Kel Hammond on Faith, grace and works

Kel Hammond

Faith, grace and works.

As I understand it, it is by faith that we enter into grace (Rom.5:2). That is, we are now in Christ, having put on Christ by faith and baptism (Gal.3:26-27), and thereby enveloped in grace … having been saved by grace through faith, and not by our works (Eph.2:8-9).

Baptism in the first place represents death of the old man. It declares this principle (Rom.6:3-4, Col.2:12). It means that we bring no virtue to God – only a conscience influenced by the gospel message (1.Pet.3:21). We are thereby saved by faith through grace, which is God’s free gift to us (Eph.2:8-9). Having now ALSO risen with Christ, we are to walk by faith, which keeps us in grace – that is, we must now stay true to the things received by the preaching of the gospel, firm to the end (1.Cor.15:1-2).

We have been created anew in Christ, and by faith we are to walk in newness of life (Rom.6:4, Col.2:12), having been born again / created in Christ Jesus for good works (Eph.2:10). These works that come AFTER baptism into Christ demonstrate that our faith is alive, and therefore James says

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” James.2:26.

In this context, James has already presented two examples from Abraham’s life to show what he means. One is drawn from early on and the other from much later. Early on, Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness (Gen.15:6). Later one, Abraham was faithfully obedient when he offered up Isaac (Gen.22:16-18), and his “works” demonstrated that his faith was alive and had grown.

By this we “see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works, and the Scripture was fulfilled that says,

“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”” James.2:22-23 ESV.

Now ponder James 2:24 in this context –

“You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only”

Martin Luther, the ‘great’ reformer, was not happy with James’ epistle and tried to remove it from the cannon of Scripture. He called it ‘an epistle of straw’. Luther, because of his misunderstanding of how God saves in Christ (i.e. his belief in penal-substitution), was not able to understand James.

Peter also speaks of the need for spiritual growth in the following words –

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;..” 2.Pet.1:5-10

We will let the apostle John have the last word, where he later writes –

“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” 1.Jn.3:7

 

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Preceding articles

1. The works we have to do according to James
2. Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works
3. Luther’s misunderstanding
4. January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works
5. Our life depending on faith
6. Romans 4 and the Sacraments
7. Is Justification a process?
8. Justification – salvation is by grace through faith – JI Packer
9. Faith itself not the cause of justification – Louis Berkhof
10. Letter to the Romans, chapter 3
11. Letter to the Romans, chapter 4
12. Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans
13. Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4
14. Which is worse–works without faith, or faith without works?
15. James 2:14-23 — Justified Dynamic Faith & works
16. James 2:24 – You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
17. James 2:25. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
18. Paul giving notice of the works we have to do

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Additional reading

1. Risen With Him
2. The way of salvation
3. A “seed” for the blessing of all mankind would come through the family of Abraham
4. God works faith
5. Faith is the belief that god will do what is right
6. Christ’s ethical teaching
7.  Being Justified by faith
8. Faith is knowing there is an ocean because you have seen a brook.
9. Faith Requires a Basis
10. Walking in love by faith, not by sight
11. Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does
12. Thought for those who think it is not necessary to do any works any more
13. When having found faith through the study of the Bible we do need to do works of faith
14. A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
15. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
16. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
17. A Living Faith #4 Effort
18. A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
19. A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
20. Faith and works
21. Sharing your faith
22. Bearing fruit
23. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
24. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
25. Be holy
26. 1 Corinthians 15 Hope in action
27. Chief means by which men are built up
28. Not to play at Christianity
29. Outflow of foundational relationship based on acceptance of Jesus
30. Faith, storms and actions to be taken
31. Establish your hearts blameless in holiness
32. A race not to swift, nor a battle to the strong

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Facing our existence every day

Every day we are confronted with ourselves again. Every day again we are again confronted not only with ourselves but also with those around us. Everyday we do meet again new challenges, have to affirm again our values.

Attitude / Golden Gun (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This world which challenges us brings us day in day out some new adventures. We can try to tackle them or try to escape those things which we do not want to see. But covering our eyes is not helping us nor getting such things we do not want to see away. Living in this world we should be aware of what is going on in it. We can not stand at the side, not wanting to be involved or just letting everything happen. Those things which we consider wrong demand an action. And we should take action. Though there are several Christians who think we do not need to do any works, because we are saved, we should not let everything pass along like nothing wrong happens. That what is not according to the Law of God, that what cannot be justified demands reaction. We should open our eyes to what happens in the world and should react appropriate.

Having us to react will demand strength and courage. It shall also demand an attitude to be taken. And that attitude should always be in accordance to the attitude our master teacher Jeshua wants his followers to have.

Attitude (EP) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every day we do have to face our inner self and find the core of our own business, our own being, our own strive, our own goal. Every day again we do have to face how we are wanting to build up our own life and our own future. It is naturally so that in case we do nothing we cannot do something wrong (we think). Not doing anything, letting it all pass, is witnessing of taking an attitude, which is not the right attitude. Rabbi Jeshua and his disciples taught about the essence of taking action and doing things. The master teacher gave several examples how people lost their opportunity to take part of the celebrations, the wedding or the entrance to the Kingdom.

The grace of salvation has been given to the whole mankind, but each individual has to do something with it. When we are willing to receive that marvellous free Gift, we do have to be thankful for it and do something with it. When we just leave in the cupboard, untouched it shall be of no service for us.

