Rev. Patrick Vincent
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” – Eph. 2:8-9
“Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me.” – Martin Luther (Diet of Worms).
Happy Reformation Day!
“… Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: ‘Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” – Matt. 10:4-7
Beware of false teachers: Even Judas Iscariot, the son of perdition (John 17:12) preached.
“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.‘” – Matt. 26:39
The Son submitted to the Father’s will, have you?
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Prov. 15:1
A tender response is like a soothing balm.
A hurtful response is like adding gasoline to a fire.
A harsh word is natural. A gentle answer is supernatural; it requires Divine Assistance.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” – Eph. 2:10
So many great truths in one verse:
We are His “workmanship,” which literally means “a thing made”… not evolved.
“Created in Christ Jesus” – “in Christ” might be Paul’s favorite expression; that’s your true identity.
“for” good works = not saved “by” good works, but to do good works.
God prepared these good works beforehand (in eternity past): God is sovereign over every single little thing… ever. [God’s part]
… so we might walk in them; there’s Man’s responsibility. [Man’s part]
And that’s just scratching the surface.
“I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” – 1 Cor. 15:21
FAR from the sugar-coated message of modern televangelists who say stuff like: your happiness depends on you, follow your heart, judgement is bad, sin is not the problem, and religious pluralism is true.
“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” – Deitrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Heb. 12:2
Fix your eyes upon Jesus.
“For every look at SELF–take ten looks at CHRIST!” Robert Murray McCheyne
“You are complete in Him” – Col. 2:10
The contrast is equally true: outside of Him, you are incomplete.
“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” – Gal. 5:17
The flesh and the Spirit pull in different directions. This prevents the will from acting freely. Our will is in bondage to the flesh.
Freedom is found solely in Jesus.
“Who makes you differ from another?“- 1 Cor. 4:7
It is not “what,” but “Who?”
Man does not make the difference, God does.
In His sovereign grace, He loved us, He chose us, and He saved us.
