To Show The World (Deut. 28:1-14)

[hhodgson]

hmmm... our forum has slowed down just a tad. I hope what I am stirring up on this post will have a variety of responses of opinions on this subject of... the BLESSINGS of (Deut. 28:1-14.)

This is NOT a WoF issue. All responses are welcome but debating from non-WoF is not allowable...

Many Christians of all faiths have said things over the years such as this... "I'm blessed coming in, blessed going out." I, myself have confessed several of them for years. There could be several reasons why I haven't arrived and walked in these blessings the way they are listed in Deut. I know that the several reasons boil down to just one... UNBELIEF.

Please bear with me. (I am going somewhere) with this... It is a little lengthy. If you would... hear me out. (Thanks)

The following (below) is what the Word teaches, together with my thoughts. I won't go into the "curses" for by His GRACE through FAITH... we are redeemed from the curse of the LAW. (Gal. 3:13) I do understand that... yes, by grace through faith, we are redeemed, however... If a Christian mixes law with GRACE, then they can fall from HIS benefits of grace, and the curses can operate in their lives and open inroads to Satan. The only way back into His grace is through repentance. (IMO)

COMMANDMENT to Bless from God... (Num. 23:20) "Behold, I have received COMMANDMENT to bless: and He has blessed; and I cannot reverse it."

In (Deut. 28:1-14) We are....

BLESSED in the city... BLESSED in the country... BLESSED the fruit of your body... BLESSED in the produce of your ground... BLESSED in the increase of your herds... BLESSED in the increase of your cattle... BLESSED in the offspring of your flocks... BLESSED in your baskets and your kneading bowl... BLESSED coming in... BLESSED going out... BLESSED from your enemies... BLESSED in your storehouses... BLESSED in everything you touch... BLESSED in the land the LORD gave... BLESSED you as a holy people to Himself...

(This Word continuing in (v12-14)......The LORD will open to (YOU) His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath. The Lord will set you high upon all peoples of the earth... "and ALL these BLESSINGS
will come upon you and overtake you." (this last part is where I'm heading)

Also... (he hath BLESSED)

Eph 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who "hath BLESSED" us with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

​

(Spiritual blessings can lead to physical blessings) Right?

One can conclude that these BLESSINGS are beyond human comprehension and understanding of what it really means for us today. Are we BLESSED beyond measure and BLESSED beyond belief and not really realizing it..?

We do believe that God's BLESSING is... His divine spoken favor to us that is UN-DESERVING... and His BLESSING provided for us when mixed with faith, will produce abundance in spirit, soul, and body. The only thing that can stop the BLESSING of God in our lives is our UNBELIEF. The good news is... you are ALREADY BLESSED. The bad news is... most don't know the power of the BLESSING that was available at the very moment we received the new birth. This is a major area of God's word that the Church needs re-newing of the mind and "forget not... all His benefits...

To (v10)... The Lord HAS BLESSED you with ALL of these BLESSINGS... and why..?

Because... (God's answer)..."THEN"... all of the people of the earth will see that YOU are called by the name of the Lord (Deut. 28:10). He wants to manifest His power through "us" TO THE WORLD... (Keep this in memory for later).

From what I read (Deut.) in the way these BLESSING promises are worded... covers ALL the BLESSING of God for us... "Even"... what you touch with your hands is BLESSED, which (pretty well) covers many of them by itself... doesn't it? Are we to BELIEVE for these blessings TODAY the way they are presented in (Deut. 28?) If so, Lord... help my UNBELIEF. I don't know about you, but I haven't arrived there yet, by far... Has anybody on the planet arrived in all those BLESSINGS mentioned? Is ANYBODY even a little close? No doubt, we can all share with each other how God has blessed us over the years... but, comparable to (Deut. 28??)

If we are to BELIEVE this, and the time for His return (as WE were taught) is "very short" or even "imminent" as some of the SEVERAL dozens of highly noted end-time prophetic teachers have said over recent years, and still saying today... (As Jack Van Impe would say)... "Perhaps Today."

