Philippians 2:12b
"....continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." NIV
"....work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." KJV
Do we really understand salvation? It is a free gift God puts inside of us who believe Christ died for our sin. Now it is time for us to work out what God has put into us. Would we buy a new car, let it sit, just looking at it, admiring it, and being happy we have a new car? No! We would drive the car to the places we go. We would fill the tank with gas, change the oil, and check the tires. We would keep the car clean and polished. We would work the usefulness out of having bought a car. Likewise, we work out our salvation by using it. We read the Word, we pray, we spend time in communion with the Lord, we praise Him and rejoice in all He has done, we help others when they are in need, and we share the good news of the Gospel to those who need to hear it.
Heavenly Father, we ask that You would give us discernment and understanding about our salvation. Help us to work it out in the ways You have intended for us to do. Help us to never let our salvation stagnate and become useless. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
©2011
Daily Grace
Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC
PREDESTINATION? GRACE ALONE? BY STEVE FINNELL
ReplyDeleteDid God foreordain those who would receive salvation and predestined all others to eternity in hell? Are men saved by, grace alone, due the the fact God imputes to, a chosen few, faith so that they might be saved? No, He does not!
The church of Christ was predestined for salvation. Individuals were not predestined, preordained or preselected to become a part of the body of Christ. All men have a choice to accept or reject Jesus as Lord and savior.
Ephesians 1:1-15......5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.....(NASB)
God predestined all who would believe in Jesus as the Christ to have eternal life. God did not select a few men to be saved and all others to burn in hell.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.(NASB)
In order to support to the position of those who believe that men are saved by a system of "GRACE ALONE- PREDESTINATION" by which God gives faith to a few to be saved, you would have to rewrite John 3:16.
THE REWRITE: John 3:16 "For God so loved a selected few of the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that those He imputes faith to, shall not perish, but have eternal life.(MAN-MADE TRADITION)
1 Timothy 2:3-4 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.(NASB)
God desires all men to saved. All men includes every man.
2 John 2:1-2 .....Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not only for ours only, but those of the whole world.
Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Jesus did not shed His blood for only a selected few.
To take the position of, predestination, would mean that men are not responsible for their unforgiven sins. How could men be charged for sins that they have no opportunity to have forgiven.
IF MEN HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY IN REJECTING JESUS OR ACCEPTING FORGIVENESS THROUGH HIM, THAT WOULD MAKE MEN MERE PUPPETS OF GOD.
PREDESTINATION-SALVATION BY GRACE ALONE, IS TRULY A MAN-MADE DOCTRINE!
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