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It's been a while since I blogged. Life is busy busy buys at the mo.
I've been studying Grace and Faith recently. My year so far has been a bit crazy, but brilliant all the same. I remember way back at the beginning of the year reading a book about Grace - and it blew my mind. That book really spoke to me, and I was gently reminded that my walk with God should not be based on performance. That he loves me for me - not because of what I do.
The middle of my year has lead to me studying Faith.
It almost seems that there is a bit of a conflict between these 2 things. With faith there is an element of 'us' having to do something.
My blog about belief/unbelief seemed to stir a few waters so to speak. I know some people where concerned that I was putting Lily's healing onto my own shoulders. But I really want to stress that is not what we are doing.
I guess in the church - it's either Grace or Faith at times. It seems that way anyway.
I was reminded when I read Ephesians this morning - "that it's by grace you have been saved through faith....."
Both go hand in hand - you can't have one without the other. It's incorrect to sway to either side.
It's not incorporating the whole truth when we do this.
Grace and Faith - should be a beautiful collision, as Dave Crowder put it.
We believe in the Grace of God, but we appropriate that Grace through Faith. The 2 go hand in hand.
I've more to say about this, but it's really late......
The joys of blogging so close to midnight lol
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8 comments:
time for blogging is rare when you're on your own with 2 children whilst hubby is away hey!!
I wonder wether you can expand some(time?) on the word 'appropriate'. I think I first heard it years ago when I read a book by Watchman Nee and he was banging on about appropriating in the book of Romans. If I recall it was about the blood and the cross. I don't think I got it then and I don't know if i get it now! Does it mean effort? understanding?.........Im really learn thru relationships so if you can explain it relationally that would help. Ta
by the way I think your a total star the way you support Aaron and the lads.
Hey Pete, thanks for the comment.
Appropriate means to take possession of.
I'm meaning that we take hold of Grace - through faith.
Where am I going with this?
The Grace of God was poured out at the cross - one sacrifice, one time, for all (Hebrews 10)
Yes we rely on God's grace, but there is a responsibility on us to take possession of it.
I think we can be too passive - sitting back and waiting for God, when in fact for some things he's already moved!!
Hope you get me.
Jill very interesting stuff ,however I am little confused with your comment "you can't have one without the other. ." I believe it is true to say to say you you cant have faith without Grace , as is by the grace of God we are saved but God doesn't pour out grace depending on faith. Grace is an amazing gift from God and is poured out on us reguardless of our faith.Therefore by defination Grace is not depending on no other factor other then the love of God for us. I would be interested to here your response.
Cheers
Cheers
Absolutely right in saying that God pours out his grace independent from us - that's the whole point of Grace. In spite of who we are or what we do, God is crazy about us.
The whole point though, is that grace has been poured out on everyone.
Grace was provided 2000 years ago at the cross - if we where saved by grace alone, then everyone would be saved.
But we know that we need to respond to that grace through faith.
So therefore we can't have one without the other.
If we go by grace and only grace - then everyone is saved.
Our faith needs to be pure - faith in what God has done. Not faith in ourselves.
The two complement each other. And I think that we don't teach the whole picture if we sway to one or the other.
As the book I'm reading put it
"all error stems from a truth in Gods word being overemphasized at the expense of other complementary truths....
There must be a balance! All truths from Gods word fit together ad harmonize. when understod properly, grace and faith complement each other. You were saved by grace through faith. Eph 2 v 8.
It took both, not just one or the other."
A.Wommack - You've already got it.
I know that quoting Andrew Wommack is going to go down like a lead balloon. But the revelations about the word that this guy has had is amazing. He is on!!! (as someone said tonight.)
And it makes sense!
Cheers for the response , I now understand and I agree with what you said.
God Bless
hi Jill, you need to keep blogging you are provoking people to think which is good. Love to you and the big man
You would like the book called "Pleasing the Lord" with the subtitle 'Knowing God's will and recieve his rewards' by Norvel Hayes. It's a great book on Faith.
We have the responsibility of responding to God's grace with faith, but it's also God's grace that gives us the ability to have faith in the first place.
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