We are also hearing this from most all of our WoF teachers that are saying about the same thing from time to time. (I have!) Actually, I can't think of one of our WoF teachers that HASN'T said that Jesus is coming soon.) Sooo!... shouldn't we be seeing His BLESSING to be on us NOW to the point that they (BLESSINGS) overwhelm, and overtake us as a witness to the rest of the world?

Getting closer to my BIG question...

So, IF the majority of the end-time Church of Jesus Christ truly BELIEVES all of these BLESSINGS from God are for us (as it was to them) in (Deut. 28:10)... which is His plan also for now (as it was for them) to SHOW all of the people of the earth will see that (WE) are called by the name of the Lord. In other words, (IMO) God wants to "show" us off with His BLESSINGS (undeniably) on us... to SHOW the world in these last days so He will manifest His power through US to them. Does this make any sense?

Now... to the BIG question...

If the coming of Jesus is so close (Rapture?) or even 10-20 years from now, Then... Why do we not see these BLESSED results (that come upon and overtake us) in our lives to where it's more noticeable in the body of Christ (to reach the lost) as mentioned in (Deut.), If the Church does truly BELIEVE?

I hope this stirs up our spirit... Any thoughts?




​

 

[now faith]

Not to be trite but did you notice the buy a fake ID link as a thread?
I notice a shift in priority as well Harry.

 

[now faith]

"When the saint ceases to seek after holiness, purity, righteousness, truth; when he ceases to pray, stops reading the Word and gives way to carnal appetites, then it is that Satan comes."
- Smith Wigglesworth

 

[now faith]

And a answer to your question with a question what about the falling away?
2 Thessalonians: 2. 3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

 

[ABlessedAnomaly]

Well Harry, that WAS long. I think I got the gist of it. Let's see....

Deuteronomy 28:1-2
“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God:
​

How many in the church today would you say really, really follow the requirements listed here. Diligently. Careful. Obedience.

And in the following verses what exactly does "blessed" mean?

Let's also look at the antithesis of this. If we are not blessed, if we do not fall into verses 1-14, then we are cursed and fall into 15+. Do any of those verses better describe your state of life?

As God's children we have a protection around us. It is the hedge of protection that is referenced in Job and elsewhere.

Psalm 139:1-6
O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
​

Read the rest of Psalm 139, it is quite awe inspiring.

We have one requirement: stay within the hedge.

Psalm 91:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
​

We have a responsibility (and a choice) to dwell in the shelter (behind the hedge) of God. But we certainly have a choice in the matter.

Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants...
​

You get to choose. Walk in the blessing (dwell in the shelter, behind the hedge) or walk in the curse. Walking in the curse won't leave you unsaved, just unprotected. Here there is sickness and plague and poverty and lack. You get to choose. God desires blessing for you if you will simply (or not so simply!) stay behind the hedge. It may have a sense of fun outside, maybe even a sense of excitement and exhilaration. But it is in the curse if you walk through the hedge and wander around outside of God's protection.

This is what most Christians today play with. They seek the excitement of running out, having fun and then coming back into the hedged area. But when we are outside the hedge, we are vulnerable.

Blessing can certainly include fancy mansions and shiny new cars. But blessing also means that you are not cursed. Which set of verses are you associated with: verses 1-14 or verses 15-68. You are either blessed or you are in the curse.

-------

The church I attend is currently doing a series that talks very much about the hedge. While these are not messages about the blessing or the curse so much specifically, it certainly touches on our position in them as we choose. The hedge is specifically taught in the week 2 message.

Warning: this is NOT a Word/Faith church, although there is nothing that the WoF should find wrong in these messages. In the three weeks I heard one phrase, perhaps four words, that I would strike from the teaching. Otherwise this is quite sound (week's 1 thru 3 so far).