It is an Immeasurable Grace bestowed on humanity but lots of people do not see or appreciate the value of it, or take it for granted that now they have received it they do not have to do anything any more. Oh, how are they mistaken.

Each day we are confronted again with many ideas … our mind wandering about. Even a baptised person can have thoughts which are not in accordance with God His Will. Though they may be convinced that they have done away with the old life, that old life simmers slowly and little tinkly lights may be very attractive. More than once in our life bitterness, wrath, and even anger, does want to come along our path. We also can have moments where clamour and evil speaking may be lurking around our own corner. All those things we are asked to put away from us, with all malice. And that requires an action, which is a work to be done.

There are also days that we wake up and feel as if we have a broken heart. Though we may know that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul. Each time we left our mind wandering in the wrong way we do know we can repent, i.e. take an action, making the effort to see that we were wrong and that we do have to ask for pardon. It demands an action to see what we did wrong (i.e. doing a work) and when we know what we have done wrong we have to repent about it (again doing a work).

Painting “Kampen for tilværelsen” (Struggle for existence”) by Christian Krohg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Often because we ourself do have to endure so much pain we want others also to have pain. Often we also want to have many good things others may have and desires others to have some of our bad things. Such desires are often around us to cause pain. We can have feelings which hurt others or can bring them into distress. Yes, we must be aware that we can get up in the morning with allowing to grow in our mind the

“intent to commit an unlawful act or cause harm without legal justification or excuse.”

This makes our own self the sick self. The self what needs healing. the healer is always around, but we have to come to him (which demands an action or work).  Without coming to the Saviour Jesus Christ we shall be nothing and will have it so much more difficult in our life. he is the Way to God and he is the one who can guide us through difficult times, putting our hands in the hands of his heavenly Father.

Every day we wake up we should know that God is willing to be close to us and that He is really concerned with what is going on in our heart and mind. Be aware, He knows much more than we allow others to see, hear or feel, what we think or want to do. Even when we do not carry out malicious acts against someone, but carry such thoughts in our mind, God knows it.

You ought not to secretly wish that something bad would happen to any person. Rejoicing in some misfortune that befalls someone else is also evidence of malice. And that is something God detests.

The dispensationalist Plymouth Brother Harry A. Ironside

The Canadian-American Bible teacher, preacher, theologian, pastor, and author Harry A. Ironside said every Christian has an obligation to put away all malice.

“If you do not live up to that, you are not living a real Christian life. This is Christianity lived in the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Gospel Light Society writes

You might feel like the malice in your heart is justified because of what someone did or said to you. But, you must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and bring your feelings under the authority of Christ. You must choose to put on the new man who will not walk in maliciousness, but in a spirit of love and forgiveness toward all. {How Not to Walk, Part 26 (Revive the Family, Revive the Church, Awaken the Nation, O Lord #272)}

Every day we have to face the new life lying in front of us. Having done away with the old life, we should try to do our utmost best to live in accordance to God His Wishes, not following man’s doctrines but following Biblical doctrines.

George Cuff wrote:

There are sins from the former life that simply must be denied,
Things the godless revel in, that a believer must sweep aside.
Immorality of every kind, impurity, lust and greed;
You will be bound to idolatry if scripture you fail to heed.

You must also rid yourselves of anger, malice and rage.
Watch your speech carefully. Do not in profanity engage.
You threw off the sinful man who reveled in foul deeds;
The new man is renewed in mind, empowered by Christ indeed. {How Not to Walk, Part 26 (Revive the Family, Revive the Church, Awaken the Nation, O Lord #272)}

Empowered by Christ Jesus we should find every day the fresh living water, empowering to continue in the right way, trying to finish the race, lying in front of us.

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Preceding articles

Our existence..

You Matter

Running challenge and the City build by the Most High Maker

For mams and dads it is also back to ‘normal’

Benefits of Positive Thinking

What IF you’re only driven by stress?

Failures, mistakes and Initiatives for Excellence and success, Working towards turning a Dream of yours into reality

There can only be hope when there is a will to be and say “I am”

The Goal

Our life depending on faith

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Additional reading

1. Life is like a ten-speed bike.
2. Suffering produces perseverance
3. Your purpose explains what you are doing with your life
4. If we view the whole world through a lens that is bright
5. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
6. Thought for September 8 Weak but standing strong in the ground swell
7. 30 things to start doing for yourself – #6 is vital.
8. Choices
9. Live …
10. Luck
11. Who are the honest ones?
12. Being prudent – zorgvuldig zijn
13. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
14. Not liking your Christians
15. If there is bitterness in the heart
16. Sow and harvests in the garden of your heart
17. Don’t Envy the World
18. Blindness in the Christian world
19. Blinkered minds
20. Never making mistakes because never doing anything
21. The Immeasurable Grace bestowed on humanity
22. Infinite payment of sin by the son of God
23. As Christ’s slaves doing the Will of God in gratitude
24. Only I can change my life
25. The inspiring divine spark
26. If you think you’re too small to be effective
27. If we, in our prosperity, neglect religious instruction and authority
28. Holiness and expression of worship coming from inside
29. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
30. Grow strong in weakness
31. Being aligned with above
32. Points to remember of philosophy versus spirituality and religion
33. It is a free will choice
34. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
35. Your life the sum total of all your choices
36. Believe and speak and act in ways which show we have life in Christ’s name
37. Behold, My mother and My brothers!
38. Saved through grace not through keeping rituals
39. Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope
40. God’s will is that all sorts of men should be saved
41. A goal is a dream with a plan
42. Looking for a primary cause and a goal that can not offer philosophers existing beliefs
43. Inculturation today calling for a different attitude
44. Coming to the end of the year
45. Dynamic goals must always rise out of authentic needs
46. Being Religious and Spiritual 7 Transcendence to become one
47. Faith antithesis of rationality
48. Faith, storms and actions to be taken
49. A Living Faith #2 State of your faith
50. A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
51. A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus
52. Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal
53. Try driving forward instead of backwards
54. Priority to form a loving brotherhood
55. Discipleship to look at
56. Don’t be the weakest link
57. The Big conversation – Antagonists
58. Reasons why you may not miss the opportunity to go to a Small Church
59. Williamsburg Conference 2015 December 27-31 Joy and Gladness
60. We should use the Bible every day
61. Religious people and painful absence of spring of living water

