April 3rd 2022
For It Is By Grace You Have Been Saved, Through Faith!
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no-one can boast.
Salvation, “it is the gift of God!” There are many ideas about how people are to conduct themselves in order for their immortal souls to be saved when they die. Worldly religions require their followers to do certain deeds that were defined by the person who started this religion. None of these religions have any real recommendations about allowing their followers to be forgiven by a loving god or God. Only Christianity offers salvation without regard to the follower’s ability to fulfill a requirement to perform good deeds in this cursed world in order for them (us) to receive salvation. Jesus Christ fulfilled ALL the requirements to allow His followers to be saved. There is nothing you can do in this cursed world that will earn your salvation!
The following response to last week’s VOW was received from a very good friend of mine. It seemed appropriate to use it here in this VOW. Thanks! Bolding added by me!
There are a lot of good, and difficult things to do (although they are the right things, just challenging) in this VOW. The love of God is key. It is a wonderful feeling of being fully and completely loved and accepted. And in that blissful experience, God never stops admonishing me to quit screwing up and change my ways! Like a perfect parent God can completely love me and criticize me. The love is so pure, I want to experience it over and over again and I know I deserve to be corrected. But I am lazy and so easily distracted. I need more discipline and to work harder at keeping Him before me. So, my experiences are very few and far between. But I have felt that love and will hang on to those blessed memories as long as my brain still functions. I do not have to believe in God, because I have experienced his Spirit. I don't believe, I KNOW.
Do you know about Jesus Christ, OR do you KNOW Jesus Christ? This is the most important question you need to answer for yourself! As Christians we are asked to work on becoming more Christ-like every day! That is the most important duty you (we) have while living in this cursed world. Are you working on trying to be sinless? Jesus once said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. "Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:48-6:1). Jesus walked this earth and was tempted but we are taught He remained sinless.
Can you remain sinless in this world? I do not believe this is possible as we have inherited a sinful nature from the Fall of Man, which brought death and suffering into this then perfect world. It is true Adam did not have a sinful nature, until he sinned by disobeying God’s command to not eat the forbidden fruit. Jesus like Adam did not have a sinful nature either, as He had no earthly father. This sinless nature and Jesus sinless life were required for Him to be the perfect sacrifice required by God for Jesus to be the Savior of this cursed world. Jesus is thus the only Savior there is available for mankind to follow to the gift of salvation!
Paul wrote about a physical torment he suffered, and how he asked Jesus to remove it from him. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
The point it seems, Paul is making for us here is that we need to depend on Jesus’ power in this life, instead of depending on our own strength. If we rely on Jesus, then we will be stronger than if we try resolving life’s problems on our own power. Are you depending on Jesus to share in the troubles you encounter in this world? Jesus told us He is willing to share a yoke to help us contend with this world. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30).
Paul wrote about how obvious to everyone on this earth it is the God/Jesus created this world and continues to sustain it. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20). The complexities of life on this earth requires that it was created by a supreme being and continues to be sustained by Him. Mankind often does not want to feel a requirement of worshipping the God of creation, as this then would also require following God’s commands. Many people do not want there to be an all-powerful God in control and sustaining this world as they would need to then try to follow this God’s rules. They desire to make their own rules, as it allows then they perceive more freedom.
Peter wrote for us about how God works in an eternal mode not a worldly timeframe to offer mankind an eternal lifetime with Him in the new world, AKA heaven, where the followers of Jesus will go when they die in this mortal life in this cursed world. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11). In this world, “after you have suffered a little while,” then God, “will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no-one can boast.
Salvation, “it is the gift of God!” There are many ideas about how people are to conduct themselves in order for their immortal souls to be saved when they die. Worldly religions require their followers to do certain deeds that were defined by the person who started this religion. None of these religions have any real recommendations about allowing their followers to be forgiven by a loving god or God. Only Christianity offers salvation without regard to the follower’s ability to fulfill a requirement to perform good deeds in this cursed world in order for them (us) to receive salvation. Jesus Christ fulfilled ALL the requirements to allow His followers to be saved. There is nothing you can do in this cursed world that will earn your salvation!
The following response to last week’s VOW was received from a very good friend of mine. It seemed appropriate to use it here in this VOW. Thanks! Bolding added by me!
There are a lot of good, and difficult things to do (although they are the right things, just challenging) in this VOW. The love of God is key. It is a wonderful feeling of being fully and completely loved and accepted. And in that blissful experience, God never stops admonishing me to quit screwing up and change my ways! Like a perfect parent God can completely love me and criticize me. The love is so pure, I want to experience it over and over again and I know I deserve to be corrected. But I am lazy and so easily distracted. I need more discipline and to work harder at keeping Him before me. So, my experiences are very few and far between. But I have felt that love and will hang on to those blessed memories as long as my brain still functions. I do not have to believe in God, because I have experienced his Spirit. I don't believe, I KNOW.
Do you know about Jesus Christ, OR do you KNOW Jesus Christ? This is the most important question you need to answer for yourself! As Christians we are asked to work on becoming more Christ-like every day! That is the most important duty you (we) have while living in this cursed world. Are you working on trying to be sinless? Jesus once said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. "Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:48-6:1). Jesus walked this earth and was tempted but we are taught He remained sinless.
Can you remain sinless in this world? I do not believe this is possible as we have inherited a sinful nature from the Fall of Man, which brought death and suffering into this then perfect world. It is true Adam did not have a sinful nature, until he sinned by disobeying God’s command to not eat the forbidden fruit. Jesus like Adam did not have a sinful nature either, as He had no earthly father. This sinless nature and Jesus sinless life were required for Him to be the perfect sacrifice required by God for Jesus to be the Savior of this cursed world. Jesus is thus the only Savior there is available for mankind to follow to the gift of salvation!
Paul wrote about a physical torment he suffered, and how he asked Jesus to remove it from him. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
The point it seems, Paul is making for us here is that we need to depend on Jesus’ power in this life, instead of depending on our own strength. If we rely on Jesus, then we will be stronger than if we try resolving life’s problems on our own power. Are you depending on Jesus to share in the troubles you encounter in this world? Jesus told us He is willing to share a yoke to help us contend with this world. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30).
Paul wrote about how obvious to everyone on this earth it is the God/Jesus created this world and continues to sustain it. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20). The complexities of life on this earth requires that it was created by a supreme being and continues to be sustained by Him. Mankind often does not want to feel a requirement of worshipping the God of creation, as this then would also require following God’s commands. Many people do not want there to be an all-powerful God in control and sustaining this world as they would need to then try to follow this God’s rules. They desire to make their own rules, as it allows then they perceive more freedom.
Peter wrote for us about how God works in an eternal mode not a worldly timeframe to offer mankind an eternal lifetime with Him in the new world, AKA heaven, where the followers of Jesus will go when they die in this mortal life in this cursed world. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11). In this world, “after you have suffered a little while,” then God, “will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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