If you decide to watch any of this and want to discuss then link this and start a new thread, so as to not turn Harry's thread down a bunny trail.

The messages can be found here: Watch Listen | Cornerstone Online

 

[now faith]

Well Harry, that WAS long. I think I got the gist of it. Let's see....

Deuteronomy 28:1-2
“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God:
​

How many in the church today would you say really, really follow the requirements listed here. Diligently. Careful. Obedience.

And in the following verses what exactly does "blessed" mean?

Let's also look at the antithesis of this. If we are not blessed, if we do not fall into verses 1-14, then we are cursed and fall into 15+. Do any of those verses better describe your state of life?

As God's children we have a protection around us. It is the hedge of protection that is referenced in Job and elsewhere.

Psalm 139:1-6
O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
​

Read the rest of Psalm 139, it is quite awe inspiring.

We have one requirement: stay within the hedge.

Psalm 91:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
​

We have a responsibility (and a choice) to dwell in the shelter (behind the hedge) of God. But we certainly have a choice in the matter.

Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants...
​

You get to choose. Walk in the blessing (dwell in the shelter, behind the hedge) or walk in the curse. Walking in the curse won't leave you unsaved, just unprotected. Here there is sickness and plague and poverty and lack. You get to choose. God desires blessing for you if you will simply (or not so simply!) stay behind the hedge. It may have a sense of fun outside, maybe even a sense of excitement and exhilaration. But it is in the curse if you walk through the hedge and wander around outside of God's protection.

This is what most Christians today play with. They seek the excitement of running out, having fun and then coming back into the hedged area. But when we are outside the hedge, we are vulnerable.

Blessing can certainly include fancy mansions and shiny new cars. But blessing also means that you are not cursed. Which set of verses are you associated with: verses 1-14 or verses 15-68. You are either blessed or you are in the curse.

-------

The church I attend is currently doing a series that talks very much about the hedge. While these are not messages about the blessing or the curse so much specifically, it certainly touches on our position in them as we choose. The hedge is specifically taught in the week 2 message.

Warning: this is NOT a Word/Faith church, although there is nothing that the WoF should find wrong in these messages. In the three weeks I heard one phrase, perhaps four words, that I would strike from the teaching. Otherwise this is quite sound (week's 1 thru 3 so far).

If you decide to watch any of this and want to discuss then link this and start a new thread, so as to not turn Harry's thread down a bunny trail.

The messages can be found here: Watch Listen | Cornerstone Online[/QUOTE

off my cuff but I believe,in The Preacher(could not spell the book) it speaks when the hedge
Is broken the serpent comes in and bites.
That is a loose quotation will clean it up in a bit.
Nice to hear from you Bob.

 

[now faith]

OK found the verse:

Ecclesiastes: 10. 8. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

 

[ABlessedAnomaly]

off my cuff but I believe,in The Preacher(could not spell the book) it speaks when the hedge
Is broken the serpent comes in and bites.
That is a loose quotation will clean it up in a bit.
Nice to hear from you Bob.

The "in" is God's territory. The serpent doesn't get in, we step out.

Biblical language is that WE are to hide under His wing, in His shadow, within his protection. He promises never to leave you.

 

[ABlessedAnomaly]

OK found the verse:

Ecclesiastes: 10. 8. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

Who is breaking the hedge?

 

[OldDogDiver]

Now... to the BIG question...

If the coming of Jesus is so close (Rapture?) or even 10-20 years from now, Then... Why do we not see these BLESSED results (that come upon and overtake us) in our lives to where it's more noticeable in the body of Christ (to reach the lost) as mentioned in (Deut.), If the Church does truly BELIEVE?

I hope this stirs up our spirit... Any thoughts?

Hey Marine,

A bottom-line and timely terrific question!

My wife and I talk about this ALL the time. If we (all true Christians & esp WOF ones) are to be the light on the hill, the beacon, shouldn't we be so darned blessed that everyone wants what we have??? 3 John 2 - physically blessed, financially blessed and with prosperous souls.

