Grace requires a response.....

FoundInGrace said:

this is what i find strange about what you post.. anyone who has truely been touched by God will not settle simply for forgiveness

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How I wish this was the case, For you, I suspect this is true, but how many there are who have once received a wonderful revelation of His love and yet find themselves in a place of simply going theough the motions, lukewarm to their Holy calling, cold to the needs of a dying world needing light, light that only we can give them, and live out in plain view for them.

How can this be? We think because we have received forgiveness and are His, we have nothing to worry about for all will work out well, no matter how we live. Surely God will keep us hot, right?

We do not understand that if we remain in the old man, if our shield of faith is not up to quench satan's never ending arrows of accusations and temptations, and do not put on the new man, a brand new nature He has for us, we give satan great advantage. If " a little bit of sin" remains in our lives, and we get content to let it remain, with our reasoning being that no one is perfect, yes, we can always repent and ask forgiveness, but what happens is sin for a Christian hardens our hearts.

We may say the aame prayers, never miss a Sunday service, volunteer as usual at the mission, and outwardly, all seems the same. But it is not. That inner feeling of seperation from God, caused by the inner grieving of the Spirit within us, takes root and in the end, we end up lukewarm and simply going through our religious motions, but our heart has stopped pressing. The fire that once burning brightly is still there, but dim and compromise begins to seem "logical" for God wants us "balanced", right?

This is why getting free of the old nature gives us the only safe place where we can be sure we are safe and will not permit our hearts to be hardened. Why? Because sin no longer holds sway over us, for we are no longer in the flesh, but in the spirit. Thus, if sin's back is broken in us, our hearts will not be hardened through its deceitfulness.

Blessings,

Gideon

gideons300 said:

I pray after all the posts that I have made that I hope you have been reading (maybe that is the problem, LOL) that you have come to believe that I am motivating people to holy walks by guilt, urging THEM to do better! That is the very opposite of what I share.

Does what I post bring conviction? Yes, indeed, and what is the purpose of that conviction? Is it to make us try harder? No. It is to make us see that
a) we are failing to walk as He has promised
b) we cannot "do better" as long as we are in the flesh
c) God has provided a way for us to escape the grip of the old nature, put it to death and walk in newness of life, the ONLY way we can walk as God intended, with single eyes. Our failure is do to unbelief, which is not a weakness, it is a sin, for it limits the Holy one of Israel.

But with our thoughts on salvation, once we say the prayer, no one can convict us of anything. Regardless of how we walk, we are perpetually forgiven, for grace makes us never have to set our affections wholly on Him, for that is the spirit's job. Hey, we can rest, sit back and live our lives like everyone else, but with our names written in Heaven! Halleleuyah!

Praise god for such wonderful grace! We never have to take heed to admonishon, nor do we have to listen to warnings or exhortations! We deem any of that type of nonsense as "putting us back under the law". We are immune to correction, nor do we want any "instruction in righteousness" and that is exactly how the Loadecians thought, and they too thought messages such as this could never be meant for them, for such words are "negative". Brother, I mean no disrespect, but you refuse to even acknowledge there is a problem with how the church is walking, even with our hypocrisy, our shallowness, our fleshliness, our lack of love, love of the world and all that it affords, in full view for all to see..... well, with the exception of ourselves.

God has spoken of us, that we are blaspeming His Holy name wherever we go. I can only agree with Him, and I do it with tears, not judgement. We are content with forgiveness, and have little desire to be changed into His image, to walk as He walked. Too radical. Costs too much. Impossible, right?


Is sin still is what we live with, if we cannot confess that we are truly dead, and instead satisfied with "dying daily", which is an excuse for not being dead at all, and keeping our flesh alive to live another day, we are still in the flesh because of our unbelief. If we are in the flesh, we cannot please God. But for many, they do not care, as long as it does not affect their tickets being punched to heaven... because after all, we are only human, right? The problem is, scripturally, it DOES affect our tickets punched to Heaven, for we must endure to the end, resisting satan, believing the amazing promises of God.

This state we have settled in, one foot in the world, one toe in the kingdom is shameful thinking but how prevelent it is in the body of Christ. We too know not that we are poor and blind and naked. May God awaken us to what he has for us, and whgat satan has for us if we refuse to relent, repent and yield ourselves to believe the good news that WILL set us free.

Blessings,

Gideon

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bro gid, can i just ask you something, and just sort of get a simple reply?

do you see how total dependency on the Spirit, and his power, will bring rest?

that is the decrease, that brings the increase.

gideons300 said:

Is grace free? Absolutely! But what we as the modern church have been led into error with is teachings that assure us that forgiveness is all we need, the be all-end all of salvation and is totally seperate from what we do thereafter with our knowledge of God. Some will be more yielded than others, some more holy, but all who say the sinners prayer and mean it at the time are heaven bound. But is it true? No, it is not. Grace requires a response

We have defined grace as un-merited favor and forgiveness that somehow allows us to continue living with ourselves in control of our lives, as if we still owned ourselves, but the word tells us clearly, we are not our own if we have asked Him in. We are His. He owns us.

