Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the
power of God Matthew 22:29
Yesterday NEAG had a men’s breakfast. This was not a conference
or an event held for the purpose of teaching, but was the upright application
of Hebrews 10:25 as it relates to men in general within the body of Christ.
We talked about men stuff, important men stuff that we would
not have spoken in the present of women, and even some things which we would
not have spoken years or months ago among ourselves. Now this wasn’t about hunting, or sports,
though it hard for men to come together and those things don’t arise. What we
did without coming to any conclusion, was massage those important issues that
men have concerning life and salvation.
I had a wonderful time, I met new brothers to fellowship
with and met brothers with whom I could fellowship with anew!. Then as I was
leaving out the corner of my eye I saw a small group of men gather around
another man as he spoke with authority on the subject of our status in Christ. “Don’t
let the Devil fool you, We are not sinners saved by Grace!) Being a man of doctrine that sent chills up
and down my spine, it was as if someone had pierced my side with the spear that
pierced Christ while he hung His lifeless body on the cross.
-Maybe I’m saint. But what is a saint? It is simply a sinner that has been saved by Grace! Oh man I’m right back to where I started.
The Biblical word for saint is Hagios (Qadowsh in Hebrew) which is translated as
holy, so as a saint am I saying have I become holy and if so does holy mean without sin? Surly God is Holy and without sin, So In 1Peter1:16 when God says "BE YE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY" ,has He given us a task that we can achieve in this life time?
The only problem with that is that those that are holy and without sin would have no need for Christ, they could, if such people existed, could get their salvation on their own merit. But the Bible tell us that only one could get salvation on His own merit that is Christ. (Romans 3:28) If I am holy I have no need for Grace. Is that what I am proclaiming? Of course not.
The only problem with that is that those that are holy and without sin would have no need for Christ, they could, if such people existed, could get their salvation on their own merit. But the Bible tell us that only one could get salvation on His own merit that is Christ. (Romans 3:28) If I am holy I have no need for Grace. Is that what I am proclaiming? Of course not.
As a saint I’m claiming to be justified. I am saying that
God has legally declared me innocent of my crimes of sin. But isn’t
it true that only a sinner needs justification? Here I am again right back
where I started, If I need justification am I not a sinner saved by Grace? Or else I am the justifier, but the Bible clearly says, that God has set Jesus Christ to be a propitiation, that He declares His ( Christ's) righteousness for the remission (payment) of sins through the patience of the Father, And it is because of Christ's righteousness that the Father is just (in declaring us righteous) and the justifier (the very one that paid the payment as well) only of those that believe in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:25-26)
Lets dig a little deeper so that we do not be lead astray by
those that are in error themselves, in Matthews 22:29 Jesus warns the Sadducees
of their misunderstanding because of their lack of knowledge of scripture. “Ye do err, not knowing
the scriptures, nor the power of God” I this is the thing, completely
all we hear must hinge on the scriptures. Acts 17:11 tells us to be like the Berean
Jews
These
(Berean Jews) were
more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all
readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were
so
1.
A sinner is anyone having an ancestry of Adam. And
since we all have Adam as our father we are all sinners. Because of the fall of
Adam we are all sinners, imputed on us is the sin nature. Without ever committing
a sin we are all sinners. This is the condition of all humans, bar-none! Consider what scripture says of our sin nature.
Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: the working word here is “All”
2. A sinner is someone that sins, which of us does not sin? When Jesus said to the crown intent on stoning the women caught in adultery “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7) He knew the impossibility of anyone ever casting a stone. The very nature of man is sinful. As long as we live in this corrupt body we will sin.
Romans 3:10 “there is none righteous, no not one!”
Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me”
1 John 1:10 “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” Matthew 15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:,"
Jerimiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? “
John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me”
1 John 1:10 “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” Matthew 15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:,"
Jerimiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? “
John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
The
only way to stop being a sinner is to leave the family of Adam and to sin no
more. But how do we that are human, be
not human. The makes a liar of the law of non-contradiction. Something cannot
be, and not be at the same time in the same way, so then none of us can leave
the family of Adam. So even if we could stop sinning which none of can (Romans7:7-10) we would still be sinners. Nothing can stop us from being sinners. The Bible
is clear about that! But the saint is justified
What
is Justification?
Justification
is part of the Grace of God, where God declare the sinner righteous, this is a legal
term. It is not that the sinner is now sinless but that he is
"declared" sinless. The sinner is not made righteous in that his soul is
changed. Instead, justification is a legal act of imputing the
righteousness of Christ to the believer So that God no longer see the sinner as guilty.
“He received the sign
of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he
was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who
believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to
them as well” Roman 4:11(ESV)
“and be found in him,
not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes
through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” Philippians 3:9 (ESV)
In
justification, the justice of God fell upon Himself--in the form of the God-Man Jesus Christ. We who are sinners
are given mercy, because we are not judge because of our sins. Solely on our
faith in Jesus Christ. who alone was justified having broken none of the deeds of
the law He bored our guilt for us.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Romans 3:28
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Romans 3:28
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12
There
are some that will tell you that saying that you are sinners saved by grace is degrading,
but the Bible clearly teaches that we are sinners, and will always be. Therefore, as long
as we are on this side of eternity this is who we are! But isn’t is wonderful that by Grace Alone,
through Faith alone, in Christ alone, that we are justified and our sins are
not counted against us?
This is the boast I have in Christ Jesus,, These words which the prideful hate are my testimony, they speaks of God's love and Grace toward me for which I would die and spend for ever in hell if I were to deny that I am.
"A Sinner Saved by Grace!”
"A Sinner Saved by Grace!”
FireSpeaks
