₦airaland Forum

Haaaa

Hoi

Morning

veeklin:
who is more ignorant, you or me?
but before you answer here is the definition of ignorance- the condition of being uninformed or lack of knowledge or information.

I gave you only a few facts from the scriptures, Just the tip of the iceberg and to you supreme understanding you couldn't even rebuff it from the scriptures but rather you simply took the easy way out by saying I was quoting those scriptures out of context........please Mr Bible scholar show us here the right context of those scriptures, assuming you can.

Also you mentioned that I should pray for the Holy Spirit to help me understand what grace is.....hope you did too before posting what you did earlier, maybe it would have helped you to explain grace properly to me from the scriptures and not without reference.
The Bible itself, if you don't know is the product of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21), and yes I always pray for it's leading in understanding the Bible. You should do like wise, you have zeal but it is misplaced.

Christians ought to be the light of the world, a shining example as people under grace in all things, not just confessing him as their lord and personal Savior...... take not ALL aspects of their lives, mark 4:21 and 23 says " (Jesus) also said to them: “A lamp is not brought out to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? Is it not brought out to be put on a lampstand? Whoever has ears to listen, let him listen.”
I rest my case here for now.

Your opinion... As i said before, i am too big for you my dear. You are a babe in Christ. Till you mature, please don't make the mistake of challenging those above you. You cannot understand grace till the Holy spirit washes off your law-infested eyes.

And one thing bro, i don't argue about Scriptures here with people. I did that alot here in 2015 when i brought the Gospel of Grace on Nairaland. They always end up abusing and insulting me, so i learnt to ignore so many things. So if you feel that am talking rubbish, just ignore and move on. There are so many other Christian articles here on Nairaland that have your own point of view, plz mingle with your kind. I know my target audience.

As i said before, i am on a whole different level. I am not boasting or anything, but i am too big for you. What i know, you cannot comprehend it. So please my dear, find your level. I make my boast in Christ. Ask the spirit of God for wisdom and read your bible with an open mind, forget about religion and man made traditions. No need for any unnecessary argument, we reason differently. Have a great night.

A man, blind from birth, learns of an operation that will give him the gift of sight. Encouraged by his friends and family, he undergoes the procedure. The operation is a success and for the first time in his life he can see. However, he finds himself disoriented and confused. He recognizes nothing and is unable to process light and distance. Everything appears alien to him so he begins to walk with his eyes shut. Darkness is the world he knows and can navigate. After some time, he begins to act in every way like the blind man he used to be. Although his eyes are perfectly normal, he never uses them.

This is how it is for those of us who are born of the spirit but who have not learned how to walk after the spirit. When we were in flesh we walked after the flesh. Spiritually dead, the natural world was the only world we knew and we relied on our five senses to live. But when we were born again we were given a new life with new senses. Like the blind man in the story, we can now live in two worlds: the natural world and the spiritual world; the seen realm and the unseen realm (Heb 11:3).

We use our natural senses to navigate the natural world but in the spiritual world we walk by faith. It is only by faith that we can make sense of things we do not see (Heb 11:1). The trouble is faith often runs contrary to our natural senses. This is why the Bible challenges us to live by faith rather than by sight (2 Cor 5:7). Lean on your own carnal understanding and you will never live the abundant life that God has promised. It is only by faith that you can receive what He offers.

In the last few posts we have looked at what it means to walk according to the flesh. (If you missed them, a list of posts is found below.) To walk after the flesh is to be mindful of natural things – what we see, hear, touch, etc. But to walk after the spirit means we are mindful of spiritual things – what God has said and is now saying, what God has done is now doing. I’m not talking about being born again. Your new birth was a one-time work of the Spirit (Jn 3:5). But once you have been born of the Spirit, you need to learn how to walk in the spirit. It’s a completely different way to live.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Ga 5:25, NKJV)

You have a choice

The unsaved person cannot walk in the spirit. The natural world is the only world he knows. But when you have been born of the Spirit you have a choice. You can interpret any situation with your natural senses or with faith. Let me illustrate. Suppose you go to the doctor and he shows you an x-ray of your brain, says you have a tumor, and tells you that you have a week to live. If the natural world is all you know, you’d better start wrapping up your affairs! Everything you have heard and seen is telling you that you’re going to die. You can choose how you’re going to die – bravely or fearfully – but that’s about the only choice you have.

The spirit-conscious person, on the other hand, has options and he will not accept the doctor’s report as the last word. He might say, “I need a second opinion. What does Dr. Jesus say?” Do you see what he’s doing? He’s switching his attention from the natural realm to the spiritual. He’s looked at the x-ray he’s now fixing his eyes on something unseen and eternal. His spirit is one with the Holy Spirit and through that connection he is being reminded of some life-giving promises pertaining to healing (e.g., Is 53:4, Ps 103:3). Although in the natural he is battling anxiety, he strives to enter that rest which is found only in Jesus. He begins to think about Jesus who carried his infirmities. And as he sets his mind on things above he begins to sense supernatural peace and faith stirring within him.

