We are quite aware that we are saved by grace through faith and not by our works. But notice how these two scriptural passages work together to support what James wrote about faith and works.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Now notice that in Titus, Paul is talking about the grace of God that brings about our salvation. This is the same author as Ephesians.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men
Then he goes on to say that the grace of God teaches us things.
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
Isn't this the "living" faith that James writes about? Paul is saying that the grace of God that brings salvation does not leave us in the same state that it finds us but teaches us to put our faith into practice. God accepts us just as we are and desires that we come to him just as we are. But God's grace has a purpose--to redeem us from our fallen state and from sin and to reconcile us to himself through Jesus Christ.
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What is grace? Many of us hold a concept as to what grace is. Some say grace is the unmerited favor of God. Then I would ask what is the unmerited favor of God? Some say it is the free undeserving gift of God? Then I would ask what or who is the free undeserved gift of God? These are all fine concepts but, let's look at what or who, the scriptures tell us Grace is.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
In our time of need we can come to the throne of Grace and find Grace in time of need. Grace helps us in time of need. The Lord is our help. Grace grants us mercy. Grace is enthroned. Grace sits on a throne and we may go before the throne of Grace. Grace in this verse is One seated on a throne, grants us mercy, and provides us help in our times of need. Is this a concept or a Divine Person? Who is enthroned, who sits on a throne?
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Grace teaches us. Grace is a teacher. Grace appeared to all men to bring salvation. Grace brings salvation. Does this remind us of anyone we know? For we have One Teacher and we can only be saved in One.
1 Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
This shows the Grace that made Paul an apostle who labored more abundantly than all the other apostles; such a Grace was God Himself working through the apostle. "Not I but the Grace of God" equals "no longer I..but..Christ" in Galatians 2:20. This shows that Christ Himself is the Grace of God. We all have to declare that in our labor it is not us, but the Grace of God with us, within us.
2 Tim 4:22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
Here we see the Grace which was with Timothy through the Lord in his spirit. "The Lord Jesus Christ (the Master Jehovah my Savior the Anointing) be with your spirit. Grace be with you." First, we must have the Lord in our spirit. Then we have Grace. Grace is not in our mind, emotion, or will but in our spirit where the Lord Jesus is. Grace is not a concept. Actually the Lord and Grace are One. Grace is the Lord personified.
2 Tim 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
While the church was degrading, Timothy was empowered to stand against that degradation. He could do this by the Grace which is in Christ Jesus. Grace is in Christ Jesus. Grace gives us our strength. Grace is an aspect of Christ Jesus.
Act 2:47 Praising God, and having grace with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 2:47 describes a situation in which the early believers in Jerusalem were contacting God and experiencing God. Everyone was full of God. That was a situation of Grace which could be seen by others. That Grace was the visitation of God. A group of believers were growing to express God's attributes in their virtues. They were humble, loving, and full of light. All this was the fruit of the Spirit. That was the product of their experience of God as Grace. In Acts 2:47 we see a great lesson, for we are to seek to know nothing but Christ Jesus among us, to know no one after the flesh except Christ among us. In Acts 2:47 we see they were having Grace with all the people, having Grace among them. The Lord is in the praise of His people, Grace was there in the praise of His people.
Act 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
When the apostles gave the believers testimony concerning the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, great Grace was upon them. When we are under the proper ministry of the Word, Grace is also upon us. There is an atmosphere and situation of God's presence with us. The presence of God is the Grace. We have great power from God when Grace is upon us, when we are anointed with Grace.
