To live honestly before God our works are done before God and not man. You see many times in life we are given a chance to do this or that good work in secret.
We have done the right thing in secret before God. And the temptation is to share the work before men.
You see we are called not to exalt ourselves in the world. Good works done in secret should often remain in secret. It is not always the case: there might be a reason to share, but more often the need to move a good work from secret to the public is a sign of sin.
Our works are before God. Only God matters. We should not value the praise of men, only God.
In fact often when we live well before God certain men will not like us. We are not above our master Jesus and many men did not like Jesus because of the way he lived. The bible assures us that it is normal for the world to find true religion unpleasant.
The world is judged simply by righteous living. The world views certain things as "impossible" and living by faith implicitly condemns the world when the "not possible" is fulfilled.
Showing posts with label works. Show all posts
Showing posts with label works. Show all posts
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The Relationship of Justification and Works
Theology has a movement from grace to works. Works are based on grace.
We first meet God in faith through grace and then we can move to works. You see works are a result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
We cannot start with works before we understand and accept grace. You see it is not humanly possible to please God.
It is the Spirit of God that enables us to grow and begin to keep his commandments. Each day we grow a bit by faith.
It is our union with God through faith that enables us to grow. We become a bit more like God as we walk through the Christian life.
The Spirit enables us to see things as God sees them and start to live as God wishes us to live.
The law of God is burdensome to the natural man because he does not like the will of God. As a man begins to walk with God through faith he begins to see the wisdom of God's ways.
Ultimately he begins to see the law as not just wise but sweet. You see God's law protects human happiness rather than hinder it.
Before man meets God he believes the law hurts or hinders his happiness, but the law actually enables human happiness.
We first meet God in faith through grace and then we can move to works. You see works are a result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
We cannot start with works before we understand and accept grace. You see it is not humanly possible to please God.
It is the Spirit of God that enables us to grow and begin to keep his commandments. Each day we grow a bit by faith.
It is our union with God through faith that enables us to grow. We become a bit more like God as we walk through the Christian life.
The Spirit enables us to see things as God sees them and start to live as God wishes us to live.
The law of God is burdensome to the natural man because he does not like the will of God. As a man begins to walk with God through faith he begins to see the wisdom of God's ways.
Ultimately he begins to see the law as not just wise but sweet. You see God's law protects human happiness rather than hinder it.
Before man meets God he believes the law hurts or hinders his happiness, but the law actually enables human happiness.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Law and Grace in Cycle
Law and Grace form a cycle in the bible. Law drives us to Grace. We know we need grace because of law.
Grace teaches us to love and follow law. We cannot separate the two.
Law without grace is legalism. In fact law increases sin. It is only grace which gives the power to keep the law.
The bible mainly bases law on grace although sometimes the direction is law which drives us to grace.
The power to follow the law is grace. The law has no ability apart from grace.
We must first trust in Christ’s righteousness and then only then try to follow the works the bible has for us to do.
Grace teaches us to love and follow law. We cannot separate the two.
Law without grace is legalism. In fact law increases sin. It is only grace which gives the power to keep the law.
The bible mainly bases law on grace although sometimes the direction is law which drives us to grace.
The power to follow the law is grace. The law has no ability apart from grace.
We must first trust in Christ’s righteousness and then only then try to follow the works the bible has for us to do.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Historicity of Christianity
The historicity of Christianity is very important. The danger of liberal theologies is their denial of historicity of Christianity.
The power of Christianity is based in the historical nature of it. The fall of Adam and the need for a second Adam to right the wrong of the first Adam are not some vague principles, they are realities.
The cross is not a principle to live by. The cross is something to have faith in. Jesus isn't primarily a moral teacher rather he is the object of faith.
There are many principles to learn in the cross and the teaching of Jesus and they are all of great importance. But the cross and teaching of Jesus can never be viewed simply moralistically without first coming to faith in the person of Jesus.
All the moral teaching in Christianity is based on the nature of God. First we must always learn who God is and what he has done. Then we can move onto moral thought.
Starting with the moral Christian teachings of Christianity is to reverse the proper order of theology, since the moral nature of Christianity is based on having a supernatural help by which one can live.
Faith proceeds works in salvation and works are only possible after faith.
The power of Christianity is based in the historical nature of it. The fall of Adam and the need for a second Adam to right the wrong of the first Adam are not some vague principles, they are realities.
The cross is not a principle to live by. The cross is something to have faith in. Jesus isn't primarily a moral teacher rather he is the object of faith.
There are many principles to learn in the cross and the teaching of Jesus and they are all of great importance. But the cross and teaching of Jesus can never be viewed simply moralistically without first coming to faith in the person of Jesus.
All the moral teaching in Christianity is based on the nature of God. First we must always learn who God is and what he has done. Then we can move onto moral thought.
Starting with the moral Christian teachings of Christianity is to reverse the proper order of theology, since the moral nature of Christianity is based on having a supernatural help by which one can live.
Faith proceeds works in salvation and works are only possible after faith.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Cheap Grace Is No Grace
Most articulations of grace are very interesting. However one articulation of grace is fairly ugly "cheap grace."
Cheap grace is roughly a position that says that once saved by grace one can live as one pleases. A number of people reject grace as independent form law because of the fear of cheap grace.
The reality is grace is apart from works. But by ones works you can perceive the truth of the grace. A saving faith will never be followed by a life with no fruit.
A good saying is that: the faith which justifies is never alone. We are justified by faith alone, but that faith is never unaccompanied by works.
A faith which never produces works is dead. Because true faith unites one to Jesus and union with Jesus always produces improvement in ones life.
The improvements may be slow and gradual, but they will always come.
Cheap grace is roughly a position that says that once saved by grace one can live as one pleases. A number of people reject grace as independent form law because of the fear of cheap grace.
The reality is grace is apart from works. But by ones works you can perceive the truth of the grace. A saving faith will never be followed by a life with no fruit.
A good saying is that: the faith which justifies is never alone. We are justified by faith alone, but that faith is never unaccompanied by works.
A faith which never produces works is dead. Because true faith unites one to Jesus and union with Jesus always produces improvement in ones life.
The improvements may be slow and gradual, but they will always come.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Relation of Faith & Works
“This is the true order of Christian pedagogy— ‘trust in His redeeming blood’ first, and then ‘try his works to do.’ Disaster always follows when the order is reversed.”
-Gresham Machen
The life of obedience to God is only possible out of our gratitude for the free gift of grace we have received through faith in Christ. The law drives us to seek refuge in Christ. It is only through faith in Christ that we can have any hope to obey God.
-Gresham Machen
The life of obedience to God is only possible out of our gratitude for the free gift of grace we have received through faith in Christ. The law drives us to seek refuge in Christ. It is only through faith in Christ that we can have any hope to obey God.
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