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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879. God Is Just a Prayer Away? (It’s Even Better Than That)

The world system where we now live is a mess. It hasn’t been fully redeemed. Bad things happen and physical death still occurs, but it doesn’t change how good God truly is at all times. Yet there are times when we may feel like God is millions of miles away in a far off galaxy. We wonder if He is aware of what we’re going through or why we’re going through it.

It has been said that “God is just a prayer away.” This sounds encouraging on the surface, but on this week’s program, we’ll be taking it a step further to bring a reminder that the gospel provides even better news. Prayer or communion and fellowship with God doesn’t have to be like a type of long-distance phone call where you say good-bye (amen) at the end and hang up until the next time you dial the number. Hopefully we can help bring a new and fresh reality of just how connected you are to God in Christ … all the time. He created the original wireless—no password required.



   
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