How foreign this way of thinking is to all of us. How this flies in the face of our "American" upbringing, the land of the free, free to live as WE wish. But from Jesus's own mouth, a different gospel comes out, one that we do not much agree with, or want to hear, for it asks something back from us. Jesus tells us that such unmerited grace asks for a response. THAT is where the truth of our salvation is shown to be genuine. Who is our Lord, us or Him? Listen to the words of the one we say we serve.

"He who tries to save his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake will find it unto eternal life."

This is no isolated scripture, not taken out of context. He says that if we do not hate our own life, we CANNOT be His disciple. Ouch. How can this fit with our modern take on grace? The truth is.....it cannot. How do we know this? Grace requires a response.

We assume grace is free, and requires nothing from us but confession of our sins and acceptance of this "strings-free" salvation. Our ticket to heaven is officially punched, right? But if that is the case, what is Jesus talking about when He says that we need to count the cost of following Him? How can there be a cost if salvation is free?

What does He mean when He says that a wise man will not be content with shallow preparation, but will "dig deep" in making sure the foundation for his faith is a sound one?

What did Paul mean when he told us we must continue in the faith "to make our calling and our election sure"?

Why would he tell us in Romans 12 that it is our calling to present our bodies as living sacrifices and that this radical walk is "our reasonable service" if nothing is asked of us?

There is a scripture that I would be willing to bet any poster here that they have never heard preached on in church. It is found in Luke 19 where Jesus is telling His disciples about the parable of the talents, where various men received different amounts of gold to "invest" for their master. It was not THEIR gold, but the masters. They had a responsibility to make gain with it. Grace requires a response.

When the wicked servant had his turn to explain why he had made no gain with what had been freely given to him, he said that he had hid it in a field and here was the master's original investment, just like he had received it. Perhaps he had expected that would please the Master, as if not losing what was given was the goal, but it was not. Gain was expected. Grace requires a response. Is this not the natural flow where life is.... growth?

The master was angry, not pleased as the lazy sercant expected, and He took from the man what had been entrusted and given to another.

Then the scripture that should wake us up to our danger, should shake us to our core. I pray it does. For this is what the master then said:

"Then bring ALL THOSE who would not have me to reign over them, and slay them before me."

Do we HEAR this? Do we understand that the gentle, meek, full-of-grace lamb of God uttered these words? He asks for a believing ON Him, not just in Him. He asks us to willingly let Him become our Lord as well as our master, and seek with all our hearts how to obey Him in all things, how to let Him have the pre-eminece in our lives. It is our reasonable service, not the lifestyle reserved for preachers and/or religious fanatics who have lost their balance. THIS is Christianity, nothing less. It is not legalism, it is love returned.

To any here who are still in charge of their own being, and would still like to think that when Jesus asks us "Why do you call me "Lord, Lord, and yet not do the things I command you", that these may just receive less attractive mansions in heaven, but their salvation is never in question, think again.

You see, grace requires a response. Please, I beg you, do not confuse this response I speak of with working for our salvation. Do not think this some evil form of legalism. Grace is free. But grace asks, in response, for our hearts, for ALL of our hearts in return, for our devotion, for the singleness of our eye firmly fixed on the one who died for us. It asks us to make Jesus both our savior AND our Lord.

To do this, we must hate our fleshly man, the one in rebellion to His Lordship in our lives. We must yield ourselves to the master potter, totally, unashamedly, snd throw our entire being on the one who paid the ultimate price to buy us back from death. When we do this, we are ready to put on the new man, with a new heart, a heart that Jesus owns, for Jesus is Lord.

God's gift requires a response, giving Him back our hearts to fill. It is the only logical thing to do. It is the only pathway to joy. Ultimtely, it is the only way to hear "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Blessings,

Gideon

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You can try a comprehensive book on GRACE: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Revolu...d=1470142527&sr=8-2&keywords=jesus+revolution

I might disagree with the term slightly friend: 'Grace requires a response'.

I would say that grace evokes a response. God Bless

We should always read before and after. Then the "shake us"... you did not get that verse right. What your talking about only a GOD gets the final word..you said "that these may just receive less attractive mansions in heaven, but their salvation is never in question, think again". Another later post you said "Does what I post bring conviction"?.