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Further related

1. Grace
2. Salvation – He [Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through it
3. Instantly Healed, Saved and Baptized
4. “Looking For Jesus” – “Dead Works”
5. (Part 2) Can A Christian Lose Their Salvation?
6. A New Life of Righteousness
7. saved to serve
8. Breathe in, out!
9. How Vulnerability Can Bring Us Beyond Ourselves
10. The Power of a Grateful Heart – Weakness Gratitude
11. Afraid Of The Unknown
12. No Retreat, No Surrender!
13. Excerpt from a novel
14. FFfAW: Promises
15. 100 Days of Happiness and 90 Days of Kicking Fear in the Face ….
16. No Complain November
17. The Sandbox Writing Challenge #50 — No fair peeking!
18. Week 6: Opinions-Opinions-…oh No!
19. He Tries
20. If At First You Don’t Succeed
21. What Fills Your Personal Lamp? Personal Gratitude Challenge-day 2
22. “Start the daily practice of not letting the little things bother you! If the little things ruin you, what’s going to happen when the big things come along? Start practicing now for your big challenges in life.”
23. Skirting the hard stuff
24. Message from the Universe: Becoming the person you’ve dreamed about!
25. A Night To Dismember
26. Remembering to Pause
27. First Things First…
28. Easy
29. Quote Notes
30. Are you okay?
31. True Power
32. Bad Reaction
33. Good Grief!
34. Are You Ready?: Part 3
35. When God gives up
36. Daily Verse
37. Sin Makes You Sick
38. A Change In Perspective
39. We Are Dust
40. Daily Bread – Draw Nigh
41. Daily bible passage – 11/3/16
42. A Warning of God Concerning the Ungodly
43. Ezekiel 28-30; John 10
44. My hope is in the Lord
45. Christ’s Blood Shed for All Men
46. I cry for you 
47. For God So Loved The world…
48. Come to Me
49. How Not to Walk, Part 26 (Revive the Family, Revive the Church, Awaken the Nation, O Lord #272)

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• Christians will suffer from this half-baked ‘gay cake’ law
• Anti-Christian LGBT Blitzkrieg Closes Down Sweet Cakes by Melissa
• Iraqi Christians pray once more in charred church near Mosul
• AZ School Sends Girls to Mandatory Christian Abstinence Assembly, Boys to Voluntary Dating Seminar
• Christian Slater and James Franco got ‘competitive’ over gay sex scenes
• Christians having the right heart to call others to go to God
• Jewish and Christian traditions of elders
• The longer you wait

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Mishmash of a legal code but importance of mitzvah or commandments

Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild, working in England, writes

Interestingly while Judaism teaches that mitzvot are divinely ordained and therefore not to be questioned or even necessarily understood, it does at the same time try to explain them as a rational force, and many commentators suggest reasons for our doing them.

We are told: – “The essential reason for the commandments is to make the human heart upright” ( ibn Ezra on Deut 5:18); or “Each commandment adds holiness to the people of Israel.” (Issi ben Akavia,  Mechilta on Ex 22:30); or even that “The purpose of the mitzvot is…to promote compassion, loving kindness and peace in the world” (Maimonides, yad, Shabbat) {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

The Covenant Confirmed, by John Steeple Davis (1844-1917), as in Exodus 24 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Those who believe in the God of Abraham, should know that this God of gods has given the many commandments to help man find his way in this universe and to live in a proper peaceful relation with God’s creation.

The world has been given Mishpatim, which we may consider judgements by ‘laws’ or ‘rulings’ and they will govern the community who agree to accept them. But not all humans will accept them, that’s a fact. Also in the previous times people of God did not have it easy at all times with those Mishpatim, though just after Moses has finished relating all the various laws to the Children of Israel, we can see in the Old Testament how often those People of God went astray.

Moses Showing the Ten Commandments, by Gustave Doré (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Real lovers of God should agree “to do all the things that God has spoken” (Exodus 24:3). They should cling to the Word of God as the only Perfect Rule Giver and should go for keeping “miẓwah”, the divinely instituted rule of conduct. As such, the divine commandments are divided into (1) mandatory laws known as , and (2) those of a prohibitory character, the . This terminology rests on the theological construction that God’s will is the source of and authority for every moral and religious duty. Many of the old laws were given to and concerned only special classes of people, such as kings or priesthood, Levites or Nazarites, or are conditioned by local or temporary circumstances of the Jewish nation, as, for instance, the agricultural, sacrificial, and Levitical laws.