When you walk according to the flesh, life always has the last word. The circumstances of your life will tell you when to be sick, poor, and anxious. Enemies of sickness and poverty will seek to rob you of your appetite, sleep, and joy. But when you walk according to the spirit you will find yourself talking back to your circumstances. You’ll argue with doctors. You’ll speak to your bank account. You may even shout at sickness. If you think that’s weird, consider Jesus. He spoke to trees and storms and said we’d speak to mountains! The spirit-conscious believer talks back because he knows that life does not have the last word. He refuses to let his circumstances dictate his actions.

Walk the talk

Learning how to walk is a skill. It takes practice. In my next post I’m going to give you some classic examples of walking in the spirit from the Bible and then, in the post after that, I’m going to give you three keys to help you on your way. But I know you can’t wait. You want to know how to walk in the spirit right now. So here’s the short version from Proverbs:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Pro 3:5-6, NIV)

The operative word in this passage is “acknowledge.” It does not mean tipping your hat to Jesus whenever you go charging off on a scheme of your own invention. Neither is it saying “I want to thank the Lord Jesus” in all the little victory speeches of your life. Acknowledging the Lord means knowing Him in all your ways. Here’s the same verse in a literal translation:

In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths. (Pro 3:6, YLT)

When the doctor has just pronounced the sentence of death, you want to know the Lord – what does He say on the matter? It’s His word that counts. When you’ve been offered a promotion or you’ve just met the perfect man or woman and it all seems good to you, you want to know the Lord – what does He think about this? The spirit-conscious believer is not the slightest bit interested in what his experience or natural understanding tells him. His sole desire is to know and follow Jesus every day.

Knowing the Lord as you walk through life will make a crooked path straight. When you know the Lord you’ll walk through the valley of the shadow of death with no fear and you’ll feast in the presence of your enemies.

https://escapetoreality.org/2011/08/22/walking-in-the-spirit/

Janeyinspires:
Morning coffee is here,Brymo.
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Tnx for serving us this graceful coffee,jiggaz.

you welcome Janey...

Brymo:
I know Good people of God, even justification is by faith and all redemptive packages could be assessed by faith, even this faith is a gift of God, although we have two kinds of faith, another day discussion. Back to what I'm saying, show me faith without works, I tell you that faith is dead being alone. Justification as said by bro James is not by faith alone but by works too, the gospel simplicity as concerning faith and believe has been conjured by lazybones to mean faith alone is sufficient. Faith being alone is dead James 2:24. I know thy works was repeated by Jesus from Rev 2 to Rev 3 more than 10 times not I know thy faith. To show the priority placed by Jesus on works, if thou would be judged by the works, is a statement made by Jesus, I better take my work seriously, and plead for the abiding grace to abide in all good works.
I might be wrong and but not totally wrong.
The function of faith in our Christian works, lies in
1. To receive salvation
2. To receive from God
3. To please Him
4. To twin with works
Faith is made perfect with works
James 2 vs 22
God bless you.
Caveat: This is not contentious but another light to works and faith. I be reading to get clearer illumination if I be wrong. Amen

James is talking about justification before men. Men demands to know your faith by your works but God only demands your faith in Christ, nothing more nothing less. Anything added to the finished work of Christ is irrelevant.

We are created unto good works but salvation is by faith alone. Don't mix grace with works. It is either Christ or you are saving yourself. No in beteweens.

Janeyinspires:
Brymo,this hot coffee is mixed with honey.Enjoy
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Morning,jiggaz

Evening Janey... I see you

veeklin:
This post is misleading especially for those people who have little biblical knowledge.
James 2:17 says "So, too, faith by itself, without works, is dead", verse 20 says "But do you care to know, O empty man, that faith without works is useless?" and verse 26 concludes " Indeed, just as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead".

I wont want to dive into so many scriptures, but the simple truth is this "you can't give what you don't have", Christians who go or listen to teachings like urs are those who claim to have received the Holy Spirit but but have no "works" or "fruitage" of the spirit to manifest namely "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,mildness, self-control" but wallow around in the "works of the flesh", "they are sexual immorality, uncleanness, brazen conduct, idolatry, spiritism, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, dissensions, divisions, sects, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and things like these and note, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

little wonder you cannot tell Christians from none-Christians today because they all exhibit "The same fleshly works". some Christians even believing they can lead a sinful life and still be holy in the sight of God because of grace. my dear, grace doesn't work that way! Remember Hebrews 10:29 says "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?"

that aside when it comes to other matters,like paying of tithe, you will be so quick to refer to the Old Testament, please why don't you quote the New Testament where it says Christians are to pay tithe? There is no such place, only voluntary offering is stated in the New Testament assuming you are aware of this.

please preach what the Bible says and no twisted things to suit you!

This your post reeks of ignorance!! Its so obvious you don't understand grace and i won't blame you cos satan have blinded the eyes of many Christians to the real Gospel of Christ. You are definitely a babe in Christ, so till you mature, you cannot understand the things of the spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you. You are even quoting Scriptures out of context!!