Act 6:8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
When Stephen was full of grace and full of power, he did great wonders and signs among the people. What proceed from Stephen was the genuine manifestation of Grace. That was God's visitation. God was there. God's people are accompanied by great signs, God does great wonders and miracles through His people when they are full of His Grace and Power.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Only One can save us. Only One is Savior. Grace saves us. Grace is the Gift of God. God gave us a gift of Himself in His Son. God gave us a Savior. We are saved in Him, much more saved in His Life. Grace and Christ are a Gift of God or Grace and Christ is the Gift of God. We receive Grace through Faith, the Spirit of Faith. Later, if the Lord is willing we will look at what or exactly Who Faith is in the God-Head. For now, it is enough to say that Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith is the substance, substance is the essential nature, essence, an ultimate reality that underlies all outward manifestations. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Christ is the Hope of God. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. God is Spirit, Spirit is not seen, but is known, expressed, manifest. We stand, and rejoice in Hope of the glory of God. Christ is the Gory of God. We stand in Christ. The Last Adam became a Life Giving Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus Christ or the Lord Spirit. God's Son comes to us through the Holy Spirit. We are saved by Him and He comes to us through the Spirit. Grace is the Gift of God through Faith. Our Savor, Grace and Faith are not of ourselves. We walk by Faith, we stand by Faith, whatsoever is not of Faith is sin. We talk allot about our faith, the scriptures mention our faith many times, however we need to understand this, to see that Faith is not of us. The scriptures also talk allot about our Lord and our Savior and our God, yet these Ones are God, One God, they are not of us. Grace is not of us, nor is Faith of us. Faith must have works, just as the Spirit must have fruit. We were created for good works, these are not our good works any more then the fruit is our fruit, but instead the fruit of the Spirit. It is called the fruit of the Spirit. We were created for good works and at times we refer to them as our works, but our works are dirty rags, we are just vessel for these good works, branches to bare fruit, but the fruit is of the Vine, we can not bare fruit apart from the Vine. Faith is a fruit of the Spirit. Again Faith is not ours but a fruit of the Spirit, an expression of the Spirit. We are, it is our Fathers will that we bare much fruit, but again it is His fruit. Faith without works is dead, just as the Spirit with out fruit is dead. You may say you have the Spirit, but without fruit it is dead, it is knowledge, belief, fact, but does not profit. Know ye therefore that they which are of Faith (of the Spirit), stand in the Faith (stand in the Spirit), walk in the Faith (walk in the Spirit), live by Faith (live by the Spirit). In the God-Head we have Faith, Hope, and Love. God is Love, God is the greatest. Christ is our Hope.
Act 11:23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
When Barnabas went to Antioch, he saw God's grace which the believers there enjoyed. That means that they were all continually enjoying God's visitation.
Act 13:43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
The apostles Paul and Barnabas urged the new believers to continue in the Grace, Grace OF God. That means to continue in advancing and growing in Grace, which is the visitation of God, which is of God.
Act 14:3 Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
The apostles speaking boldly in the Lord. The apostles spoke by the Lord. Just as the Lord Him self on earth spoke only what He heard from the Father. The apostles spoke by the Spirit, as the Lord spoke by the Spirit, as the Lord's words and the apostles words were by the Spirit, as we have recorded today the inspired words of God, the scriptures. The Word of God is called the Word of Grace. This Word of Grace was ministered to the new believers by Paul and Barnabas. The Word of Grace is the Word of God Himself, the Word of God's visitation. This Word is the Logos, the Logos that became flesh. This Logos is the Christ (the Anointing). The Christ that has come and is coming in the flesh. As the scriptures say "let all men speak the Logos (oracles) of God". In the Church life our speaking, our prophesying, our word of knowledge, our word of wisdom, etc., is to be by One and the self same Spirit. To God be the glory (the essential essence), the expression in the church, in us. Let Him have His image, let Him lead, Him speak, let Him be Head in the church. If one receives a revelation, let the other be quite, so He may continue to speak. For it is to be One who is Teacher in the teachers. As the OT says some were, let it be by the Spirit and not as the false prophets who have seen nothing and speak from their own spirit.
Act 14:26 And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. Act 15:40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
When Paul and Barnabas were going out, the saints commended them to the Grace of God. That means when they went out, they would always be under God's visitation, God's Grace. The saints commended them to God's visitation. Acts 15:40 was the start of Paul's second ministry journey.
Act 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
There was a Grace through which Peter and the Jewish believers were saved. They saw that the Gentiles were saved through the same Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. This way was God's presence, God's Grace, God's visitation.
Act 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Paul, in his ministry, always ministered God as Grace. He solemnly testified of the gospel of the Grace of God to minister God into people.
Jam 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble...8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you...
