Saved By Grace, Not By Works

Ok! It's time for my first Bible study post! :) This is a topic that has been on my mind since early December and I'm sooo happy to finally have it all written down! I would really appreciate any feedback/insight that any of you may have regarding this subject. Please feel free to comment and to pour some wisdom into my post! :)

Ephesians 2:8-9~ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
According to this passage, we are saved only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We are not saved by works. Romans 3:28 states, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." Romans 4 uses Abraham as an example of this.
Romans 4:1-3~ What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (That was first written in Genesis 15:6.)
Abraham was justified by faith, not by his works. I have also had James 2:14-26 pointed out to me. The main verses that have been applied were verses 21-26 that talk about Abraham and his faith/works.
James 2:21-22~ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected.
Abraham had faith, he acted on his faith (works,) and his faith was perfected by his works. Clearly explained. You have to have faith first. You act on your faith, showing your faith/salvation. Your faith is perfected. That's the process. It's simple. The book of James is addressed to believers. It isn't talking about how to be saved, but it is talking about how to live our lives as Christians. Living out our faith is what is being discussed in chapter 2. It isn't telling us that to be saved we must do good works, it is telling us that we should show our faith by our works. If we aren't living it out, we may need to ask ourselves if we are truly saved. I'll address that a little later on with a verse from II Corinthians 5.
Romans 4:4-5~ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness...
Our works are not credited as a favor, but as what is due. We owe it to God to do good works, but those works are not what saves us. Our belief in Him justifies us.
This next passage is one that has just recently come to my attention. Well... Actually, I've read it over and over and over again, but you know how sometimes you just have a revelation about a passage and the Lord reveals something new to you through it? Well, that happened to me with this passage:
John 6:26-29~ Jesus answered them and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal." Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."
The work of God: That you believe in Him whom He has sent. WOW. That is ALL it takes!!! Is that not amazing? It is so simple! It is our sinful pride, as humans, that causes us to think that we have to earn our salvation. We think that we MUST do something for ourselves. But, the truth is, we can't do anything. We can never be good enough to earn salvation. We cannot work hard enough.
Now, I'm not saying that good works are completely unnecessary, but they do not save you.
Ephesians 2:10~ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
According to this verse, we were created for good works. Good works should be a result of our salvation. Good works mean nothing without faith in Jesus Christ. Good works are very necessary, especially in the fact that they can be/are the way we show our salvation. Once we accept the gift of salvation, if we are truly saved, we will be a new creature.
II Corinthians 5:7~ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
We should have a completely different mindset and be living our lives according to God''s word, if we have truly accepted Christ. Some people believe that repentance and prayer could be considered "works" of salvation. I see them as a part of faith or trusting Christ. You cannot truly accept Christ as your Saviour unless you see that you are a human with a sinful nature that *NEEDS* a Saviour. You must be able to repent, in order to accept Christ.
Romans 10:9-10, 13~ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation... for "whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."
**Side note**
Another point that people try to make is that it is possible to lose your salvation. I don't believe that way. Our salvation in Christ is not temporary, but eternal. There is nothing that you can do to remove yourself from Christ's hand, once you are saved.
John 10:28-30~ "...and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
We will make mistakes, but we're human. We will never be perfect and we will never be able to live a sinless life. But, no matter how badly we mess up sometimes, God will never let us go. That doesn't mean that we should just continue in sin, because we are under grace. Paul warns about this in the whole chapter of Romans 6.
Romans 6:14-18~ For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
I believe that once you're saved, you're always saved. Good works do not lead to salvation, but they should be a result of salvation.
I'd like to close with these passages:
Romans 14:22-23~ The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
Hebrews 3:13~ But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
We all believe differently, and I love being able to express my opinions and beliefs and being able to hear about the beliefs of others. I'm not the judge of who is right or wrong. But, I think these are definitely the kinds of topics that we, as believers, should be discussing. Not to bring each other down with our disagreements, but in order to build each other up, challenge each other, and encourage each other in Christ.

Leaving a Legacy

The topic of this particular post is one that has weighed heavily on my heart since September 2010. I wrote this back in November 2010 and posted it on Facebook, but I wanted to share it with you guys in the blogging world, as well. You know, if anyone is actually reading this.... :)

So, here it is....

I'm going to start out with some questions.

1.What does your life mean to you?
2.What is your main goal/desire in life?
3.How do you want to be remembered when this life is over and done?

Hopefully, I have stirred up your mind and have you thinking deeply about these questions. If I don't, you can just pretend for my sake. That was my goal, by the way. :)

I'll continue by answering the first question for you. (Keep in mind, these are MY thoughts, so I am not answering these questions for each individual person that will read this. I suggest that you go and find out what your own personal answers are.)

So, back to the questions!

Question #1: What does your life mean to you?

~~My life means absolutely NOTHING to me if my Lord and Savior is not in it.~~

John 15:5~ "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for **apart from Me you can do nothing.**
Why would my life mean anything to me, if I could do nothing? I praise the Lord that He opened my eyes to this verse! Otherwise, I would have just been coasting through life with absolutely no meaning. Because of this verse, my life has meaning to me. It tells me that if God is in my life, I can bear fruit.

Fruit?

