1004. Justified and Saved Apart From Works - Now What?

Many of us were indoctrinated with "popular and mainstream" church sermons which included many things straight out of the Bible ... but the Kool-Aid we were drinking left us thirsting for more. Works-based ideologies and concepts that suggest our eternity is going to be secured based upon what we do after coming to faith and getting saved will leave even the most dedicated of doers in a place of uncertainty and despair.

For those who manage to escape that kind of spiritual and emotional prison, we often hear from people who are euphoric over their newfound discovery of God's unchangeable love and perfect grace rooted in what Jesus did once for all. But it's not unusual to get the question of "what do I do now?" Those who have been mostly limited to having a relationship with religious duty and obligation are trying to figure out how to live the Christian life from a grace perspective.

We can't live it—not on our own. Our life is not our own, but it is the life of God through Christ in us that will lead and guide us by His Spirit. Does this mean we don't seek to do anything or perform actions that are profitable and helpful? Of course not. But a change of mind will change the motivation, and it's a place of rest, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.



   
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976. Bearing God's Fruit Without Law or Boasting (It's Not Your Fruit)

As we keep browsing through the later part of Paul's letter to the Galatians, notice the contrast between flesh and Spirit. To Paul's dismay, the Galatians had been baited into adding works and law to their faith in Christ. Paul was trying to pull them out of the ditch and steer them back onto the road less traveled ... walking by the Spirit and bearing the fruit of the Spirit, where there is no law. Interestingly, notice Paul's point about how the Jews who were encouraging circumcision were not successful law keepers ... but were seeking bragging rights in the fleshly works of the Gentiles because of their recruiting efforts:

"As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Galatians 6:12-14)



   
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975. How to Fulfill the Law of Moses (Good Luck!)

Did Paul encourage the Galatians to keep the Mosaic law? In spite of the many church teachings we've been exposed to over the years, the answer is no. But one may ask, didn't Paul encourage his audience to work on loving their neighbor as themselves? Isn't this the key summary to people fulfilling that burdensome law? If we chop up one verse without the context, some may assume this is what he said. So let's zoom out and then take a closer look.

Not even this one law from the law could bring life or righteousness. It is not our goal to try to keep it or any lawful command attached with a condition. We have a new motivation as believers in Christ.

Paul begins to contrast the flesh with the Spirit. The flesh can sometimes look sinful and ugly, while at other times it may appear very religious and good outwardly. Jesus fulfilled the law; therefore, the better option is walking by the Spirit and being led by the Spirit in order to avoid all of the old and unprofitable law entirely ... including modernized versions of it.



   
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946. Freed From Religion - Now What? (Access to a Living God by His Spirit)

We've heard from so many listeners around the world over the years who came to be enlightened by God's perfect love, grace and once-for-all forgiveness. It can be stunning when coming to realize just how good the gospel message is while experiencing freedom from religious routines ... and coming to grips with how very different it is when compared to the many things we've been taught by religious tradition that seeks to establish right standing with God through human effort.

It's different and so much better to experience Jesus as our peace. But some will wonder how they should proceed as believers in Christ who are taking on a new mindset which may go against many of the things they've embraced as their most cherished and sacred assumptions. The focus of this week's conversation will be a reminder that we have much more than writings in the Bible, but as believers in Christ, we have the unique blessing of being able to interact with the living God by one Spirit who lives within.



   
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901. False Assumptions: If You Do the Wrong Things - You Will Not Inherit the Kingdom of God

On more than one occasion, the Apostle Paul mentioned a list of fleshly, sinful actions, and said that those who do or practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Believers may sometimes be taught by the legalistic that this is like fine print on their salvation agreement, leaving them feeling unsure about where they stand with God, despite having confessed faith in Jesus. Such passages sound like quite a contradiction on the surface when compared to other things Paul stated in his writings.

We have already received the kingdom—and it's one that cannot be shaken—which occurred apart from what we do, by grace through faith. The unrighteous are not identified as such because of what they do, but what they do is because they are unrighteous. Likewise, believers in Christ are not righteous as the result of doing good and avoiding what is bad ... God's righteousness has been gifted to us. We'll take a look at what else Paul said right before and after these statements and it will highlight our identity as righteous people—as he encourages believers to avoid the quicksand that the unrighteous fall into and realize this is not who they are in Him. And walking by the Spirit will help us in this.



   
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829. Things Seldom Heard in Church: We Live By the Spirit - Not Written Commands

The law from the Old Covenant was holy, righteous and good. In fact, it was so good, nobody could ever achieve the required standard. Because of being taught a phony mixture of law and grace, the majority of church attendees have assumed the written commandments—at least a small portion of them—are meant to lead and guide us into a state of righteousness and approval from God. When they hear us talk about living under grace … and not being under the ministry of the stone tablets, they automatically jump to the false conclusion that we’re telling people it’s okay to sin as much as they want.

Instead of trying to live by the written letter (which kills), the more effective approach will be for believers to come to a greater knowledge of the truth about their identity in Christ and who God already declares them to be as a righteous, holy and perfected person, having inherited the very nature of God through belief and spiritual birth. As one who is described as a partaker of the divine nature, believers can begin to live from this place, thereby allowing the Spirit of God to more effectively bear His fruit through us, apart from the law of works. He is the one who will lead, guide and teach us as we allow Him to do so. The goal is not to work at becoming someone we think we are not, but to live and rest from who God has already declared us to be.

   
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