The Grace which is greater, given by God to the humble as it was prophesied in the Old Testament that God resists the proud but gives Grace to the humble. James 4:6 says, "But He gives greater grace; therefore it says, `God resists the proud but gives Grace to the humble.'" If we are humble, God will come to us, and we will experience His visitation. This is Grace. God rejects the proud. That means God will not visit them. But God will come to the humble all day. When we are humble, God is with us, and this presence of God is God's Grace.
2 Joh 3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
The Grace with mercy and peace, which is with the believers from God the Father and from Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in Truth and Love. 2 John 3 says, "Grace, mercy, peace will be with us from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." When we live in truth and in love, that is a sign that God is with us, and that is the Grace. Grace is actually God Himself visiting people. When we live in truth and love, God comes to visit us, and that is Grace. Jesus is the Truth and God is Love. God is Love and Jesus said "I am the Truth".
Rom 5:17 For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
With abundance of Grace, the Gift of righteousness (only One is righteous) we shall reign in Life, by One: Jesus Christ. Grace, the Gift, are for reigning in Life, He is Life. By One: Jesus Christ. We are much more saved in His Life, we are victorious in His Life, we are little kings in the One King, He said "I am the Life". It is by receiving the abundance of Grace, the Gift of righteousness we reign as little kings. How?, in Life by One: Jesus Christ.
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
If we hath trodden under foot the Son of God, we hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace, because the Son of God and the Spirit of Grace are the same. The Lord is now the Spirit, He, as requested, was returned to the position He had with the Father in the beginning, as it is written some were. God is Spirit and the Lord is Spirit. Again, Grace is revealed to be the Spirit of Grace in this verse. The Spirit is of Grace. The Spirit is of God. God is Spirit and God is Grace. We are saved by Grace, we are saved by God, by the Lord. We are not saved by a concept, but by a Divine Person. Grace is of God, the Grace of God. The Spirit of Grace.
I noticed in this post you reason that grace is God. In yet another post you said love is God. This is not correct. God is gracious and God is love. These are attributes of his character. God does not merely love, he IS love. But to say love is God is confusing and tends to bring God down to a lower level.
God has many perfect characteristics and it is good to dwell upon them. But should we make each of his characteristics a god? I don't think it is proper. In fact, I think it borders on blasphemy and may actually lead to an incorrect knowledge of who God is in truth.
Let's let the life of Christ portray the Father to us. Let's not spiritualize away every duty. Rather, what did he do? How did he live? Was he ever persecuted for his obedience to his Father? Jesus walked among the people and had compassion on them and healed them. How can we carry on this work today?
It is not our petty feelings and emotions that we will be judged by. What did Jesus say would judge us? Our works! Let's do the works that God has given for us to do by faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Faith and works must go together like two oars, if we desire a living faith. Otherwise, our faith is dead. Remember, "You show me your faith without works and I will show you may faith by my works."
When scripture speaks of walking in the spirit it is talking about a spirit that is contrary to the flesh. Our flesh in bent toward sin. In fact, Paul says that the carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to God's law; in fact, it cannot be subject to God's law. But Paul also told us that the wages of sin is death. So how can we still be at enmity with God's law and claim not to be carnal? It just doesn't fit--carnal Christians. So for us to walk in the spirit we need a new attitude. Our attitude must be one of obedience to God, of submission to God's law, so that we can be at peace with God rather than at enmity with him and his law.
It doesn't mean we never sin again--this is our struggle. But surely, one who is forgiven, justified, and dead to sin, will be praying without ceasing for deliverance from every temptation. And, God has promised to provide a way of escape.
If we desire to obey God and effort is put forth to that end, then Jesus accept our desire and work as our best effort and makes up for our deficiencies with his own Divine merits. And, Paul assures us that it is God who works in us to give us the will to obey and the power to do it.
Philippians 2:13 (in three translations) It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him.
for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
BTW, glad to hear the tooth problem is behind you. Did you try the pineapple juice? Just curious if it worked for you at all?
"Born again of the spirit of Life, and dead to the old man of sin. When we walk (live) in the Spirit in which Jesus walked, fulfilling the law, we are under grace and not under the law."
I think you are confusing here the appropriation of grace through the regeneration of the man ;which is to be transferred from the kingdom that the law judged and condemned into the kingdom of the Son of His love that eliminates condemnation. This is all positional. You are chosen, regenerated, placed in Christ. This all makes walking in the Spirit possible but in itself is not to walk in the Spirit.
