When people are asked whether they believe they will go to heaven and why, what is the most frequent answer and why is their belief such a dangerous one? And what about after we’re saved, what keeps us right with God? Is it doing right or something else?
Today’s Readings:
Isaiah 41 & 42
Psalm 109.26-31
Proverbs 26.3-4
Galatians 3.1-29
Kept by Grace
Galatians 3.1-29:
Saved by Grace & Kept by Grace
… if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law (v. 21).
I touched on this a couple of days ago when I talked about how we are all legalists at heart. We are so prone to believe that if we are somehow just good enough, we can be right with God. So often when you ask people why they think they will go to heaven, they will say “because I’m a pretty good person.”
But Romans tells us, “There is none righteous, no not one” (Rom. 3.10). We cannot be right with God on our own. And Romans 6.23 says, “… the wages of sin is death …” The only remedy for sin … yours, mine, and anyone else’s is death.
The good news is that the rest of verse 23 says, “… but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Salvation is a free gift for those who recognize their sinful condition and turn to God in faith and repentance, accepting His sacrificial death in our place.
Jesus said it this way in John 3.3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” We must put our faith in Christ’s work on the cross and not any effort on our part to somehow be good enough. We are saved by grace through faith.
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).
So, do good works even matter?
Do Good Works Matter?
Ephesians 2.10 tells us that a changed life will produce good works, but they cannot make us righteous. Instead, good works should flow from the righteousness we have in Him. Good works are evidence of a change that has already taken place. They merely testify to the work God is doing in and through us.
Just as we are saved by grace, we are kept by the same grace. We could do nothing to save ourselves and we can do nothing to keep ourselves saved.
Jesus said in John 10:
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
In Romans 8, Paul said:
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And in Ephesians 1:
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
While it is not a license to sin (Rom. 6.1-2), our eternal security is sure because it’s not based on our ability to hang on to it. It’s based on His promises, His power, and His grace.
If you have questions, you might want to read one or more of the following posts:
“Could You Be a Christian in Name Only?”
“Do You Live with a Sense of Guilt?”
“A Short Message to Roman Catholics”
“Could You Lose Your Salvation?”
Today’s Other Readings:
Isaiah 41 & 42:
His Care for the Faithful
Chapter 41 was written to warn those in Israel, who persisted in idolatry but also to encourage and comfort those who remained faithful to the One True God.
Chapter 42 contains many prophesies about the Messiah. Jesus quoted from this chapter in Matthew 12 speaking about Himself (Matt. 12.17-21).
These passages are to encourage us to stay faithful to God, too. We may very well be approaching a time when God’s judgment becomes more and more apparent, but He will always care for His faithful remnant.
That isn’t to say things won’t get more difficult. But God’s grace will be there to get us through it, even when we don’t entirely escape from it. Remember that even though Daniel was faithful, he was still taken into captivity. But God used him, blessed him, and protected him throughout.
Psalm 109.26-31:
Because of His Mercy
Help me, O LORD my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy, that they may know that this is Your hand—that You, LORD, have done it! (vv. 26-27).
Ultimately, that is the reason He saves and blesses us—because of His mercy toward us and so that He will receive glory. Our good and His glory are always working together (Rom. 8.28-29).
Proverbs 26.3-4:
A Fool & His Consequences
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the fool’s back (v. 3).
Sometimes, the only thing a fool understands is consequences! A fool in God’s eyes is one who stubbornly refuses to obey Him.
What Do You Think?
What are your thoughts about works and grace? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we will look at biblical prosperity and the prosperity doctrine, talk about freedom, bondage, and co-dependency, look at what the Bible means by wheat and tares, and talk about the mirror of God’s Word.
I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our YouTube channel.
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And if you don’t already have a copy, you might want to purchase a copy of my eBook, 10 Benefits of Keeping a Spiritual Journal. It’s available on Kindle or in paperback (the paperback has 31 days of blank journaling pages with prompts to help you get started).
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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