For us today some rules may be curious, and that is why at a certain moment in time some changes were allowed. It was not God Who changed, but the people who changed and God came closer to them by adapting His rulings. As such we may now face other food laws and about sanitation than at the early beginning, plus about how to relate to others, because certain concepts changed, like the position of slaves.

Torah scroll and silver pointer (yad) used in reading

Of the more than fifty mitzvot to be found in the sidra, we have some that deal with the treatment of slaves, with the crimes of murder and kidnap, with personal injury and with civil damages through neglect or theft. There are rules about witchcraft and idolatry, about oppression and unfair business practise, about applying legal codes in a prejudiced fashion and not giving false testimony; laws about not mistreating widows and orphans, and about care for animals. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

When we look at those laws and regulations we may not forget that many still keep going and should be fulfilled by a lover of God. It is not because we have Jesus as our Messiah who liberated us from the curse of Law that the Law has ended. No, not at all. The Law still counts. Even now we have received a New Covenant, should we keep to those law covered in that covenant.

Too many Christians commit a mistake by thinking they do not have to do any works any-more. We still have to keep the works of faith, keeping to God’s Commandments.

In parshat Mishpatim, the Israelites learn that accepting the commandments is a 24/7 job. {Parenting by the Parshah – Mishpatim}

We also must be fully aware of the most frequent mitzvah in Torah, given at least 37 different times in the text,which  is repeated in the Mishpatim too –

“you shall not wrong a stranger or oppress them, for you were strangers in the land of Israel.”

It is a mishmash of a legal code but what comes through loud and clear to the reader is the importance to the Jewish people of mitzvot, commandments.

From Torah we see that for the ancient people there were particular reasons for observing the mitzvot – firstly and most importantly because God tells us to. Secondly there was in the ancient understanding an idea that people who obeyed them would be rewarded, and people who disobeyed risked punishment. Then there were two different types of reason given in Torah – that the mitzvot were intrinsically imbued with divine wisdom, and that they would lead us to achieving holiness.  {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

Each person who wants to become a Child of God, or to belong to God’s People shall have to resign oneself to the Will of God. But none can belong to the children of God when they do not accept others to be their brethren and sisters, and loving them as their siblings. The agape love for the others is a indispensible necessary part of belonging to God’s family.

In Judaism as in Christianity too there might be a tension in their tradition

– do we do the commandments (mitzvot) simply because there is a Commander (metzaveh) who told us to do this and this should be enough, or do we search out a meaning behind each mitzvah? And if we do the latter, what happens if we cannot find a suitable reason and meaning? Do we abandon the mitzvah as unreasonable or pointless? Or do we continue to do it in the hope that meaning will emerge? After all, at Sinai the people famously answered “na’aseh ve’nishma, [first] we will do it and [subsequently] we will understand”. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

The tension and balancing between holding a religious belief and a rationalist position was as great in the ancient world as it is today. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

For those who love God ‘blind faith’ was never a prerequisite, neither of a Jewish life nor of a Christian life.

Judaism tends to the position of na’aseh ve’nishma – doing in order to understand, blending faith and reason and giving neither the upper hand, but instead knowing that if we behave “as if” we believe, if we follow the way of mitzvot, then further understanding may come. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

From Scriptures we should come to understand there is no way of doing “as if” because God sees the heart and He does knows each of us. We can not hide anything from Him.

1 Samuel 16:7 The Scriptures 1998+  (7)  But יהוה {Jehovah} said to Shemu’ĕl, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him, for not as man sees, for man looks at the eyes, but יהוה {Jehovah} looks at the heart.”

Jeremiah 17:10 The Scriptures 1998+  (10)  “I, יהוה {Jehovah}, search the heart, I try the kidneys, and give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.

Moses with the Two New Tables of Stone (illustration from the 1897 Bible Pictures and What They Teach Us by Charles Foster) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Our hearts may not be removed from God and by our way of living we should show to others how God is in our heart. Our heart, our feelings but also how we act should always be pure, full of love for God and His commandments. When we are willing to give ourselves into God’s Hands He will bring us where He wants us to be.

Proverbs 21:1-3 The Scriptures 1998+  (1)  The sovereign’s heart is as channels of water In the hand of יהוה {Jehovah}; He turns it wherever He wishes.  (2)  All a man’s ways are right in his own eyes, But יהוה {Jehovah} weighs the hearts.  (3)  To do righteousness and right-ruling Is more acceptable to יהוה {Jehovah} than a slaughtering.

Each day we have to work at ourself taking care we keep to the commandments of God.

Meanwhile we are impacting on ourselves and on our world in a positive way as we are directed to behaviour that may not be our first instinct – to support the poor and downtrodden, to value life, to respect the boundaries of others, to rein in our own power and desires so as not to trample over the lives of others. The list goes on. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

As tradition says again and again in different words, the same message:  “the commandments were given only to refine God’s creatures…”(Midrash Tanchuma). They change us, they cause us to think about what we are doing and not to act out of immediate self interest, they shape our behaviour and ultimately they may help us to bring holiness into our world. {Parashat Mishpatim. What is the purpose of mitzvot?}

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Preceding

When believing in God’s existence and His son, possessing a divine legislation

A Royal Rule given to followers of Christ

First man’s task still counting today

Whoopi Goldberg commandments and abortion

He who knows himself, is kind to others

Luther’s misunderstanding

January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works

Our life depending on faith

Romans 4 and the Sacraments

Is Justification a process?

