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Discussion Forum : General Topics : Faith is a FREE GIFT to you totally initiated by God without out any of your doing at all!

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 Faith is a FREE GIFT to you totally initiated by God without out any of your doing at all!

From Of Justification by Faith and Works BY William Law

“[Just-15] Churchman. What true Christian ever called good works our own works? Does not scripture say, "it is God who worketh in us, both to will, and to do?" Now if your faith may be called good and saving, because it is God's gift, and power within you; then a Christian's works may be called good and saving, or such as work out his salvation, because they are all wrought in God, and by his power working in him. But now, suppose one man to rely on his own faith, and another to rely upon his own works, they then are both of them carnally minded, and the faith of the one, and the works of the other, are equally the same worthless, filthy rags. On the other hand, do but (as plain scripture requires you) ascribe good works of the same original, and divine power, as a right faith must be ascribed to, and then faith and works are equally one power of God to salvation, because equally the same saving, redeeming, and sanctifying work of God in our souls.”

Most people realize that they can never be justified by the law or by works but then make efforts to obtain faith by their own efforts and right thinking. Now this is still filthy rags. If you are attempting to rely on your faith in Christ then you are as wrong as the person who relies on his works because you have made faith a work of your own efforts and abilities.

You must see that faith is a FREE GIFT and is a GIFT to you totally initiated by God without out any of your doing at all!!!

 2014/12/3 6:34
TMK
Member



Joined: 2012/2/8
Posts: 6650
NC, USA

 Re: Faith is a FREE GIFT to you totally initiated by God without out any of your doin

Then why do NT writers (and Jesus) tell people to have faith?

It seems obvious that faith is something we have to exercise.


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Todd

 2014/12/3 10:26Profile
Sidewalk
Member



Joined: 2011/11/11
Posts: 719
San Diego

 Re: Free gift

"Free gift" has been a misrepresentation of the gospel for a long time, containing a partial truth.

In the sense that the mercy of God cannot be demanded as payment for work performed- true. But God is not Santa Clause, He is the author of a covenant, and two must comply with the terms.

He offers it freely, but it will cost you your life. My repenting and believing is as nothing compared to the heavy lifting done on His part, but without it He cannot give me the precious gift.


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Tom Cameron

 2014/12/3 11:09Profile
Sidewalk
Member



Joined: 2011/11/11
Posts: 719
San Diego

 Re:

Unable to remove repeated post frame...?


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Tom Cameron

 2014/12/3 11:09Profile
dolfan
Member



Joined: 2011/8/23
Posts: 1727
Tennessee, but my home's in Alabama

 Re:

I blame Joseph Prince for a lot of confusion mongering on faith.

Why is not James enough. Faith without works is dead. Show me your faith, and I will show you works, he says. Why does he say it? "Faith without works is dead."

James never said "faith by works". He said, essentially, "works as faith". Paul said, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." What we do is an outworking of who we are. In Christ, we are made and being made like Him. So, what do our lives look like? Jesus. Our outworking lives, visible in what we do, prove who we are--Christ's or our own. Our fruit proves the kind of tree we are. We are "Jesus trees" producing His kind of fruit.

That is what faith does.

If faith is not doing this in my life, I do not have faith. If I do not have faith, I am not His. Simply put, faith is known by works. But for what I do, my own faith is an illusion, a construct of my own thinking and not even a work of the Spirit. Faith works.


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Tim

 2014/12/3 11:47Profile









 Re: Faith is a FREE GIFT to you totally initiated by God without out any of your doin

True faith is supplied to us in the Gospel message.

Grace gives us the ability to respond to what God has already done.

If we rely on our own ability and efforts to believe or even to will to have faith we remain in our filthy rags of works.

We do not have a part to play in the New Covenant. This Covenant was only made concerning us and we are just participants in it.

The gospel does not demand faith ... it supplies faith.

The gospel does not demand love ... it supplies love.

The gospel does not demand repentance ... it supplies repentance.

The gospel does not demand surrender ... it supplies surrender.

The gospel does not demand obedience ... it supplies obedience.

 2014/12/3 12:26
dolfan
Member



Joined: 2011/8/23
Posts: 1727
Tennessee, but my home's in Alabama

 Re:

Grace is, indeed, God's gift to us and it enables us to obey Him. Obedience is what you described as our "respon[se] to what God has already done." I affirm that fully. Even my self willed obedience is self willed. Nothing good dwells in my flesh. I am always 100% tethered, bound to the gospel. The gospel did not, whale like, spit me out on the shores of promise for me to walk on as I see fit; the gospel IS the power of God unto my ongoing salvation and my sanctification. Grace is the gift of God that bears on its wings, to me, those abilities in Christ that now abide in Him in me. Christ in me, the hope of glory. The only hope. One step without Him is a walk into perdition. I need Him every second.

I supply nothing. What do I have that I did not receive? My life is hidden with Christ in God, who lavishes on me His treasures, spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. I testify that if not for God's supply of anything good, true, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, praiseworthy, all of my thoughts would only be corrupt continually.

I do nothing and I am nothing in myself. In Christ, I can do all things. In fact, all I do that is any good at all is in Christ and by Him. To Him be glory and honor forever.

I thank the Lord that He enables, empowers and intends for me to do what pleases Him and to avoid doing what displeases Him. What hope would I have otherwise? Oh, Lord I am nothing, and You are my all in all. Thank You, Father, for foreordaining good works for those whom You adopt to do them. If not for Your kind supply of works to do, we would be darkened concerning You. We would be without hope in the world. We would have no means here by which You would transform us from who we are and into the likeness of Your Son, Jesus.

God is truly, truly good.


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Tim

 2014/12/3 13:01Profile









 Re: Grace is, indeed, God's gift to us

Dolfan,

I agree 100% with you.

I can count on His Love, Faithfulness and Goodness towards me.

 2014/12/3 13:08









 Christ lives in me

Gal. 2:19-21 message

19 What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. 20 Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.

 2014/12/3 14:36









 Re:

"Faith doesn't demand, it supplies." Such a beautiful illustration. I'm saving that for future reference.

It seems everyone's perspective is enriching. I love this. We come from different backgrounds and see things differently but it (everyone's perspective) all seems fruitful. Praise Jesus.

Recently, in my study, I learned some of the Jewish perspective of faith. Here is the excerpt from "New light on the difficult words of Jesus" by David Bivin:

"Emunah (faith, belief) is closely related to spiritual weakness. Biblical faith is not so much belief in someone or something as persistence. It is "hanging in there" in spite of the circumstances. But faith is also the recognition of our dependance of God."

He further reaffirms this 'hanging in there' that is faith. By speaking of Jacob at Penial, terrified of what his brothers were going to do but goes to meet God and is weakened further. Yet God is strong.

Again, with the widows, generally a hopeless lifestyle back then. Their weakness, if they depended in God, was His strength.

Finally, elaborates with Jesus. 2 Cor. 13:4. 'He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God's power'.

Let's 'hang in there' by leaning on God. His strength is perfect in our weakness.

 2014/12/3 15:20





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