The grace is Christ, just as goodness,love, etc. is Christ. If you think this is too spiritual than I would suspect you see yourself apart from Christ and not really in Christ. Each cell of my body recieves all that the body is because of its position in the body , it doesn't do anything to recieve what the body is, it recieves it by being in the body. The goodness and love of God that we experience subjectively is the essential reality of God. Jesus did not say only God does good he said God is good.
To walk according to the Spirit is to follow the leading of the Spirit while denying the soul-life and the flesh. When we turn to the Spirit in our spirit we are appropriating the behavior of God which manifests out of the nature of God, which emanates from the Life which is God. If we behave apart from that Life of God we are still walking according to the soul.
The body is comprised of some estimated 3 trillion cells. It would be improper to call a single cell the body. Grace is OF God, just as are love and goodness. Man has no goodness, love, or grace apart from God.
You said it this way, "The goodness and love of God that we experience subjectively is the essential reality of God. Jesus did not say [merely that] God does good[,] he said[,] God [IS] good."
I didn't understand your objection to my statement that you quoted because with my wee brain I could not comprehend your following paragraph.
quote: I think you are confusing here the appropriation of grace through the regeneration of the man ;which is to be transferred from the kingdom that the law judged and condemned into the kingdom of the Son of His love that eliminates condemnation. This is all positional. You are chosen, regenerated, placed in Christ. This all makes walking in the Spirit possible but in itself is not to walk in the Spirit.
What do you mean by this comment: "the appropriation of grace through the regeneration of the man." I don't understand the phrase. You are right that just because it is possible does not make it so. But I don't understand my confusion that you speak of so I can't address your concern.
The appropriation of grace is the appropriation of the Life of God that the Lord said He was and came to give. Consider the phase "in Christ". When we are given this Life, this Zoe Life of God, all that He is has become available to us, excluding the Godhead. The Grace is the Life with all the divine and perfect humanity it contains. Now that we have this Life we have this Grace which is the Life. We also have the Love which is the Life. We also have the peace , joy, etc. which are all the Life. When you speak of these attributes in a man of the psuche or natural human life they are objective to him and he can perform them but they are not an issue of his life. God does not extend grace apart from His being. These attributes are not objective to His essential being they are His being.
To walk in the spirit is to be walking in the "flow" or issue of God's life. If we perform "good" work apart from this life we are not in agreement with God who has judged the psuche life as impotent and useless to Him. Unless we "work" from the Life of God the work we do is all wood,hay, and stubble destined to be burned up. We who have the Zoe Life will be saved but as a man passing through the flames. All "work" must be God working. Obeidiance in reality is the denial of the soul-life and the turning to the God's life within as the source of all working. Example; He (Christ) sensing the presense of the Spirit of healing began to heal.- apart from Me you can do nothing.
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I just read the posts in this thread for the first time tonight.
I want to say, SameSpecies, that I really appreciated your Biblical quotes concerning grace as well as your own comments. I think you and I are pretty well on the same wavelength concerning grace.
Titus 2, which you quoted in part, seems to teach that the grace of God is an enablement so that we may avoid wrongdoing and work righteousness. Indeed, we read in other writings of Paul, that this is the very reason Jesus died for us.
In the long write-up about grace that you share with us, you touched on the word "truth" in one paragraph out of about 39.(rapid count) One of the best sermons I ever heard because of its simplicity to contain the complete picture of Jesus as the Son of God amongst humans was based on John 1,14 and says:
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
The message was that grace without truth cannot stand up because it is like a body with no spine and truth without grace kills because it is too harsh. Our Lord is never one without the other. From Him, all truth comes in grace and all grace remains within complete truth. This is much of what holiness is all about.
And, as for the results of being taken on by such Life, Paul is firm regarding the outcome:
"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss." 1Thess 5,23-26
-------------------- ...all blessings be with us all... Benoit Couture
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Yes Benoit17, We can not separate Grace from The Truth. The Lord comes to us as Grace and the Lord is The Truth, Joh 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am...The Truth...