Letter to the Romans, chapter 3

Letter to the Romans, chapter 4

Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans

Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4

Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works

Which is worse–works without faith, or faith without works?

Christians remaining hidden not sharing the gospel

Witnessing because we love

Leading people astray!

Crisis man needed in this world

Preaching Christ Is Not Enough

Beautiful feet of those who announce the good news

Preaching by example

A Christian has to have eyes and ears and a tongue to use in good ways

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

What Should I Preach ?

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Additional reading

1. Bible in the first place #1/3
2. Creator and Blogger God 3 Lesson and solution
3. Creator and Blogger God 4 Expounding voice
4. Creator and Blogger God 6 For His people
5. God-breathed prophetic words written torah and the mitzvot to teach us
6. Words God speaks unto all and the Spirit that quickens
7. The Bible is a today book
8. Statutes given unto us
9. Necessary to be known all over the earth
10. God’s design in the creation of the world
11. Time passing away
12. Best intimate relation to look for
13. Let us not forget it was God who chose us
14. Daily Spiritual Food To prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God
15. Engaging the culture without losing the gospel
16. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
17. Knowing where to go to
18. I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !
19. The inspiring divine spark
20. A good idea to halt all activity for one hour some day
21. Eternity depends upon this short time on earth
22. Act as if everything you think, say and do determines your entire life
23. Truth never plays false roles of any kind, which is why people are so surprised when meeting it
24. Foundation to go the distance
25. Preferring to be a Christian
26. Aim High: Examples of Godly Characters to follow
27. Purify my heart
28. United people under Christ
29. Honesty beginning of holiness
30. Holiness and expression of worship coming from inside
31. How we think shows through in how we act
32. Object of first woe
33. Think hard before you act today

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Further reading

1. The Kotel Decision: The Parties at the Table
2. Mishpatim פרשת משפטים
3. Mishpatim – Who’s Serving Whom?
4. Shift and Consolidation: Thoughts on the Torah Portions Mishpatim and Terumah
5. Commentary for Mishpatim
6. Mishpatim – Its just a White Lie
7. When the plumbers stop society’s moral leaks
8. Parashat Mishpatim /
9. Shabbat Parashat Mishpatim 5776–Shabbat Torah Study at Adat Shalom Synagogue–Don’t Make Him Tell on You
10. Mishpatim – Wholly Love
11. Parshat Hashavuah: Mishpatim by Alex Gage
12. Scripture for 2.5.2016
13. Stole My Heart – Parshat Mishpatim 5776
14. Parsha Mishpatim
15. Shabbat Shalom! – Mishpatim
16. Dvar Torah Parshat Mishpatim 5776 2016
17. Mishpatim 5774 – Visión y Detalles
18. Double Cry – Mishpatim 5776
19. Il monoteismo etico – Parashat Mishpatim
20. Mishpatim: Where heaven and earth converge
21. Parenting by the Parshah – Mishpatim
22. Parashat Kedoshim – What is it doing here?

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• “Show them no mercy”
• A Bible Believer Asks Are Christians In The Church Age Required To Tithe Their Income?
• Luke 16:14-18
• Re: Why Atheists Feel So Threatened
• Are Christians cherry-picking which verses to obey from the Old Testament?
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• Announcing “The Emmaus Road Moments”

Witnessing because we love

Yesterday we saw how Jesus spoke about God His second commandment and how Jesus ordered us to keep to a Royal Law.

In the readings of this week we can find an other work than the brotherly love we have to do. Though that work should be part of brotherly love. Out of love to others we should go out into the world and proclaim the Good News. Witnessing to others is a way of showing our love to them, because we want them also to be saved.

God’s abundance is for the furthering of His will here on earth. God wants all people to know Him and to worship Him. We, when we are thankful for what God provided for us, will love to serve our God and shall do our best to be workers in the name of Jesus, following his orders to preach.

The Lord Jesus stripped himself of everything save love, that he might more readily meet each human soul on its own level. Jesus emptied himself, humbled himself, only wanted to do the will of God, his heavenly Father and asked us also to put our own selfish will aside. That will demand some work. Like Jesus became obedient unto death, even the death at the stake, for our sakes, we should offer our selves, working hard to bring others also into the knowledge of God.

Jesus was set on proclaiming the Gospel so that even the dying thief might enter Paradise, and that not one prodigal in all the human family should think that he had sunk too low or gone so far as to be excluded from the hope of salvation.

One of the duties of friendship is just to lend an ear to others and our second duty is to try to give them right answers. Those answers are given by God in His Book of books, the Bible, which we should carry in our heart. To keep it only for ourself is selfish. We should share it with others around us.

The first followers of Christ Jesus were very well aware of their responsibility. They also knew it was God Who had given Jesus authority and also given them responsibility of serving His church by proclaiming the word of God in its fullness. Paul wrote.

