Sunday, March 25, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
By works do I declare my faith in Christ.
A written account as to why WORKS are a central component to a persons faith in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 NLT "So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body."
This doesn't mean that God is going to punish us for not following his decrees. Rather whenever we live by his spirit and not of ourselves we have a much more abundant life here on earth. See: Luke 18:18 - 30
In this passage a rich young ruler comes to Jesus and asks, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" This is a very good question, but what I would like to focus on is not the question itself but the answer Jesus gave him. Jesus tells him; "you know the commandments", and then he proceeds to tell him that if he follows them, the commandments,he will receive eternal life. The young ruler responds that he has never wavered from them a day in his life. Does Jesus then say then I will see you in paradise? No, because simply following the commandments are not enough to grant eternal life. However, does he say to the man, "don't worry, you have nothing to worry about because soon I will die for all your sins"? No, he tells him to sell everything he has and follow him.
We all probably know the story, the man couldn't do it and walked away grieved. But why would Jesus give him a task he couldn't do when Jesus' sacrifice on the cross would make us all right with God regardless of what we do or did? A part of the answer I believe lies in this next verse, please read on:
Luke 18:28-30 NLT "Peter said, “ We've left our homes to follow you.” “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.”"
Here once again Jesus is telling us something that we have to DO. Here he is telling us that we must forsake ALL to follow him. What does "all" mean? It means that nothing is more important to us than what he values. What are some of the things he values?
Well for one, he tells the young ruler to give everything he has to the poor. This implies that just giving to the poor isn't enough, he wants us to live for the poor. Of course however, if you give everything you have to the poor, then you will be poor and you won't be able to give to the poor right? Not so, Jesus says that anyone who forsakes all to follow him will be "repaid many times over in this life and will have eternal life in the world to come".
In the version of the story found in the gospel of mark, Jesus adds that there will be persecutions to go along with the prosperity one receives as a result of following Christ. Mark 10:30 NASB "but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life."
I bring all this up because I believe that it clarifies somewhat what Paul says in these following verses:
Romans 14:12 NASB "So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God."
Here Paul uses the term "us", thereby implying that even he himself will be held accountable to God. Even James is not content with doing nothing in the service of God. In following passage he says "I'll show you my faith by my works"! James 2:18 NASB "But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." Faith without WORKS is dead.
2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
Another example of the importance of works can be found in the preceding passage; the author declares that "we", implying himself as well as the recipients of this letter. He is holding himself accountable for the way he spends his time in the service of God. We are bought by Christ's sacrifice for us and so we belong to Him. Therefore our time is His time and we should be more concerned with fulfilling His call on this earth rather then our own. Ephesians 6:6 NASB "not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." Ephesians 6:8 NASB "knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free."
These promises are the results of the good works that we do. These good works are the results of us living by faith and the dwelling of the holy spirit within us. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NASB "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." Once again we are being told that we are to do something, we do not have to do this in order to receive salvation but because we are saved these things are natural for us to do.
The indwelling of the holy spirit within us enables us to live a life that is pleasing to God. In Rom 12:1 We are to present our bodies as living and holy sacrifices to God, which Paul goes on to say is our spiritual service of worship. Thereby pleasing God. I paraphrased from the "New American Standard Bible".
So even though through faith are we saved, we are to declare our faith by our works. Our lifestyles and pursuits show our faith. It is by how we live that people know we are Christians and it should be our lifestyles that draw men to Christ. Grace is very good, but grace without faith which is proven by our works means nothing, and it does nothing to draw men to Christ to go around declaring that we are under grace and yet our lifestyles do nothing to prove our faith in that grace on which we claim.
Just sayin'.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 NLT "So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body."
This doesn't mean that God is going to punish us for not following his decrees. Rather whenever we live by his spirit and not of ourselves we have a much more abundant life here on earth. See: Luke 18:18 - 30
In this passage a rich young ruler comes to Jesus and asks, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" This is a very good question, but what I would like to focus on is not the question itself but the answer Jesus gave him. Jesus tells him; "you know the commandments", and then he proceeds to tell him that if he follows them, the commandments,he will receive eternal life. The young ruler responds that he has never wavered from them a day in his life. Does Jesus then say then I will see you in paradise? No, because simply following the commandments are not enough to grant eternal life. However, does he say to the man, "don't worry, you have nothing to worry about because soon I will die for all your sins"? No, he tells him to sell everything he has and follow him.
We all probably know the story, the man couldn't do it and walked away grieved. But why would Jesus give him a task he couldn't do when Jesus' sacrifice on the cross would make us all right with God regardless of what we do or did? A part of the answer I believe lies in this next verse, please read on:
Luke 18:28-30 NLT "Peter said, “ We've left our homes to follow you.” “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.”"
Here once again Jesus is telling us something that we have to DO. Here he is telling us that we must forsake ALL to follow him. What does "all" mean? It means that nothing is more important to us than what he values. What are some of the things he values?