We look around and don't see much of that playing out in real life. Even in our WOF church, there are so many - the majority for sure - who are barely eking out an existence; most are financially strapped and fighting sickness from all angles. In spite of their faith, tithing, faithfulness to serve, etc., they are living lives of quiet desperation.

The Word says it should not be this way. Your writing up to the point of this "big question" backs that up. So what is wrong?

I cry out to God often: "Your Word says! Your Word says! Why isn't it working?" Not just for us, but for all these fine Christians who love the Lord.

Lots of reasons (human brain reasonings and rationalizations) I am sure. Sin, unbelief, etc. We all know the list.

BUT!

This is what I don't get. None of us will ever do it all 100% right here in this lifetime, but shouldn't there be at least a larger portion of the blessing be poured out upon us?

Let me put it in an analogy:

Let's say I own 100 acres. I sow corn seed in only 25 acres and nothing in the other 75 acres. Just because I didn't plant all 100 acres (do my very best), I still should get a crop of corn (results from the work I did do).

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Now... to the BIG question...

If the coming of Jesus is so close (Rapture?) or even 10-20 years from now, Then... Why do we not see these BLESSED results (that come upon and overtake us) in our lives to where it's more noticeable in the body of Christ (to reach the lost) as mentioned in (Deut.), If the Church does truly BELIEVE?

I hope this stirs up our spirit... Any thoughts?

Good post brother.
I think the answer is in your post.
The corporate church, as a whole does not believe.
Elements are close, I believe. But unity has to be achieved. We are not there.

As the restoration of Israel goes, so goes the restoration of the church.

I see these blessings in individual lives. I see them in some churches. But there are so many errors of doubt and unbelief that God, being bound by His word, is prevented from flooding the blessings out.

I can present a number of scriptures, I would just have to look up my studies and notes.

Derek Prince did an excellent teaching on cassette tape back in the early 70s dealing with the parallel restoration of Israel and the Church. Really great stuff.

One verse that comes to mind is the last verses of:

Psalms 22:30-31 LITV
30 A seed shall serve Him; it shall be spoken of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and shall declare His righteousness to a people that shall yet be born; for He has done it.


I believe this is the fulfillment of your OP. A generation shall come and they shall serve Him. I can only pray that WE are that generation and the WE shall see it.


BTW, no rapture here. What I would call the rapture is the FIRST resurrection that occurs on the LAST day at the sounding of the LAST trump at the end of the great tribulation of those days.
Peace
Dids

 

[Scottmcc1]

I think we grow in this area of blessing.

As far as earning the blessing by doing good. I just read Romans 8:4 (I read Romans 8 a lot) "so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Jesus has done the work for us. But we need to be engaged in the work of the Lord to have the blessings come to us. Not to earn it but to be operating in the Kingdom of God.

The blessing comes by living in expectation, living in prayer for the advancement of the kingdom. Then also living in the spirit and not the flesh. Our minds on the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:6

Mark 16:20 "And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed. And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation."

Let us be about preaching everywhere.

 

[now faith]

Who is breaking the hedge?

We break the hedge,be it by fear,anger,vanity,or allowing a little Fox to grow into a wolf.

 

[now faith]

The "in" is God's territory. The serpent doesn't get in, we step out.

Biblical language is that WE are to hide under His wing, in His shadow, within his protection. He promises never to leave you.

A error on grammar on my post.

I should have said " I believe in the Book of Ecclesiastes it states......

After midnight I turn back into a bumpkin.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

We break the hedge,be it by fear,anger,vanity,or allowing a little Fox to grow into a wolf.

Very true. Also, realize that a "hedge" is not a natural thing in this fallen/falling world. A hedge only exists when faith and faithfulness are present.