Colossians 1:21-29 The Scriptures 1998+  (21)  And you, who once were estranged and enemies in the mind by wicked works, but now He has completely restored to favour  (22)  in the body of His flesh through death, to present you set-apart, and blameless, and unreprovable before Him,  (23)  if indeed you continue in the belief, founded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the expectation of the Good News which you heard, which was proclaimed to every creature under the heaven, of which I, Sha’ul, became a servant,  (24)  who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in Messiah’s afflictions, for the sake of His Body, which is the assembly,  (25)  of which I became a servant according to the administration of Elohim which was given to me for you, to fill the word of Elohim,  (26)  the secret which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His set-apart ones,  (27)  to whom Elohim desired to make known what are the riches of the esteem of this secret among the gentiles: which is Messiah in you,1 the expectancy of esteem, Footnote: 1See Messiah in you in the Explanatory Notes.  (28)  whom we announce, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, in order to present every man perfect in Messiah יהושע {Jehsua},  (29)  for which I also labour, striving according to the working of Him who works in me in power.

Even when the mystery may have been hid from ages and from generations, now for us it should be clear, having been made manifest to the Elohim His saints. When having received the blessings of the offering of Jeshua we, out of thankfulness should be pleased that we got to know what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the non believers. Having Christ in us we do have the hope of glory and should be so overtaken by joy that we shout it out and call others to become partakers of the same joy.

It is that Messiah, given to us, without us having to do something for it, that now our turn has come to do something in return. The Grace is given for free, but now we have to act when we have come into the faith and want to make the faith alive. It is the Messiah whom we should preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, whereunto the apostles also laboured, striving according to his working, which works in believers of Christ mightily.

The message kept secret for centuries and generations past has been revealed to God’s people. And the secret “Christ in you is the hope of glory!’”  should be sounding all over the earth.

Our task is to get this hope of glory with Christ in us. Having his presence and power in our life, because it is the only way we will ever become all that God has created us to be. That is the great secret that is now made known to all! And this is why we we have to do the work of faith proclaiming Jesus, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully grown, mature and complete in Christ. It is to this end we like the apostle Paul have to labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in the followers of Christ.

Like it was the great Life Lesson Philemon learned from Paul, and how it has made all the difference for him in everything he did, we too should be inspired by Jesus’ teachings and by the power of God’s Spirit should inspire others as well.

We were made for a purpose; one that will never be realized apart from our Lord Jesus Christ. Once Christ puts his presence and power into our lives – then we can do whatever Christ can do through us if we are opening ourselves to him! Paul’s timeless words should become our very own,  so that we too can say

‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’

This is our hope of glory!

In Christ – the defeated become victorious; the weak become strong; the poor become rich! In Christ – the lame are made to leap and dance; the blind are made to see; the enslaved are set free and rejoice!

In Christ – the lowly are raised up; the brokenhearted are healed; sinners are forgiven, and backsliders are restored! In Christ –dreamers are envisioned; builders are empowered; and all are strengthened with might in their inner man!

To become in Christ we should give ourselves to him, which demands works.

To bring others to Christ also demands works. Though we do have to show others others that Christ is the Way.

We do have to open our ears so that others can open their hearts. We then should try to show them the answers God provides. Like David did not brood on his problems in solitary bitterness we with those around us should bring them before God.

We ourselves must not be ‘puffed up’ because of the way our careful reading of God’s word has led us to increasingly comprehend the ‘big picture’ of the meaning of life and the spirit of genuine love for God that must be part of this.

Let us be like the scribe who knew that there is only one God; and there is none other but He and to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength. To love God demands action or work. But when we do love we first of all have to love His creations as well because when we do not love our neighbour as ourself, we do not show appreciation for the creation of God, because each person is a created being, allowed to live here on earth by God.

Mark 12:26-33 The Scriptures 1998+  (26)  “And concerning the dead, that they rise – have you not read in the book of Mosheh, at the bush, how Elohim spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the Elohim of Aḇraham, and the Elohim of Yitsḥaq, and the Elohim of Yaʽaqoḇ’? (27)  “He is not the Elohim of the dead, but Elohim of the living. You, then, go greatly astray.”  (28)  And one of the scribes coming near, hearing them reasoning together, knowing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first command of all?”  (29)  And יהושע  {Jeshua} answered him, “The first of all the commands is, ‘Hear, O Yisra’ĕl, יהוה {Jehovah} our Elohim, יהוה {Jehovah} is one.  (30)  ‘And you shall love יהוה {Jehovah} your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first command.  (31)  “And the second, like it, is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other command greater than these.”  (32)  And the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one Elohim, and there is no other besides Him.  (33)  “And to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the being, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbour as oneself, is more than all the burnt offerings and offerings.”

We should clearly understand what is being said here. There is only One True God the Elohim Hashem יהוה {Jehovah} and this we should believe and practice with all our heart, offering our love for God to others.

Do we feel as thankful as we should for the wondrous blessing of being spiritual children of God – in this godless world? Let us make sure that we do – and then – how soon will we see and experience – for ever – “the salvation of God”.

Paul challenges us when he looks at the call of Christ to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. He expresses this responsibility in the bluntest terms,

1 Corinthians 9:16 The Scriptures 1998+  (16)  For if I bring the Good News, it is no boasting for me, for necessity is laid on me, and it is woe to me if I do not bring the Good News!

