By grace...
You are saved...
THROUGH FAITH
Through faith we are saved. What is faith? It is action. Not once in the entire Bible will you find anyone that had faith that was acceptable to God that wasn't evidenced by how they lived or worked. People misconstrue this and make it seem like I'm teaching a gospel of works, but that is not true. Scripture itself literally says: "Faith without works is dead."
James 2:14-26
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
This is not in conflict with what Paul wrote anywhere. At all. In fact, they support each other. Paul told people that they must show the evidence of their faith by how they lived. Romans 8:5-14 Galatians 5:16-25 are just two such passages penned by Paul.
Jesus Himself told people that they must obey Him if they are to be saved. Surely you are not going to tell Jesus that His definition of the gospel is incorrect because He demands that people actually walk out their profession of faith.
Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
Matthew 25:31-46
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
1 John 3:17-18
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
One thing I want to end on, from Revelation 2 (Jesus is speaking here):
6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
Who were the Nicolaitans and why did Jesus hate their practices?
Who Were the Nicolaitans in Revelation? Why Did God Hate Their Practices So Much?
In a very literal sense, the Nicolaitans were people who taught that we could compromise with the world and still be a part of God's Kingdom. That His grace would cover our wickedness regardless of how we live. This is an utter, utter afront to God and what His grace is meant to be.
Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
God gives us grace and mercy so that we repent and turn to Him. Not take advantage of it and continue living in sinfulness. That's why those who profess faith and do not show it by a changed lifestyle are lying to themselves and their faith is useless. This "gospel of grace" nonsense is a doctrine of the devil.
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
Romans 6:15 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!
Galatians 2:17-18 17But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker.
All of those passages are written by the man people use to justify a gospel of grace that requires nothing but verbal confessions of empty faith.
You are saved...
THROUGH FAITH
Through faith we are saved. What is faith? It is action. Not once in the entire Bible will you find anyone that had faith that was acceptable to God that wasn't evidenced by how they lived or worked. People misconstrue this and make it seem like I'm teaching a gospel of works, but that is not true. Scripture itself literally says: "Faith without works is dead."
James 2:14-26
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
This is not in conflict with what Paul wrote anywhere. At all. In fact, they support each other. Paul told people that they must show the evidence of their faith by how they lived. Romans 8:5-14 Galatians 5:16-25 are just two such passages penned by Paul.
Jesus Himself told people that they must obey Him if they are to be saved. Surely you are not going to tell Jesus that His definition of the gospel is incorrect because He demands that people actually walk out their profession of faith.
Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
Matthew 25:31-46
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
1 John 3:17-18
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
One thing I want to end on, from Revelation 2 (Jesus is speaking here):
6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
Who were the Nicolaitans and why did Jesus hate their practices?
Who Were the Nicolaitans in Revelation? Why Did God Hate Their Practices So Much?
In a very literal sense, the Nicolaitans were people who taught that we could compromise with the world and still be a part of God's Kingdom. That His grace would cover our wickedness regardless of how we live. This is an utter, utter afront to God and what His grace is meant to be.
Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
God gives us grace and mercy so that we repent and turn to Him. Not take advantage of it and continue living in sinfulness. That's why those who profess faith and do not show it by a changed lifestyle are lying to themselves and their faith is useless. This "gospel of grace" nonsense is a doctrine of the devil.
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
Romans 6:15 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!
Galatians 2:17-18 17But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker.
All of those passages are written by the man people use to justify a gospel of grace that requires nothing but verbal confessions of empty faith.