We need to think. To whom was Jesus talking to? Believers? Christians? The Church? None of that was here when Jesus walked this earth. A woman was toss at His feet. Did this woman come to Him asking to be forgiven? He said.. the only one that had the right to stone her. For she did brake the law. She was guilty. What did this man this king this savior this GOD say? "nor do I condemn you. Go and sin no more". Do you see? To many times we apply how we FEEL, what MAN is like to God. We know nothing in this world is free and if we get something given something.. you HAVE To do something to get it or keep it.

There is a side to this God you have not seen. A woman asks for her kids to sit at His right and left. What I read and seen in that was.. He never once said no. He just said.. you dont know what you ask.. that is not mine to give. This was a gift that came from a God..a God that is so great so awesome that there is not ONE MAN that can begin to understand Him... So.. we have Jesus.. that we have to go through to know the Father. This is always what the Father wanted. So.. He gave us something.. that by grace THROUGH faith. This we can't leave out. John saw it by the sweet sweet Holy Spirit. Behold the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Not just covers sins at it could only do before. But know takes away..is gone forever. And He said.. He didnt not come judge the world nor condemn.

Sorry this is on area that NO MAN gets a word in. What are the odds.. right now as I write the song playing.. "your grace still amazes me" Phillips Craig and Dean.

In this world.. its take take take. In Gods its always give. So.. the heart is only as He said.. Gods sees the heart man only sees the flesh. One HAS to always keep this in mind. So.. who HE writes in HIS books.. He will NEVER ask me or you or anyone.. what we personally think about this. And who came to Christ gets saved and ..what fell in love right then and there did you? No.. how can one love someone you don't know. And never has Jesus or the Father or sweet sweet Spirit of God told me made me feel or hint at .I had to do something to keep this.

God does not can not use something that is not of Him and thats fear. The fear of God alone is not mans kind of fear. So is live to hard? Do you have so many things going on and you just need rest? Come to me.. I give it for free. He came to call the sinner to repent. Just believe my words..trust me..and I will give you life. He also said.. that we CANT add to is.. anyone that simply calls on the name of the lord will be saved. Jesus is REAL! More real then your mom your dad your BROTHER spouse or kids. JESUS IS REAL!

So I like what you said I really do. Does the word call this a gift? And if we search the word ..does GOD take back what He gives? Take away? What was MEANT for someone or some people given to another.. free is free. Some just don't mean it with there heart..but.. again.. I can't say.. I cant see the heart..praise GOD I get no say in this. I am no God.. I leave this all to Him.. I just say what He said..and HE changes them.. HE set them free not me

gideons300 said:

Is grace free? Absolutely! But what we as the modern church have been led into error with is teachings that assure us that forgiveness is all we need, the be all-end all of salvation and is totally seperate from what we do thereafter with our knowledge of God. Some will be more yielded than others, some more holy, but all who say the sinners prayer and mean it at the time are heaven bound. But is it true? No, it is not. Grace requires a response

We have defined grace as un-merited favor and forgiveness that somehow allows us to continue living with ourselves in control of our lives, as if we still owned ourselves, but the word tells us clearly, we are not our own if we have asked Him in. We are His. He owns us.

How foreign this way of thinking is to all of us. How this flies in the face of our "American" upbringing, the land of the free, free to live as WE wish. But from Jesus's own mouth, a different gospel comes out, one that we do not much agree with, or want to hear, for it asks something back from us. Jesus tells us that such unmerited grace asks for a response. THAT is where the truth of our salvation is shown to be genuine. Who is our Lord, us or Him? Listen to the words of the one we say we serve.

"He who tries to save his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake will find it unto eternal life."

This is no isolated scripture, not taken out of context. He says that if we do not hate our own life, we CANNOT be His disciple. Ouch. How can this fit with our modern take on grace? The truth is.....it cannot. How do we know this? Grace requires a response.

We assume grace is free, and requires nothing from us but confession of our sins and acceptance of this "strings-free" salvation. Our ticket to heaven is officially punched, right? But if that is the case, what is Jesus talking about when He says that we need to count the cost of following Him? How can there be a cost if salvation is free?

What does He mean when He says that a wise man will not be content with shallow preparation, but will "dig deep" in making sure the foundation for his faith is a sound one?

What did Paul mean when he told us we must continue in the faith "to make our calling and our election sure"?

Why would he tell us in Romans 12 that it is our calling to present our bodies as living sacrifices and that this radical walk is "our reasonable service" if nothing is asked of us?

There is a scripture that I would be willing to bet any poster here that they have never heard preached on in church. It is found in Luke 19 where Jesus is telling His disciples about the parable of the talents, where various men received different amounts of gold to "invest" for their master. It was not THEIR gold, but the masters. They had a responsibility to make gain with it. Grace requires a response.

When the wicked servant had his turn to explain why he had made no gain with what had been freely given to him, he said that he had hid it in a field and here was the master's original investment, just like he had received it. Perhaps he had expected that would please the Master, as if not losing what was given was the goal, but it was not. Gain was expected. Grace requires a response. Is this not the natural flow where life is.... growth?

