Grace
James 4:6 NKJV — But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Grace is conditional.
Grace = supernatural power to do the will of God. Part of that power is continued opportunity to repent, or come back to the will of God, when we come up short
Obtaining grace begins with seeing our need for grace and coming out of rationalizing sin. If we settle our minds on truth, God releases grace. I can't escape sin's grip in my own strength, I need grace. But, grace is conditional on me determining sin is not ok.
To not accept the truth, which is arrogance, closes the door of grace and opens the door to judgment. God always resists the proud.
2 Peter 3:11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
13Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
15and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
17You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
Judgment is simply getting what you want. Peter warns that since judgment is coming on everything that resists God, now is a good time to repent into holy conduct and godliness. If I want these things, I will make choices into them that begin with admitting to God I need to change. If I think I have no need, then judgment is guaranteed.
Judgment is getting what you want. So is grace.
The beauty is that the judgments of the Lord are all designed to get us to see the truth and humble ourselves to receive grace.
There is no salvation without repentance. There is no grace without humility.
God gives truth without grace to the proud, and that hardens their heart...because they don't embrace the need to change. They don't really want to.
Exodus 9:12But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
John 12:36“While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.
37But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him,
38that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:
“Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”
39Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:
40“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
Lest they should see with their eyes,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”
41These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.
42Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;
43for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
44Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.
45“And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.
46“I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
47“And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
48“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
49“For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.
50“And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”
Romans 9:13As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!
15For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
16So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
17For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”
18Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
19You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”
20But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”
Truth without grace doesn't make God evil, it makes Him truly loving. Love requires a choice to accept or reject it. You can really reject God's grace in the face of truth. Love requires this be the case.
Everyone gets what they want. I want to want mercy, and then humble myself into the grace to get it when I see the truth. This is how people change and become holy. There is no unholy place in heaven. You will not find a place in heaven for people who did not want to part from their sin... otherwise it would be just like here.
Grace is conditional.
Grace = supernatural power to do the will of God. Part of that power is continued opportunity to repent, or come back to the will of God, when we come up short
Obtaining grace begins with seeing our need for grace and coming out of rationalizing sin. If we settle our minds on truth, God releases grace. I can't escape sin's grip in my own strength, I need grace. But, grace is conditional on me determining sin is not ok.
To not accept the truth, which is arrogance, closes the door of grace and opens the door to judgment. God always resists the proud.
2 Peter 3:11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
13Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
15and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
17You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
Judgment is simply getting what you want. Peter warns that since judgment is coming on everything that resists God, now is a good time to repent into holy conduct and godliness. If I want these things, I will make choices into them that begin with admitting to God I need to change. If I think I have no need, then judgment is guaranteed.
Judgment is getting what you want. So is grace.
The beauty is that the judgments of the Lord are all designed to get us to see the truth and humble ourselves to receive grace.
There is no salvation without repentance. There is no grace without humility.
God gives truth without grace to the proud, and that hardens their heart...because they don't embrace the need to change. They don't really want to.
Exodus 9:12But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
John 12:36“While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.
37But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him,
38that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:
“Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”
39Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:
40“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
Lest they should see with their eyes,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”
41These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.
42Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;
43for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
44Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.
45“And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.
46“I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
47“And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
48“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
49“For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.
50“And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”
Romans 9:13As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!
15For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
16So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
17For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”
18Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
19You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”
20But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”
Truth without grace doesn't make God evil, it makes Him truly loving. Love requires a choice to accept or reject it. You can really reject God's grace in the face of truth. Love requires this be the case.
Everyone gets what they want. I want to want mercy, and then humble myself into the grace to get it when I see the truth. This is how people change and become holy. There is no unholy place in heaven. You will not find a place in heaven for people who did not want to part from their sin... otherwise it would be just like here.
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