Youngsters listening to a preacher

Let us not overlook that it is for necessity is laid on us as well.  ‘A necessity’, etc.: i.e. having no choice. The compelling force was twofold, love of god and love of Christ plus fear of being held responsible for the loss of souls. Woe: calamity, in this case, eternal death. So explicit and solemn was Christ’s commission that Paul could not retain his favour if he refused to obey it. 1 Corinthians 9:17 shows how this impending woe, and the necessity it laid on Paul, make the mere fact of his preaching no ground of exultation. For if we do this of our own will, we shall have a reward. But if not of our own will, we will have a stewardship entrusted to us.

1 Corinthians 9:17 The Scriptures 1998+  (17)  For if I do this voluntarily I have a reward, but if not voluntarily, I am entrusted with a management.

Stewardship “stresses obligation, responsibility, and faithfulness of the servant to his master in carrying out the entrusted task” (Rienecker and Rogers, p. 415). In other places such as Luke 16:2-4 this same term is used to describe the management of property.
We have to do the preaching or witnessing as a matter of duty, because God has entrusted us with this task.  And this is something too many Christians forget or do not want to see.

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Preceding

Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world

When believing in God’s existence and His son, possessing a divine legislation

Looking for a shepherd for the sheep and goats

A Royal Rule given to followers of Christ

First man’s task still counting today

He who knows himself, is kind to others

Luther’s misunderstanding

January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works

Our life depending on faith

Romans 4 and the Sacraments

Is Justification a process?

Letter to the Romans, chapter 3

Letter to the Romans, chapter 4

Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans

Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4

Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works

Which is worse–works without faith, or faith without works?

Leading people astray!

Crisis man needed in this world

Preaching Christ Is Not Enough

Beautiful feet of those who announce the good news

Preaching by example

A Christian has to have eyes and ears and a tongue to use in good ways

Daring to speak in multicultural environment

Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach

What Should I Preach ?

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Additional reading

1. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
2. Bible in the first place #2/3
3. Hope by faith and free gift
4. Salvation, trust and action in Jesus #3 as a Christian
5. The Right One to follow and to worship
6. Illuminating our minds and watching out
7. Those who love Jesus
8. Follower of Jesus part of a cult or a Christian
9. Paulus to Philemon
10. Bringing Good News into the world
11. Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation
12. First Century of Christianity
13. Looking on what is going on and not being of it
14. Let us make sure we are not stiff-necked
15. Priest, scribes and others with authority
16. Breathing to teach
17. Witnessing
18. How should we preach?
19. Showing by the scriptures that …
20. Necessary to be known all over the earth
21. Church sent into the world
22. How do I know if I’m called to ministry?
23. Not all ability to preach
24. A Synod to speak freely and to listen without reservations
25. Preachers should know and continue the task Jesus has given his followers
26. Necessity of a revelation of creation 10 Instructions for insight and wisdom
27. Risen With Him
28. Looking for True Spirituality 7 Preaching of the Good News
29. Missionary action paradigm for all endeavours of the church
30. Engaging the culture without losing the gospel
31. Counting sands and stars
32. The Big Conversation
33. The Big Conversation – Christadelphians in the United Kingdom
34. The Big conversation – Antagonists
35. What Should I Preach ?
36. How to Choose a Bible for Preaching
37. Positive Preaching Day 2015
38. Soviet Witnesses
39. Using the name Jehovah but not a witness of that name
40. Why we do not have our worship-services in a church building
41. Why we do not keep to a Sabbath or a Sunday or Lord’s Day #5 Not law binding
42. Sunday 7 September service: Imitate prophets and Paul
43. Begin by carrying away small stones to remove a mountain
44. Signs of the Last Days

