Abiding

The Correlation of Grace and Good Works [podcast]

Paula White Exposed [video]

THAT’s My King! Pastor Lockridge [video]

Powerful Prayers from Children-This Will Shake You [video]

The Fear of the LORD is to Hate Evil: Pride, and Arrogancy #shorts [video]

Confused about how grace, faith, and works correlate?

“We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” Ephesians 2:10

We are saved by God through Christ’s perfect sacrifice, by grace through faith, and yet true saving faith ALWAYS produces the fruit of an obedient, holy life. Obedience saves no one and yet is the fruit, the proof one truly knows and is known of God. Anyone teaching otherwise is fulfilling the grace-perverting prophesy of Jude 4. Read James 2; 1 John 2:3-6, chapter 3, etc.

FALSE GRACE ALERT. JUDE WARNED US!

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (license to sin), and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 3-4

IF your definition of grace is that God saves into Heaven those who die in sin, you are a false teacher. Repent now wicked one (Ezekiel 18:4; 33:12-13; 2 Peter 2:20-21, etc.).

We are doing God’s Word empowered by our LORD’s Holy Ghost and grace through the cross life, and having our hearts established in His grace and not so much just do’s and don’ts….. 2 Corinthians 4:10-12 and Hebrews 13:9.

Understanding the salvation of our God in Christ does wonders to envelope us in His love, to forge sonship in our heart as “we cry, Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)

Jesus alone can save and He does that when the recipient repents and receives Him by faith (Acts 20:21, etc.). Only then, after one is truly born again, will there be the fruit of good works, that is, if they truly were genuinely saved (Titus 3:5-7). Yet the good fruit saves no one…. it only testifies to where that person’s heart is. Good fruit is only produced in the lives of those who are truly saved (Matthew 12:33; Galatians 5:22-23, etc.).

Repentance and faith required for salvation – initially and ongoing (Acts 20:21). Abide/remain/continue – or burn (John 15:6). The fruit that proves one is truly saved is that they obey Christ. John 14:15; Matt 3:7-10; 7:21; 1 John 2:4; Titus 1:16, 1 John 3, etc.

If a person is not obeying the LORD, they prove not to be trusting Him by faith (James 2; 1 John 2:3-6; ). So it’s about the authenticity of faith – whether one’s faith is real or fake.

God requires us to admit we are evil sinners and repent, turn to Him, putting our faith in His Son’s perfect finished work …. that’s where it all begins.

And as we do, as we abide in Christ to the end, the fruit of good works WILL be born and perpetually manifesting in our lives (John 15).

Daily immersion in God’s Word is where His “great peace” is (Psalms 119:165).

Good works are not the way to Jesus. Jesus is the way to God-glorifying good works. Without being genuinely born again and presently abiding in Christ, in His stated terms, our works are on vain.

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5

Those who know the LORD, are known of Him, WILL absolutely bring forth the good and corresponding fruit that glorifies Christ (Galatians 5:22-24, etc.).

Salvation is all about knowing Jesus and the Father and being known of Him, right? Memorize John 17:3 now. Also, read Philippians 3:10. Notice Paul speaks of “NOT having mine own righteousness.” See Philippians 3:6-10.

Verses like Hebrews 13:9 and 2 Peter 3:18 though should be in our daily prayers. Salvation is God’s gift to us earned by Christ alone (Romans 6:23). Reading the end of Romans 3 over and over, prayerfully, helped me much. Only the ardent student of the LORD, and therefore of Holy Scripture, will be blessed with a deep peace in the balance of the divine salvation plan of God (Psalms 119:165). This comes over time and deep study and therefore not overnight.

The eternal security heretics teach that Jesus’ salvation wasn’t enough to give us victory over what He came to die to save us from – sin. Nonsense. Romans 6. This is how they justify living in sin.

IF YOU WERE ACCUSED OF BEING A DISCIPLE OF JESUS, WOULD THERE BE EVIDENCE ENOUGH TO PROVE IT?

Good works are commanded in the New Testament (Titus 3:8, etc.) and always present where saving grace is found (Ephesians 2:8-10). Good fruit and good works do not save and yet, they are the proof one is truly saved (Matthew 7:15, 20; Titus 1:16; James 2:14-26; 1 John 2:4-5, etc.).

There are lots of believers in need of a more complete knowledge and understanding of biblical salvation. There are many half-baked believers who have a partial knowledge of what the Bible teaches about Christ’s salvation.

Righteousness is first imparted to us from God – imputed to us when we stop, repent, and believe upon Christ (Romans 4). Then, we let our, His light shine through us via good works. Jesus says: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Those saved by grace truly, without exception, bring forth the fruit of good works. Got fruit? The fruit of good works saves no one – yet it’s always the evidence of true saving grace in a person’s life.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

Just because Jesus paid it all does not mean that Jesus doesn’t have stated conditions for receiving His gift of salvation. Repentance and faith are those conditions and true repentance and faith will be demonstrated, proved by who we love which is who we obey! (Matthew 3:7-10; Luke 9:23-24; 14:27, 33; 17:33; John 14:15; 15:14; Romans 6; James 2; 1 John 2:3-6, etc.). – “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works…” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” Titus 2:11-12

“The understanding is, if I am truly abiding in Christ, the Vine (John 15:4-5), my first love, then the fruit will come from Him, and not of my own making — but through me. Again, it’s relationship with Christ that is the root of the matter, and not just outwardly keeping a list of rules (living under the law).” Debbie Lord

Jesus is 100% the One who saves us.