From "Job! Killing the Most Sacred Cow"
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1494341182

(Satan leave the presence of God after their first little talk)

From there Satan (not God) renews (not begins) his attempt to attack on Job. His former attempt (Job 1:8) was unsuccessful because of the hedge. At some point before God and Satan had their talk the hedge came down. Satan is not Omni-present so he would not know the hedge was down. There is no evidence that God pushed the hedge down.

It is significant that the story says that “the things Job greatly feared came upon him”. It is possible that Jobs constant fear that his children might curse God actually pushed the hedge down:

Job 1
5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

He did this continually. He was greatly afraid for his children.

Reverential Fear of the Lord Set Up the Hedge

I believe that at first Jobs’ fear of God was reverence and holy and it was this holy fear of the Lord that set up the hedge for Job:

Proverbs 19:23
23. The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

Hedges do not exist for everyone on earth. They exist for the faithful servants who fear God. Jobs fear of the Lord prevented the evil of Satan from visiting Job. In Job 1:8 this fear of the Lord “tended Job to life” and Job “abided (or lived) satisfied”.

“…My servant Job… a man perfect and upright, fearing God, and turning aside from evil?”

Proverbs also proves that reverential fear of the Lord creates a refuge (a place inside a hedge) for us.

Proverbs 14:26-27
26. In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
27. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Here we see the concept of a hedge for those who fear the Lord. A place of refuge is a place of safety from attackers and all harm. As long as Job had reverential fear of the Lord, his refuge (hedge) was sure.

Psalms 34:7
7. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

What a joy it must have been for Job. Angels encamped around him. It is possible that He was not even aware of angels, or even Satan for that matter. There is no mention of angels in Job. However, God is good on His promises. I suspect we are not even aware of all the protection He provides for us on a daily basis.

Fear of the Lord turns to Unfounded Dread and Doubt!

As long as Job had his eyes on God and as long as that reverential fear lead to faith and worship, Job was safe and beyond Satan’s reach. But there is evidence that at some point the fear of God turned into another kind of fear. This was a fear that led to doubt and unbelief. Job ceased to fear God for good unto faith, and begin to doubt that God would keep him.

Job 3:
25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

The International Standard Version uses the word “Dread”!

“For the dreaded thing that I feared has happened to me, what caused me to worry has engulfed me.”

The Complete Apostles' Bible renders it this way:

“For the terror of which I meditated has come upon me, and that which I had feared has befallen me.”

Obsession

The word “meditated” reveals that Job became obsessed with thinking about destruction from God. He believed God was mad at him and was going to get him. He feared God was going to get his children. This fear plagued him long into the night as he rolled it over and over in his mind.

The next verse brings a further revelation about what was going on in the mind of Job and why the hedge collapsed.

Job 3:26 (YNG)
26. I was not safe--nor was I quiet--Nor was I at rest--and trouble cometh!

Despite the fact that there was a hedge about him, those great fears so overwhelmed his mind that he began see himself as NOT safe, NOT at rest… and as a result:

“trouble cometh.”

Later Job reveals the truth about his fears and doubts:

Job 31:23
23. For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

Job feared that God was going to destroy him! This is not the same reverence and “fear of the Lord” that Job exercised before and that resulted in a hedge being set up around him. Job was suffering from the same delusion that many people suffer today. He thought God was mad at him and was going to crush his children, destroy his possessions, and end his life! Despite the fact that the scripture says His anger has been exhausted, people today wrongly fear the Father!

Romans 8:15(CEV)
15. God's Spirit doesn't make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father.

Hebrews 4:16
16. Then let us come near to the seat of grace without fear, so that mercy may be given to us, and we may get grace for our help in time of need.

Yet Job, while he was yet within the hedge safe from danger, began to allow his fears get the best of him. He, along with his wife, family, servants, friends, and neighbors thought that the source of all calamity and destruction was God! We shall present evidence that virtually all the people mentioned in the book thought God was the source of their problems! This incorrect conception spoiled Jobs’ mind and faith, and resulted in the hedge coming down.