We could also write volumes about how the Lord is also The Resurrection, The Life, The Way, The Door, The Stone, The Mountain, The Foundation, The Cap Stone, our Faith, The Morning Star, The Hidden Manna, The Lamb, our Temple, The Love, The Fire, The Sabbath, our Righteousness, The Promise, our Shield, our Exceedingly Great Reward, Gen 15:1, Etc., Etc., but at the same time it is all very simple, He is all these things to us and so much much more. Thank-You! Lord for being everything to us. May you Lord have your glory in the church (us), may we bare your fruit Lord, your expression, the fruit of the Spirit. Your Kingdom Lord, the Kingdom of God is Righteousness, Peace, and Joy ((your expression (fruit of the Spirit)) Lord, Gal 5:22, in us in you (in the Holy Spirit), Rom 14:17, in the Kingdom of God, the Finger of God, Luk 11:20, Mat 12:28. Not coming with observation, but within us, Luk 17:20-21, so that you Lord may have your expression, image, and glory on the earth in us Lord, 2 Thess 1:10, Eph 3:21, 2 Cor 8:23. May your will Lord be done on earth as it is in heaven, Mat 6:10. The New Jerusalem coming down from heaven to earth, Rev 21:2-3, Amen!
I brought up the word truth in context with the word grace, as opposed to the whole list you mentioned in replying, because being graceful to someone without being truthful or vice-versa does not work in being the Church nor in spreading the gospel.
I have known a whole lot of very gracefull people in my life who knew nothing about the truth nor about being truthful, and yet, they were very graceful. The same is true of many religious people who can quote scriptures from cover to cover. The righteousness of their beleif allows them to preach and to exort and to warn and to condem and while being so busy doing so, grace has no room to soak into their aproach to others.
It is a little as in nuances regarding statements like "love is God" versus "God is love". Depending on how you view or understand love, then if I say love is God, it means that God has to fit within such restrictive confinements as my limits offer. Whereas God is love leaves the whole definition within God, His nature and His work. My knowledge that God is love is then secured from my own deceit, by His reaching out to me with eternal life by His revelation. God loves us first, not the other way around.
It might sound like spliting hairs but as I've heard it said so often in the English language and noticed in every other languages: "The devil is in the details".
-------------------- ...all blessings be with us all... Benoit Couture
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Yes Benoit17, seeing that the devil is in the details, the most basic detail that we must first see is that God is Love, God is Grace, God is Truth. It has to be God, it has to be God's expression, it has to be God's doing, it has to be God or it's just simply not God, it's the only other source which is opposed to God.
Jesus was God, He only spoke what He heard from the Father, He only did what He saw the Father doing.
We can not bare fruit apart from the Vine, it's God's expression that God desires, the fruit of the Spirit. All that we have for the building up of the body is to be of God, that is of One and the Self Same Spirit of God. It is the operation of The Measure, the Measure of God, in each one part that builds up the body in Love, that is in God.
We really can not define Love, it simply has to be God, God's expression, will, desire, speaking, doing or it is simply not Him and of no value. No matter how good it may look to us, if it is not God it is of the source (tree) of good and evil which brings death, it is not from the Lord, the Vine, the Tree of Life which brings Life and is Life. Apart from God it may look or seem or feel good, right, moral, etc., but then it is just not God. We know the difference by the testing, by the fruit that is produced between brothers and sisters, by the outcome; Life or death, building-up of the body or destruction and division, etc.
We should not even try to be graceful and truthful at the same time or truthful and graceful or even add loving to this formula. We have been crucified with Christ, we are just vessels, branches that only bare fruit, the fruit of the Spirit. No longer I, but Christ. Otherwise it's a counterfeit. It has to be God. When it is God then love, gracefulness, truthfulness, etc., are all in-parted because God is Love, Grace, and The Truth.
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Being in complete agreement with one another, we are now positioned where anything we ask our Father, He will do. In fact, we are told that if we beleive, it will have been already done, by the time we ask because our requests are no longer simply individual wishes, but we pray according to God's will and pleasure, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
So here you are in North California and I, in Edmonton Canada. How do we get to be relevant to God's work and to one another's walk with God in this world of darkness?
Is it resonable to look for more that what meet the eyes, out of internet interaction?
