctrine, that my friend is a very dangerous way to live. Because when you live your life that way you are not truly living it for Jesus, but for what fits your life style.

In Romans 6:15, the very next verse in the chapter, Paul says, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Paul says God forbid.” The fourteenth verse has stated, “Sin shall not have dominion over us,” or “it shall not be our ruler.”

We are not under Sin or the condemnation of the law either, when we obey God.

Why?

Because we are saved by grace, But that does not license us to sin? “God forbid.”

 

When an individual is saved by grace, he is under greater obligation than ever before to keep the laws of God.

As it says in Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.”

 

Are we licensed to break the law of God because we are saved by grace and saved by faith? God forbid. “Yea,” he says, “we establish the law.” The law is firmer than ever in our lives.

Question?

Who is under the law today in your city? Those who have broken it; they are under the law, and in jail.

The man who keeps the law, is the man who is free today.

The law breaker is under the condemnation of the law and doing time in jail.

Right here let us stop a moment and read the definition of sin in 1 John 3:4. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

Are we clear on this. When a man sins he has transgressed the law.

Who’s Law; “GOD”.

Every sinner has broken the law. What is sin? “The transgression of the law.” When a man sins, what does he do? He breaks the law of God.

There must be a law, otherwise he couldn’t break it. We are not under the law unless we break the Law.

 

I would fear to be called a minister of the Lord today and tell people it is ok to break Gods laws.

 

Matt: 5:19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 

How does God feel about man making his own laws and rules and teaching people to live by them instead of his commandment Law’s.

 

Matt:15:9: But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

 

Is there danger in not keeping God Commandments?

 

You might say; Lord I am saved by grace I was told I don’t need to keep those old laws.

 

The governor of the state has life-and-death power. A man has been sentenced and condemned to die. He is under the sentence of death. Friends intervene; they present evidence to the governor, special factors involved in this case—contributing factors as to why this individual was caught in this particular crime.

As the governor investigates the evidence, he feels that this man deserves clemency; so he uses his official prerogative as the head of the commonwealth. He takes his pen and dips it in the ink and signs across those condemnation papers, “PARDONED,” and then signs his name.

That condemned man, my friend, has been saved by grace, not by his works or by his goodness.

He was doomed to die, and being ever so good in that death cell would never, never in this world save him. That is very obvious.

In other words, after an individual has broken the commandments of God, he cannot be good enough to save himself. The wages of sin is what? Death. We have all sinned, so are under the sentence of death. And there is only one way of salvation, through Jesus Christ.

Now the condemned man is pardoned. He can hardly believe his eyes as he sees the kindness, the stroke of generosity and love shown by that governor.

PARDONED. SAVED. FREE. You meet the freed man a little later and he says,

“Wonderful what that governor did for me, and wonderful this new freedom of mine.

Now I can break the law all I want, for the governor set me free from the law and from the sentence of death. I am saved by his grace.”

Did the governor pardon him so he could go out and become a greater law breaker? Shall we who are saved by grace continue law breaking? “God forbid.” We are under even greater obligation to keep the law because we are saved by God’s grace.

Matt:22: 36-40

36: Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37: Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38: This is the first and great commandment.

39: And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

 

Love the Lord thy God it is the first four of the Ten Commandments;

Love thy neighbor it is the last six of the Ten Commandments;

 

Do we find any evident of keeping the old Jewish Ten Commandment Law in the New Testament    Yes we do….

 

Matt:19:17: And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Mark:10:19: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

 

Luke:18:20: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother

 

Luke:1:6: And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

 

Over and over and over again we hear Jesus telling the people to keep his commandments.

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If you really Love the lord, and want to show him that you Love him, then do what?

Show him you love him by doing what he tells you to do.

 

I have heard some say, “Those commandments were only for the Jews.” Then a Christian can lie and steal, and murder people, and do anything else that he pleases. Is that possible?

Jesus says in ” John:14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments.

It was because Gods Laws were broken that Jesus gave His life. If these were to be abolished, why not abolish them before Jesus came to die? Then His death would not have been necessary.

 

John:14:21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

John:15:10: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

 

Some people say, “Well, I can’t leave my church.” We’re not talking about church my friend.