Hedge Down Due to Unholy Fear of God

So this may be what happened to the hedge. The hedge may have come down due to incorrect teaching that allowed fear which leads to doubt. Doubt may have pushed down the hedge just as fear and doubt caused Peter to sink.

Matthew 14:
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

When the report of the death of Jairus' daughter came, Jesus said:

Luke 8:
50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.

Jesus contrasted fear and belief. Fear causes doubt and unbelief. Fear and unbelief cause people to sink and hedges to come down.

The thing Job greatly feared (harm coming to his children) was in fact the first tragedy that came upon him. He greatly feared for his children, and subsequently his children were killed. His fear was realized.

Job 1
18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

 

[Scottmcc1]

The reason why there is no blessing is that Christians are sitting and not going. Get out of the church building and go to the lost with the gospel. Minister to the poor with aid. Teach the new converts how to live for Christ. (the teaching could be back at the church building.) Teaching should have activity as the reason and not just sitting and listening. DO SOMETHING PLEASE

Faith without works is dead. James 2:17 The blessings of Deut 28 were blessings while they were doing things. We are already blessed with financial blessings. Many just spend more than they make. You will never have enough if you are always spending more than you make.

You don't wait for the blessing to reach out. You reach out and the blessing will overtake you.

 

[Truthfrees]

The LORD'S blessings have always been for the whole man: spirit, soul, and body.

Before Sinai, the LORD'S blessings were received by:
1. grace through faith (Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:5-9) - OR -
2. fulfilling conditions (Genesis 2:17, Job 1:5).

From Sinai to the Cross, the LORD'S blessings were received by:
1. grace through faith (Psalm 32:1-2, Psalm 32:5, Romans 4:6-8) - OR -
2. fulfilling conditions (Deuteronomy 28).

Since the Cross, the LORD'S blessings have been received by:
1. grace through faith (Galatians 3:13-14) - OR -
2. fulfilling conditions (Galatians 3:12).

It's always been our choice HOW to receive:
1. grace through faith (Psalm 32:1-2, Romans 2:14-15) - OR -
2. fulfilling conditions (Romans 10:5, Leviticus 18:5, Romans 2:12-13)

THE PROBLEM with fulfilling conditions is that it's impossible, due to the weakness of the flesh (Romans 8:3, James 2:10, Galatians 3:10-11).

IMO, the more grace through faith kind of teaching we hear, the better we'll receive the LORD'S blessings. (Romans 8:1)

The more we depend on the LORD and HIS ability, HIS faith, HIS righteousness, HIS love, etc, the more we'll receive.

I truly believe with all my heart that the real culprit is any kind of teaching or belief that distracts us from receiving the LORD'S blessings by grace through faith.

IMO, we need look no further.

 

[Truthfrees]

When I was first saved, my life was filled with the LORD'S blessing because of HIS grace through faith.

I didn't know much about fulfilling conditions.

The newness of the LORD'S life in me swept me along into HIS blessings.

It was when I started hearing conditions to fill, that the joy, life, miracles started to disappear.

Galatians chapter 3 describes the blessings (miracles) of the grace through faith life being sidetracked by a desire to fulfill conditions (laws).

This happened to me.

Grace through faith is bringing back what conditions (laws) have taken from me.

Now I only want to be near the LORD and walk in HIS grace through faith.

The miracles (blessings) are returning as I do this.

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" - Romans 8:32

 

[Scottmcc1]

I am not against grace through faith. But is it grace through faith so that we can goof off? Is it grace through faith so that we can sleep and not be awake spiritually? And is it grace through faith so that we don't have to be in the word day and night. John 15:7 Josh 1:8

Is it grace through dead faith? Faith that does not have works.

People that drift spiritually or don't have a clue of the war that is being waged against the saints will get blind sided and won't get the blessings. Those who are awake and are expecting the coming of the blessings will be the ones that receive.

 

[now faith]

So is it grace that blessed us with faith?
Or is it faith that brought grace?