Galatians 5:22-23~ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Philippians 1:11~ having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Now, why should I care if I bear fruit or not?

John 15:8~ "My father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples."

I want to glorify God by my actions! That's really all there is to it.

~~So, to me, my life means nothing without God. I want God to be my focus, so that I may bring glory to Him. The Lord is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29) and I want Him to consume my life!~~

Question #2: What is your main goal/desire in life?

Well, my main goal pretty much goes right along with question #1. But, I'll go into a little bit more detail about it.

~~My main goal is to bring glory to God.~~

Ephesian 2:10~ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

So, we were created for good works, right? Good works do NOT earn salvation, by the way. Good works should be a result of our salvation. But, they do NOT save us. Just to make that clear. :)

Matthew 5:16~ "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

This verse talks about the reason we're created for good works. "....that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

~~ I want to live for Christ. And, I want it to be obvious that I live for Christ.~~

~~ Now, my heart's desire should also be for other people's salvation.~~

Romans 10:1~ Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

I can't save people or cause them to grow in Christ. But, I can plant seeds by telling people about God!

I Corinthians 3:7~ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, **but God who causes the growth.**

I should be constantly telling people about God and all of His works. I want to be able to tell other generations about God! I want to have the same attitude that David had when he wrote Psalm 71.

Psalm 71:17-18~ O God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare Your wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, **until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.**
Psalm 26:7~ That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving and declare all Your wonders.
~~ I need to be diligent to fulfill my purpose of telling people about God. ~~

Alright, I'm almost done....

Question #3: How do you want to be remembered when this life is over and done?

Hmmm.....

Thomas Jefferson is known for being the 3rd president of the United States (of course) and also for being the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Edison is known as the inventor of the "carbon-button transmitter" and the incandescent lightbulb. Benjamin Franklin is known for inventing the Bifocal glasses and the lightning rod. Elvis Presley is known as the King of Rock and Roll. :)

These are all really great things. (Maybe not the latter.....) But, I simply want to be remembered as a person who always had something to say about the Lord, who never let a conversation end without mentioning God, who really lived for Christ.

~I want to leave a legacy of faith.~

Giving the Gospel

Hey guys! So, I've decided to start a blog (again!) And, this time, I'm going to try really, really hard to keep up with it. I've had photography blogs in the past that I never keep up with after about 2 months... Although photography is one of my main passions, my first priority (or, what I try to keep as my first priority) is God. I try to work on a few Bible studies a month, and I wanted a place to be able to write down all of my thoughts and my findings. And, hopefully, people will comment back and share their thoughts with me. :)

Another thing that you will probably learn about me as you read my posts, is that I type what I think as I go. I'm not incredibly eloquent with my words, but for me, most of the time it's easier to understand things when they're written out in plain English, the way that people speak everyday. I'm warning you now, I won't be writing like Jane Austen or Shakespeare (I only wish I could understand their literature...) But, you should be able to understand me. Hopefully. If you can't.... I'm sorry. This is just the way I think and talk. So, here's my first blog post!

The topic of this post--Giving the Gospel or How to Give the Gospel--took me weeks to study. Something that I have noticed is that usually when giving the Gospel or learning how to give the Gospel, people only give the basic verses: John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23. But, I think that it should be a little more in-depth than just the basics.... It should really be put on a more personal level than it usually is. Salvation is the most important decision you will ever make in your life! You need to understand it fully! Now, I'm still going to add the basics in here, but I'm also using some other verses that aren't normally used. So, this is what I have found in my studies.....
We deserve death, but God offers us salvation. All we have to do is accept it. He loves us, and He just wants us to love Him in return. We are valuable in God's eyes. He paid a high price for us.
•Isaiah 59:1-2~ Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.•Romans 3:23~ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,•Romans 6:23~ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
•John 3:16~ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
•Romans 5:8~ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
•Matthew 11:28-30~ "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
•I Corinthians 6:20~ For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.
We are saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot earn salvation in any way. We can never be good enough to earn salvation. We just have to accept it.
•Ephesians 2:8-9~ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
•Romans 4:4-5~ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.
It isn't always easy being a Christian. You will be looked down on for your beliefs. And, just like anyone else, you're still going to have trials and tribulations, but you will know that God is watching you, and that He is going to take care of you if you commit yourself to Him. God will bring you through any hard times. You just have to believe that He can and will.

•Matthew 5:10-11~ "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
•Romans 5:3-4~ And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;•John 16:33~ "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."•Romans 8:18~ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
•Romans 8:28~ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
One day, all trials and tribulations will be done away with. In heaven there will be no tears, death, mourning, or pain. It is up to you which fate you choose. If you choose to believe, you will have eternal life in heaven with our Lord and Savior. If you choose not to believe, you will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.
•Revelation 21:3-4~ And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among me, and He will wipe away ever tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."
•Revelation 20:14-15~ Then death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death, the Lake of Fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.
ONE MORE VERSE.....

If you're like I am (or used to be,) there will be times that you doubt your salvation, and you ask yourself, "Am I really saved?" This is my favorite verse of assurance.

•I John 5:11-13~ And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son, has the life; he who does not have the Son of God, does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Well, those are just my thoughts and verses for giving the Gospel..... If you have anymore really good ones that I missed, please feel free to share them with me! :)