We’re talking about following God. And if your church is in the way of you following God then you need to move out of it…….

Don’t look at the people. Look at the Light God is showing you.

We need to take one more quick glance here at what Jesus said. Matthew 7:21. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

Now notice verse 22. This is an amazing statement by our Lord. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”

Oh yes, miracle worked in the name of Jesus. Good so called Christian people who refuse to do one thing, and that was to keep God’s laws. 

Don’t you see Christ’s answer now in verse 23. “Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Oh, this is one of the most sobering passages in the Word of God, because we’re led face to face here with an understanding which we can’t escape—that it makes a difference to God what we believe and how we live.

 It isn’t enough to say, “Yes, I believe. I’m a church member.” Church will never get you to Heaven

 It’s a matter of how you live and what you believe about God that makes a difference.

Many will say, “Lord, we’ve cast out devils. We’ve done miracles. We’ve prophesied.” And yet, they will be lost.

It makes a difference what we believe. Anchor your faith firmly, my friends, to the rock of Scripture “GOD’s WORD” and nothing else.

Christian can you say you know Jesus and not keep his Commandments

 

1John:2:3: And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

1John:2:4: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

That’s not my saying brother and sister, for it is written in the book called the Bible, which is none other then God word.

1John:3:22: And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

People are always looking for bargains, for special discounts. Some churches advertise, “Come to us, we will give you a bargain, 10% off of the Ten Commandments.” But will that stand in the judgment?

Just because some great churches tell you that they will make it easy and only ask you to keep nine of the Ten Commandments, is that sufficient? Will you pass in the judgment day?

Has any church the right to discount the commandments of God? How do we dare imagine that we are on the high road to heaven when we knowingly break any of God’s commandments?

Matt: 5:19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

1John:3:24: And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

1John:5:2: By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

1John:5:3: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

 

So now we know that it is very importance to keep God’s commandments.

If you love God then who are you enemy with, That’s right the world.

For you can’t love God and the world!

 

What are we told will happen to God people because they love the Lord their God and claim to be his people. His people who keep his Laws and keep the testimony’s of his Son Jesus Christ.

 

Rv:12:17: And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Rv:14:12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Rv:22:14: Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

If the world hated Jesus then you know it will also hate you, But don’t worry He Jesus will give you the power needed to obey

Some time ago one of the items of interest in the newspaper was about a cave-in in a mine down in Pennsylvania somewhere—I think you might remember it. There were some miners trapped but there was reason to believe they were still alive under ground.

There was no way to dig down through the mine shaft that had caved in so they were hoping the miners were off to the side of the main shaft in a little room in a horizontal shaft.

So they brought in a great drilling rig and started drilling down through that solid rock trying to get into that room where they felt they were probably entombed.

Hour after hour, day after day, while the world watched, virtually holding its breath, as the news media portrayed for us the picture of how they went down there 6 inches and then another foot and down finally to three feet.

The families camped at the mouth of the mine where the rescue operations were going on.

Finally the day came when that great boring rig bore through the ceiling of that room where the miners were trapped. Rapidly it was withdrawn and they lowered a microphone taped to a little speaker down that hole.

The man who was directing the rescue operation at the top spoke into his end of the microphone and said, “Are you alright? Are you alive? Are you there?!”

 

And then a voice came back from the heart of the earth. “Yes, we’re here. We’re alright.”

 

 A great shout went up from the rescue workers at the opening of that pit. Then the director said this into the microphone. “What do you want the most?” There was a pause and then a voice came back, “FREEDOM.”

Oh friends, heaven is involved in the greatest rescue operation the world has ever known.

All the universe is watching. Day after day, week after week, year after year, for the last six-thousand horrible years,

God has been seeking to rescue those of us who have been entombed by the avalanche of sin.

What must it do to His heart by our procrastination, our idleness, our spiritual postponement of eternal things.

We send back a message and say, “Oh, we’re satisfied with the trinkets, we’re satisfied with the things, but thanks just the same.”

How shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation?

Have you every ask your self just what is GRACE anyway,

Well here it is in a nut shell

GRACE    “God’s Riches At Christ Expense”

 

 

 

 

Elder Tim McNab                                                                                 Restoring Gods Truth Ministry