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Further related articles

1. The Sum of our Stories
2. The Gospel Addresses the Culture
3. Baptism and Temptation
4. Are You Ready For Jesus’ Return?
5. Can you be faithful?
6. Learn It, Do It, Teach It …Preach it?
7. Preaching on the Subject of Heaven
8. John Newton on the Practical Effects of Faith
9. “forgiveness is not a legal action”
10. Into the Wilderness
11. 1 Peter 2:1-3, What about Milk?
12. Preaching
13. The Power of Place and Story in Preaching
14. Consecutive Expository Preaching
15. Stop Teaching
16. What’s red and furry and climbs trees? (avoiding the Sunday School answer)
17. Train of Thanks 14-15
18. ‘Body Language’ in 1 Corinthians
19. Sound Bytes or Substance? (Part 2)
20. The Essential Element to Church Health and Success
21. Sermon in a Sentence
22. What’s Pastor Kevin Reading: Will Willimon’s “How Odd of God”
23. Dulcis Loquela, Dulcis Oratio, or Un-Umming Your Speech
24. Preaching – Prof K J Mathew – Shalom Night Vigil – February 2016
25. Preaching – Fr. Roy Palatty – Shalom Night Vigil – February 2016
26. “Today You Will Be With Me” – A Sermon Starter
27. “Where is the promise of His coming?” (part 2)…
28. Expository Preaching
29. New Network Show; Preachers of Infernum
30. Dressing for Church: Which Way Does One Go?
31. How Will You Listen to Your Pastor This Weekend?
32. 3 Essentials of A Good Sermon
33. QotD – Speaking from the Heart – 2.11.2016
34. Almost Spiritual, Almost Revived
35. My Library // Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry
36. One Anothering – The Ministry of Mutuality
37. “Powerful Preacher”
38. 6 Ways Bible Reading Enhances Your Church Experience
39. One wild preacher!
40. The Dilemma of Balance in Preaching
41. Unlawful Arrest for Preaching Gospel
42. Post-Preaching Inscape
43. Benefits of Expository Preaching
44. 4 “Non-Sin” Sermon Practices
45. Are Red Letters More Important than Black Letters?
46. Preacher, Do You Tremble before the Word You Preach?
47. A Christ-Centred Life And A Christ-Centred Ministry
48. The Ministry of Reconciliation
49. Acts 4
50. Acts 10
51. Challenge: Find Somebody to Love
52. Time for a Great Poem (evangelism)
53. Don’t just give up, give out! #Lent
54. Faith’s Checkbook: A Constant Witness
55. Simon Peter
56. When We Struggle
57. February 8th-Love your neighbor as yourself. And, our unruly society has about as much difficulty with that as did His chosen people back then. Yet, as His children, we are required to be different.
58. Leading Souls to Christ, Part 6 (Onward Christian Soldiers #116)
59. Are You Sitting?
60. We Are The Body!
61. Equipping the Saints (Part 2)
62. Life Expectations
63. Rude Witnessing
64. Feb 4 – That’s What Friends Are For
65. Thankful
66. How evangelism rests on trust and what you possess
67. Eleven Trust in Jesus
68. So, What Is Good News?
69. Parking Lot Salvation
70. My Utmost For His Highest: The Key To The Missionary’s Message
71. Friendship Born By God
72. He Died For Us Let’s Live For Him
73. Is being a humanitarian enough to convey the full love of Christ?
74. Go Ye!
75. Let’s Proclaim The Gospel to The World
76. 1 John 1:3 What To Proclaim
77. 2016- A year to teach the masses about our Lord!
78. Rejoice, Not Criticize
79. εὐαγγέλιον – And God Ordained Encounters
80. The Work of God
81. #AdventWord #Proclaim
82. Get The Word Out
83. Joy Never Goes Silent
84. Good News From The Bad News
85. Walk before many people with good tidings and the gospel of peace
86. There Is A Fire
87. God Energizes Our Efforts August 27
88. Refusing to Be Silent
89. How Beautiful
90. A Passion To Proclaim Him

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Related articles

• LISTEN: Peyton Manning: ‘My Faith in Christ has Been #1 in My Life Since I Was 13-Years-Old’ (Gospel Light Minute with Daniel Whyte III)
• Scripture Verse of The Week ‘Romans 5 Verse 1’
• Revelation 2:1-7 Keeping Christ As My First Love
• Overwhelming Joy
• Does The King James Bible Reveal The Identity Of The Author Of The Book Of Hebrews?
• To die is gain, no. 1
• Which is worse – works without faith, or faith without works?
• the Bible – God’s guide for life #8 Looking to Jesus #1 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus
• Judge every preacher by his preaching the gospel of your salvation
• Not everyone in the churches of Christ are “ungodly”

Paul giving notice of the works we have to do

 

 

“3 For it is God’s will that you should keep pure in person, that you should practice abstinence from sexual immorality, 4 that each man among you should learn to take his own wife out of pure and honorable motives, 5 not out of evil passions as the heathen do who do not know God; 6 that no one should do wrong and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord takes vengeance for all such things, as we told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God did not call us to a life of immorality, but to one of personal purity.
8 So whoever rejects this teaching is rejecting not man but God who continues to put His Spirit in you.

9  Now as to brotherly love, you have no need of anyone’s writing you, for you have yourselves been taught by God to love one another, 10 as you are practicing it toward all the brothers all over Macedonia.
We beg you, brothers, to continue to live better and better; 11 also keep up your ambition to live quietly, to practice attending to your own business and to work with your own hands, as we directed you, 12 so that you may live influentially with the outsiders, and not be dependent on anybody.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-12 Williams)

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Please also do meditate on chapters 1 & 2 of James about faith and works and also look at

1. Leading people astray!
2. Restitution
3. Comments to James remarks, about Faith and works
4. Luther’s misunderstanding
5. January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works
6. Our life depending on faith
7. Romans 4 and the Sacraments
8. Is Justification a process?
9. Justification – salvation is by grace through faith – JI Packer
10. Faith itself not the cause of justification – Louis Berkhof
11. Letter to the Romans, chapter 3
12. Letter to the Romans, chapter 4
13. Additional comments to the 3rd Letter to the Romans
14. Additional comments to the Letter to the Romans 4
15. Which is worse–works without faith, or faith without works?
16. James 2:14-23 — Justified Dynamic Faith & works
17. James 2:24 – You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
18. James 2:25. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

and read also other articles as:

1. A god who gave his people commandments and laws he knew they never could keep to it
2. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother
3. Christ’s ethical teaching
4.  Being Justified by faith
5. Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does
6. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
7. A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
8. Faith and works
9. Bearing fruit
10. Observing the commandments and becoming doers of the Word
11. The first on the list of the concerns of the saint
12. Be holy
13. She who sows thistles will reap prickles
14. Love for each other attracting others
15. Outflow of foundational relationship based on acceptance of Jesus
16. Faith, storms and actions to be taken
17. The longer you wait

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