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. … We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:9-10, 19

Jesus saves us we meet HIS stated conditions – repentance, saving faith which always produces good works.

“Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21

Jesus saves us, not our faith and obedience which simply appropriate His salvation. Saving faith and obedience to Him are always found in each of those who are His. Repentance and faith are the conditions – to the end of ones life on earth (Acts 20:21; Revelation 2:26).

Jesus alone can save. No one saves themself. Jesus “by himself purged our sins.” (Hebrews 1:3) Yes God requires your repentance and faith and yet it’s still Christ that saves you.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:5-7

One disciple writes:

“How can we stop sinning without the convicting power of the Holy Spirit in us? We can’t! It was after I became born again that sin became a problem. I needed the Holy Spirit to help me get sanctified! And it is ongoing until my last earthly breath. We get more and more Holy as we submit to His way.”

Saving faith in ones heart will always result in good fruit, good works…. a changed life (2 Cor 5:17-18; Eph 2:8-10; James 2, etc.).

Response to the now blocked heretic who posted a link titled “James was wrong”:

No heretick, phony Bible corrector… you simply do not understand how to synthesize the whole of Scripture. Repent for denying Christ by denying what HE chose to be in His Word.

Paul taught how to be saved (by faith) while James shows us exactly what saving faith looks like – it’s full of good works because those saved are “his workmanship” and the LORD is working in them (Ephesians 2:8-10).

QUESTION RECEIVED:

“Hi My brother. I need some godly counsel. If we are saved by grace through faith why are we judged by our works? Is this faith through works because faith without works is dead? If it is a free gift why does it cost us our lives? If it is the finished work on the cross what does that exactly mean? Please answer these questions because I am struggling with this.” Cat

REPLY:

Hi Cat. “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations” (Revelation 2:26).

Keeping His works – obeying Him – proves one is truly in Him, knows Him.

Because what you do is the clear indication, the fruit of your real knowledge of Jesus. The fruit of good works can only come out of intimacy (John 15, 17).

It would be impossible to find someone who is truly saved by His grace who does not have the fruit of good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Because works are the fruit that you know and are abiding in Christ

The fruit of good works will always be found in a truly rooted, grounded and abiding saint.

Read John 15:1-16 prayerfully, closely.

Good fruit, good works save no one and yet, they are always the produce of a life that is truly in Christ.

Christ did His work perfectly on the cross, accomplishing redemption for fallen man. Yet we must never negate anything Jesus taught. He gave us conditions and we either choose to love Him more than self or deny Him for the idolatry of self.

Meditate now and forever on what He says in Matthew 22:37-39; Luke 9:23-24; John 12:23-25.

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Repentance and Fruit

The Essential of Repentance “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 God’s not willing that any should perish and yet we see that some will not, choose not to repent and will be damned irrevocably . “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet REPENTED NOT of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and […]

Grace and Good Works [podcast]

We who are Saved by Grace through Faith are “His Workmanship” “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10 The born again believer is “justified by faith,” sanctified by faith, set apart to the LORD (Psalms 4:3). God deals with the sin and the sinner. He makes us new creatures in Christ upon […]

WHO Do You Love? [podcast]

We must all examine ourselves by asking: WHO is the supreme love of my life? When we truly repent, all our ways will be changed and we will fear or honor no man or woman above God. King Asa is a great example. Notice here in the verse below how we are informed by the record of Holy Writ that Asa violently removed his mother from being queen and publicly destroyed her sinful works of idolatry! “And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in […]

Abiding

“Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith” [podcast]

Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith and He requires our personal participation both initially and ongoing, as we “endure to the end”, abiding in Him (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; John 15, etc.).

“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?” John 6:66-67

WHERE O WHERE are we going to go if we depart from Jesus? …. does He, the eternal God and Creator of all things not hold the future of every living soul in His holy hand?

FB Meyer on John 6:60-71

“THE SIFTING OF JESUS’ FOLLOWERS
Christ’s pathetic question-Will ye also go away?-elicited from Peter a reply which proved that the inner meaning of His words had already broken upon their souls. ‘Thy words give us and nourish within us the eternal life.'”

“Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?” John 6:66-67

There are many today, who like the 5,000 who departed from Christ, leave when they hear the cross message – the divine command to be crucified with Christ. Jesus asks us today: “Will you allow He who authored your faith to finish it?”

“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ²Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. ³For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ²God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ³Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ⁴Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: ⁶knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ⁷For he that is dead is freed from sin. ⁸Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ⁹knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. ¹⁰For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. ¹¹Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ¹³Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ¹⁴For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. ¹⁵What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. ¹⁶Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness”? Romans 6:1-16

“In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. ⁵For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. ⁶As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: ⁷rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. ⁸Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. ⁹For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. ¹⁰And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” Colossians 2:3-10

The Gospel, the Resurrection of Christ

1 Corinthians 15

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Christology | The Cross