The master was angry, not pleased as the lazy sercant expected, and He took from the man what had been entrusted and given to another.

Then the scripture that should wake us up to our danger, should shake us to our core. I pray it does. For this is what the master then said:

"Then bring ALL THOSE who would not have me to reign over them, and slay them before me."

Do we HEAR this? Do we understand that the gentle, meek, full-of-grace lamb of God uttered these words? He asks for a believing ON Him, not just in Him. He asks us to willingly let Him become our Lord as well as our master, and seek with all our hearts how to obey Him in all things, how to let Him have the pre-eminece in our lives. It is our reasonable service, not the lifestyle reserved for preachers and/or religious fanatics who have lost their balance. THIS is Christianity, nothing less. It is not legalism, it is love returned.

To any here who are still in charge of their own being, and would still like to think that when Jesus asks us "Why do you call me "Lord, Lord, and yet not do the things I command you", that these may just receive less attractive mansions in heaven, but their salvation is never in question, think again.

You see, grace requires a response. Please, I beg you, do not confuse this response I speak of with working for our salvation. Do not think this some evil form of legalism. Grace is free. But grace asks, in response, for our hearts, for ALL of our hearts in return, for our devotion, for the singleness of our eye firmly fixed on the one who died for us. It asks us to make Jesus both our savior AND our Lord.

To do this, we must hate our fleshly man, the one in rebellion to His Lordship in our lives. We must yield ourselves to the master potter, totally, unashamedly, snd throw our entire being on the one who paid the ultimate price to buy us back from death. When we do this, we are ready to put on the new man, with a new heart, a heart that Jesus owns, for Jesus is Lord.

God's gift requires a response, giving Him back our hearts to fill. It is the only logical thing to do. It is the only pathway to joy. Ultimtely, it is the only way to hear "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Blessings,

Gideon

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That is really very beautifully and well said. It is encouraging and a blessing to hear fellow Christians say such things. God bless you, friend, and lead you into eternal life.

Gracia Singh said:

That is really very beautifully and well said. It is encouraging and a blessing to hear fellow Christians say such things. God bless you, friend, and lead you into eternal life.

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I appreciate your kind comments. Amazing that the original OP was from five years ago. A lot has changed in that time, but what God showed me then has not changed at all from what He is having me share today.

One of the things the Lord has impressed on me is that not only does grace require a response, real grace works. Grace is the power of God that transforms us from fleshly, earthly-minded beings into new creatures, heavenly minded saints filled with the fruits of the Spirit that are brought forth in us by God as the master potter.

So, with that in mind, we have a problem. Do you see it? If His promises are yea and amen, if God is not a man that He should lie, and we find ourselves woefully lacking in discernable spiritual fruit, then something is amiss. No, more than amiss......something is bad, bad wrong. Do we see that? If what we understand as real Christianity is not doing what it promised, halt the presses, we have a problem and we need to get down to the bottom of it. This is not small issue. It is our eternal life itself.

Look, the world is getting more and more wicked. That is irrefutable. But instead of His children shining forth as children of light and agape love against an ever increasingly dark background, we simply blend in. Our Christianity makes us nice but not holy, and the problem I mentioned? It is that right now, we do not recognize that such a mindset is exactly that same mindset of the saints in Laodecia.

But praise God, the highway of holiness is descending down upon us, and will overtake every true child of God, and the change wrought in our outer visible nature will astound us as we finally understand what the Lord meant when He said that He would cause us....yes, that right, CAUSE US..... to walk as obedient children.

Can real Christianity be that good? That astoundingly amazing? Oh yes. Our eyes are about to be opened, and our religious sleep substitute will be replaced by joy and real agape love for one another. “Impossible?”, you say?
Funny. Doubting Thomas was thinking the very same thing.

It is coming....

Live, bones, live.

Blessings, Gideon

It has already come in Jesus Christ.
Thank you Father.
Praise God.

StillGods said:

It has already come in Jesus Christ.
Thank you Father.
Praise God.

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Then let me re-phrase, if I may LOL.

What is coming is that we are going to learn how to finally plant our feet on the highway of holiness by truly “getting” that our old nature really is not us anymore and reckoning it dead, not slowly dying (and never actually being dead).

In these last days, eyes are going to be opened, minds are going to blown, and religious Christianity will give way to the real thing as we finally walk as new creatures, loving one another with a pure heart fervently.

The scoffers in the world will be amazed, saying:

“Look, that which bore only briars and thorns has become again like the garden of Eden!”

Amen and amen. Come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings, Gids

I dont know that that is going to happen to be honest, if it hasn't by now it won't imo.
There is a segment of the church that does live in that already though and they're incredible to be around!