How can we see between us, in our personal lives, God to manifest Himself so that our lives can be shaped and disciplined into the "...equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;"?
I'm I asking questions that are worth seeking God for, in a place like the internet?
-------------------- ...all blessings be with us all... Benoit Couture
"How do we get to be relevant to God's work and to one another's walk with God in this world of darkness?"
I think the answer to your question above is in your question. Realizing that it is "God's work" as you stated. Eph 2:10 tells us that we were created for good works, but we must realize that this is not our works, but God's works. Rev 2:26 tells us this were it says "...he that overcometh, and keepeth MY (the Lord's) WORKS..." We are just vessels created for good works, His good works, He is the only Good One, and apart from Him we can do nothing. The rest of the answer is also found in this phrase in your question; "one another's walk with God" and the verse you quoted; Eph 2:10. The end of Eph 2:10 should be translated from the Greek as follows; "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in HIM." The key to being relevant to God's works is our walk with Him and walking in Him. If we live by the Spirit let us walk by the Spirit, the Lord who is Spirit, God who is Spirit. This was the Lord's pattern. Only speaking what He heard from the Father, only doing what He saw the Father doing. Our individual walk in the Lord manifest His expression, image, and good works in us, and results in His desired corporate expression, image, good works, and oneness, again oneness in the Spirit. I really don't feel that we walk in the good works, but walk in Him which results in the manifestation of His good works.
As we see in Corinthians all that we have for the body, be it a word of wisdom, knowledge, prayer, helps, prophecy, etc., is to be by One and the Self Same Spirit. As it is written some were in the Old Testament we are not to prophesy by our own spirit which has seen nothing as the false prophets did. It can only be by the Spirit of God.
Even our transformation from glory to glory, one degree of His glory to another degree of His glory, for it says may God be glorified in the church, is as we behold Him and reflect Him, that we are transformed, and how or by whom?, by the Lord who is Spirit.
We "see" to be useful to God, we behold Him and we just reflect Him. We take up our cross, we have been crucified with Christ, we deny ourselves, lose our soul, and simply follow Him, the Lord who is Spirit, the Life Giving Spirit, the Promised Spirit, the Christ (The Anointing), Jesus (Jehovah my help and savior), the Spirit of Faith, the Spirit of Grace, Christ come and coming in the flesh, the Comforter, The Teacher, etc. The One who said "I will not leave you alone", "I will come to you". The One who was resurrected and then dispensed into us as the Life Giving Spirit. We deny self and follow Him. No longer I, but Christ, and in the Greek "the life that I live in the flesh, I live in Faith, I live in the Son of God" We place ourselves by denying ourselves under the Law of the Spirit, that is under His restriction, guidance, regulation, and direction, not the old law. We follow Him daily. He would not have said "take up your cross and follow me daily" if it were not possible.
Of course I believe you already know the answers to these questions you asked. It's really the operation of THE MEASURE (The Measure being Christ) in each one part (the members of the body) that builds up the body in Love (that is builds up the members in God), because as you quoted the goal is "to a perfect man (the One New Man), to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ". The fullness of Christ is the Body of Christ (Eph 1:22-23). His goal and desire is a bride, a wife who has made herself ready, the New Jerusalem, not in heaven only, but "coming down from heaven" to earth. God's will being done on earth as it is in heaven. Thy Kingdom come. The New Jerusalem in brief; God mingled with man, God having His oneness, image, and dominion on earth in man, God having His expression, glory, on earth in us the church, His body, His bride, His wife, the New Jerusalem. The Kingdom of God; Righteousness, joy, and peace (God's expression here, the fruit of the Spirit; joy and peace, righteousness; kindness between us, patience between us, love for each other, gentleness between us, etc.) in the Holy Spirit, that is us in Him, He dwells in us and we in Him. The Kingdom of God is God's expression (fruit) in us in Him. The Kingdom does not come with observation as some think, it is within us, Him in us and us in Him, it results in the expression of God between us, His fruit, the fruit of the Spirit.
