Null/Voided Out

[SkyWriting]

Legalism is a charge that gets thrown a lot by many.

Legalism is suggesting that God's favor is given in exchange for good deeds.
Which it is not.

 

[Soyeong]

What are some thoughts that come in to your mind when you hear about works?
When you think about works, what does that mean to you?
How are we saved by our works?
How do you define works?
What does it mean to be saved by works?
Where do you believe works start to take effect in someones life?
Why do works matter? Or do they matter?
What do you think it means if we are judged by our works?
When is it possible for someone to fall away from faith?
Why do you think it is possible, or why do you not think it is possible for someone to fall from faith?

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• “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.
• These are works done, not in our own strength and for our own benefit, but by the grace of God and in obedience to Him – led by the Holy Spirit, to God’s glory.
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• The way of works is the way of life, for “He who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:17.
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• “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven … Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Matthew 7:21-23.

To the church
Many people use the word to denote the entire body of Christians, and others to describe a certain denomination or group or even the physical building that Christians gather in. The Bible makes it clear that the true... in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, we read constantly, “I know your works,” and “Do the first works.” “You hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans.” “As for your works, the last are more than the first.” “… and keeps My works until the end.” “For I have not found your works perfect before God.” In other words, they should have been perfect!!!

The only thing that interests God is our works – the works He has prepared for us! It is the only thing that weighs anything on the scales!

Our faith is activated by walking in the prepared works: The obedience to the faith: Faith made active by works

What does the Bible say about the prepared works?

• “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” Ecclesiastes 9:10.
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• “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14.
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• “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10.
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• “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can faith save him? But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:14-26.
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• “His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” Revelation 19:7-8.
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• “And purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:14.
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• “In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works.” Titus 2:7.
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• “To obey, to be ready for every good work.” Titus 3:1.
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• “That those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.” Titus 3:8.
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• “And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.” Titus 3:14.
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• “Disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” Titus 1:16.
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• “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22.
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• “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” James 3:13.
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• “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me to give to every one according to his work.” Revelation 22:12.

Read about how obedience God’s Word leads us to the good works prepared for us: “At Your word” – the motto that brings results

Faith leads to works
We understand quite clearly — assuming that we do want to understand — that works are the only things that count for anything, the only things that are required, the only things that are of any value.

What then about the works that Christ has done for us? His finished work? His grace? All of this is meant to influence our works so that they are pure and good, and stand the test before God. The degree that our works have changed is the degree to which we have been saved, and we will be rewarded accordingly.

It’s of no help wanting to do the good if it is not getting done. There is, of course, no other Christianity than works-Christianity! Everything else is and remains — as the word says — pure deception!!!

How do we define works? In Titus 3:14, it explains let our people also learn to maintain good works, so they may not be unfruitful.

What explains in the bible to how we may not be unfruitful?

Galatians 5: 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

In 2 Timothy 3:15-17, everything spoken by God is profitable for teaching, correction, reproof, training in righteousness, and equipping us to do every good work. All of these terms are referring to a code of conduct, and in verse 15, it referred to holy writings that Timothy had available to him since childhood, which could only refer to the code of conduct in the OT (also known as the Mosaic Law) because none of the books of the NT hadn't been written at that point.

We are not saved by our works insofar as they are an attempt to earn our salvation, however, we are saved by our works insofar as they are an expression of our faith, which is why Paul said in Romans 2:13 that only doers of the law will be justified, but did not say that we earn our justification by obeying God's law. In Psalms 119:29, David wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him to obey His law, and in Titus 2:11-14, our salvation is described as being trained by grace to do what is godly, righteous, and good, and to renounce doing what is ungodly, which is what the Mosaic Law was given to instruct how to do. Our salvation is from sin and sin is the transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4), so God graciously teaching us to living in obedience His law through faith is itself part of His free gift of salvation from living in transgression of God's law, and participating in that training does nothing to earn it, but rather that is what it looks like to receive it. Furthermore, Titus 2:14 says that Jesus gave himself to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people of his own possession who are zealous for doing good works, so the belief in the finished work of Christ on the cross is expressed as becoming zealous for doing good works in obedience to the Mosaic Law (Acts 21:20).

In Ezekiel 36:26-27, the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey God's law. In Romans 8:4-7, those who walk in the Spirit are contrasted with those who have minds set on the flesh who refuse to submit to God's law. In Galatians 5:19-22, everything listed as works of the flesh that are against the Spirit are also against the Mosaic Law, while all of the fruits of the Spirit are in accordance with it.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Legalism is suggesting that God's favor is given in exchange for good deeds.
Which it is not.

So then you have never read Matthew 25:21 before?
How about Matthew 6:14? Ever read that verse?
If you have read these verses before, I would say either:

(a) You are not believing these verses.
(b) You are ignoring what they are saying.
(c) You have changed the meaning of these verses to say something else because you don't like them.

If I am wrong, then please explain to me how they work in your belief system according to the Bible. For why would Jesus give us new teachings just so that they would quickly be done away with? Why would Paul condemn certains sins just like Jesus? Paul says that be not deceived the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God, and Paul mentions certain sins like murder, hate, adultery, theft, etc. (See: Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, etc.).

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Legalism is suggesting that God's favor is given in exchange for good deeds.
Which it is not.

God will render to every man according to his deeds.
Wrath will be upon every soul of man who does evil.
Glory, honor, and peace to every man who works good.
For there is no respect of persons with God.

"...God; ... will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God." (Romans 2:5-11).