Well for one, he tells the young ruler to give everything he has to the poor. This implies that just giving to the poor isn't enough, he wants us to live for the poor. Of course however, if you give everything you have to the poor, then you will be poor and you won't be able to give to the poor right? Not so, Jesus says that anyone who forsakes all to follow him will be "repaid many times over in this life and will have eternal life in the world to come".
In the version of the story found in the gospel of mark, Jesus adds that there will be persecutions to go along with the prosperity one receives as a result of following Christ. Mark 10:30 NASB "but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life."
I bring all this up because I believe that it clarifies somewhat what Paul says in these following verses:
Romans 14:12 NASB "So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God."
Here Paul uses the term "us", thereby implying that even he himself will be held accountable to God. Even James is not content with doing nothing in the service of God. In following passage he says "I'll show you my faith by my works"! James 2:18 NASB "But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." Faith without WORKS is dead.
2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
Another example of the importance of works can be found in the preceding passage; the author declares that "we", implying himself as well as the recipients of this letter. He is holding himself accountable for the way he spends his time in the service of God. We are bought by Christ's sacrifice for us and so we belong to Him. Therefore our time is His time and we should be more concerned with fulfilling His call on this earth rather then our own. Ephesians 6:6 NASB "not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." Ephesians 6:8 NASB "knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free."
These promises are the results of the good works that we do. These good works are the results of us living by faith and the dwelling of the holy spirit within us. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NASB "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." Once again we are being told that we are to do something, we do not have to do this in order to receive salvation but because we are saved these things are natural for us to do.
The indwelling of the holy spirit within us enables us to live a life that is pleasing to God. In Rom 12:1 We are to present our bodies as living and holy sacrifices to God, which Paul goes on to say is our spiritual service of worship. Thereby pleasing God. I paraphrased from the "New American Standard Bible".
So even though through faith are we saved, we are to declare our faith by our works. Our lifestyles and pursuits show our faith. It is by how we live that people know we are Christians and it should be our lifestyles that draw men to Christ. Grace is very good, but grace without faith which is proven by our works means nothing, and it does nothing to draw men to Christ to go around declaring that we are under grace and yet our lifestyles do nothing to prove our faith in that grace on which we claim.
Just sayin'.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Cadillacs and Gold Rings
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. http://bible.us/Heb11.32.NIV
No where does this scripture promise cadillacs or golden rings. It does promise a fulfilling life full of promise. In other places in scripture however we're commanded to be joyful so we're not promised that either, it's a choice. A choice.
Who do we choose as leaders in our christian circles now? Are they those who've "captured the meaning behind christs words"? How do we tell? Is it by how much wealth they've accumulated? The bible doesn't promise wealth free from persecutions and disappointments.
No where does this scripture promise cadillacs or golden rings. It does promise a fulfilling life full of promise. In other places in scripture however we're commanded to be joyful so we're not promised that either, it's a choice. A choice.
Who do we choose as leaders in our christian circles now? Are they those who've "captured the meaning behind christs words"? How do we tell? Is it by how much wealth they've accumulated? The bible doesn't promise wealth free from persecutions and disappointments.
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Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Most Difficult Thing
Whether good or bad because we never truly know what the outcome will be, whether it will be good or bad. We are always left completely in the dark, we don't always know what the future will hold and yet there is this urge, this sinking feeling that change is coming. We know that there is something coming just on the horizon; if we hold out our hands long enough we can grasp and take hold of whatever that something is.
But we're reaching into the dark, and this dark exists only because our eyes can't see what is there. Our hearts and our spirits know and can see but sometimes that knowing gets lost in translation. From our spirits to our hearts, is an easy journey, not much difficulty in travel there. However, from our hearts to our minds, that's where the waters rise, the winds howl and the waves buffet the ships of this understanding, keeping it from reaching the shores of our conscious minds.
You see, our mind is flesh and it's comprehension is lacking. Our mind can only process impulses sent to it from the rest of our senses and then decodes this data, processing it into information it uses to proceed in its search for longevity and immortality. But it only operates on a 2 dimensional plane, and as a result, its wants and desires are also 2 dimensional. Enter our hearts, decoding the longing of our spirits which sees the rest of existence for what it truly is.
Our spirits see our true enemies without the veil that our eyes are encumbered by. Our spirits groan unto God and in return receives strength and direction from God. Our spirits commune with God, and God in turn seeks communion with us. Our spirits see into the unseen that we call the future and our spirits, upon directives from God, tell us to reach into that future and take hold of what he's holding out to us.
11" For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
This is the unknown that scares us because it is out of our control, and being out of our control is now in God's control.
I am now reaching into the unknown. I don't know with my mind what the future holds but my heart tells me, blindly with child-like faith and obedience I move forward with outstretched arms. I am not hesitant at all, with much prayer I feel liberated because I know that God is directing my steps.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5)
Change is always bitter sweet and this change being the most difficult I've ever had to make is truly no different.
Sincerly,
Montaque F. Reynolds
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