We have One Minister (Heb 8:1-2), just has we have One High Priest, just as we have need of only One (The Anointing) to teach us all things. The many gifted persons in the preceding verse (Eph 4:11) have only one ministry, that is, to minister Christ (Rom 15:16, 1 Cor 4:1, 2 Cor 3:6, Eph 3:7) for the building up of the Body of Christ, the church. This is the unique ministry in the New Testament economy. One Minister being ministered to others thru His body. He as The Seed reproduces Himself. It is His fruit that we give to others to partake of that contains a Seed, Him as the Seed that reproduces Himself as Life as they consume Him. We feed others Him, for He is true food, He is the bread of Life, He is the hidden manna, He is the living water, etc. The work of the ministry is for the building up of the body of Christ and it is Christ who builds His church. It is upon The Rock that the church is built by Him and The Rock is the revelation that He is the Christ. It's just like the saints being build on the foundation of the apostles, apostles being some of the ones mentioned in Eph 4:11. Well, we must ask ourselves what is "The Foundation of the apostles"? As it says in Corinthians there is only one foundation; Christ and no other can be laid. He is Corner Stone and Cap Stone. The Foundation of the apostles is Christ. We minister Christ for growth and He causes the growth. We minister Christ for Life because He is Life. We minister Christ as food and drink for Life because He is Living Water, True Food, Bread for Life, etc. The water and food we minister must be Him and as this true food and drink He nourishes, causes growth, builds-up, etc. The only thing for building up the body, the only thing for growth, the only thing to be ministered is: No longer I, but Christ. Truth be told Christ is the Gospel. Christ is the good news. Really only one needful thing as Mary realized and the Lord pointed out to Martha; that is sit before the Lord and listen to Him, for as He said to Martha, Mary has chosen the one needful thing and it will not be taken away from her. So Christ is the answer as you know to all of our questions. We simply set our minds on Him, the Spirit, call on Him, be those that call on the Lord in every place, and to be much more saved in His Life. Just eat and enjoy Him for the growth. We simply praise Him and realize He is everything to us. We cease from our labors and rest in Him, He is our Sabbath, We follow Him daily, this means waiting on Him too, He does all the rest in His timing. We just speak what He speaks to us and do what we see Him doing. We are under the Law (guidance, direction, restriction, and regulation) of the Spirit, His laws have been written on our hearts. The many false that He says to I don't know you depart from me are called the workers of lawlessness in the Greek. Workers of lawlessness. Lawless: not regulated by or based on law, not restrained or controlled by law, Merriam-Webster. That is not subject to the Law of the Spirit. This is how that it is that they do many great works but He doesn't know them. But, if we are following Him, obeying His commandments (speaking and direction) to us, dwelling in Him, having our mind set on Him, having the mind in us that was in Christ, it is impossible for Him to say He doesn't know us. The wording as it is written is very interesting; "have the testimony of Jesus Christ". This is not testimony about Jesus Christ, it is the testimony of Jesus Christ, it is Jesus Christ testifying in these ones. As it says in another place in the Greek "let all men speak the LOGOS of God. The Logos of God is God, as it is written in the beginning was the Logos, the Logos was with God and the Logos was God. This is the Divine Person not to be confused with the scriptures for as it is written: "to them whom the Logos (Word) of God came were called gods and the scriptures can not be broken. See the distinction between the Logos and the scriptures in this verse. This is God coming in the flesh as He did come in Jesus the son of man our pattern. It really must be God or it is simply not and if it is He can not say I don't know you, He can not deny Himself. He was the first born of the many sons of God to come, the pattern for them that know God and are known by Him. Paul ministered the Word of God, the Divine Person of God, that is Christ to them, that Christ would be formed in them. Sorry, as usual I have written and said to much. Catch you later.
All that you wrote is good, but my questions were asked to find out how to be relevant to one another in God's work, from our individual realities, meeting on the Internet and returning to our personal walk with God?
How do we move from communicating the Word to seeing the Word happen amongst us, as demonstrated by the binding communion that we see in Act 2 to 4?
Is there any use to go on repeating our doctrines to each other, without aiming to develop the physical grounding of the practice amongst ourselves that we proclaim out loud, but from which we remain very afar from any access to each other so that God may teach us how to serve Him and each other in our personal and communal needs?
-------------------- ...all blessings be with us all... Benoit Couture
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