For the records, i don't preach about tithe. Under the new covenant, Christians are not obligated to pay tithe. Christians give one tenth of their income to God as a worship to Christ in the order of Melchizedek, not as an obligation but as an act of gratitude to Christ for provision. If you like you pay tithe and if you don't like, please you don't have to. We are not blessed because we pay tithe, we are blessed because of the Finished Work of Christ on the Cross!! It's all about Christ Jesus!! Nothing more, nothing less.

So my dear, you made a mistake by attacking me. I am on a different level entirely and you cannot understand the articles i post unless the Holy Spirit teaches you. The things of the spirit is so difficult for mortal men even though you yourself is a believer. So next time, if you don't agree with anything i post, just ignore it and move on. Don't attack me again cos i am too big for you. Have a nice evening. I am all about Christ and seeing that people are liberated by the truth of the Gospel.

Jesus and Paul both said we would be rewarded for doing good, which sounds like a punch in the face to the gospel of grace. In the previous post we looked at the words of Jesus (in John 5:28-29) and saw that “doing good” means trusting him.

But what about Paul who said this:

God will repay each person according to what they have done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (Rom 2:6-

Read the preceding verses and you will see that Paul is addressing judgmental people. He’s not speaking to saints but religious hypocrites: “When you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?” (Rom 2:3). He is talking to people who “show contempt for the riches of God’s kindness,” and have stubborn and unrepentant hearts (verses 2-5).

So when Paul talks about divine payback in verse 6, he is referring to the payback that comes for rejecting God’s kindness. He’s talking about the fruit of unbelief. He’s saying, “If you won’t accept grace (undeserved favor) then you will reap what you sow (deserved unfavor).”

Put Jesus and Paul together and you will find, as you often do, a lovely symmetry. Jesus tells us what we should do (hear and believe) and Paul tells us what we shouldn’t (be stubborn and unrepentant). The rewards for getting it right are the same in both cases, and it’s eternal life:

Jesus: “Those who have done good will rise to live.”
Paul: “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.”

Isn’t Paul preaching works?

Some have twisted Paul’s words into a mixed message of faith and works. “You gotta believe but you also have to persist in doing good every day until you die.” Fall for this and you will fall from grace! Paul plainly says we are saved by grace, “and if by grace, it cannot be works for if it were, grace would no longer be grace” (Rom 11:6).

Paul does not say “work hard and you’ll be rewarded with eternal life,” because that would contradict what he’s just said about the righteous life being “by faith from first to last” (Rom 1:17). And if eternal life is a reward for good works, then it can’t be the gift of God (Rom 6:23).

So why does Paul say, “persist in good works and you’ll get eternal life?”

Remember, he’s not addressing saints but religious hypocrites who think they are doing good even though they are not (because they are showing contempt for God’s kindness and grace). When Paul says, “You have to be persistently good” he’s setting them up for a law-smackdown because they are not persistently good. Indeed, in God’s eyes “there is no one who does good, not even one” (Rom 3:12)!

So these hypocrites are getting blasted from both barrels. First, they’re showing contempt for God’s kindness (by refusing to believe in Jesus). Second, they’re falling short of the lofty stands of God’s law. They may think they are good people, but Paul says they are kidding themselves. “No one is righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10).

The Christmas Epistle

This is bad news for the do-gooder who is working hard to please God. But it’s bad news that should lead you to the good news which is this:

Righteousness is a gift (Rom 5:17)
Eternal life is a gift (Rom 6:23, 8:11)
God’s favor is a gift (Rom 5:16)

Romans might be called the Christmas Epistle because it’s full of gifts. You need righteousness? It’s a gift! You need life? It’s a gift! Indeed, everything you will ever need your Father generously provides:

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Rom 8:32)

In this world we talk about work and wages but in the kingdom it’s all grace and gifts.

In this world you have to work for everything, but in the kingdom Jesus has done the work and your part is to receive the reward!

https://escapetoreality.org/2015/10/01/rewarded-for-good-romans-2v6/

Xxxxx

Hoi

Cooo

Baaa

bloodofthelamb:
THANK YOU LORD JESUS!

Amen bro!! Amen!!

Morning

The good news of heaven declares that everything comes to us as a free gift from our heavenly Father. But the bad news of earth says you better work baby, because there’s no such thing as a free lunch!

Your choice is grace or works. Either the favor of God is given or earned, but it can’t be both.

The gospel that Jesus revealed and Paul preached proclaims it’s grace from start to finish. How then are we to explain these verses which suggest you must work to be blessed?

Jesus
Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. John (5:28-29)

Paul
God will repay each person according to what they have done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (Rom 2:6-
.

If these were the only verses in the Bible you could build a whole religion on the importance of doing good or being blessed through good works, and many have. Such a message appeals to our sense of right and wrong but it’s a cursed message that promotes self-trust and self-righteousness.

Let’s start with the words of Jesus who said “those who have done good will rise to live.” That’s very clear. There’s no ambiguity. If you “done good” you will live, but what does it mean to do good? Jesus tells us a few verses earlier:

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)

Doing good, as Jesus defines it, is hearing and believing Jesus. Nothing more, nothing less.

“That can’t be it. It’s too simple. There must be some work that God requires from me.”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29)

Want to impress God? Then be impressed with Jesus. Want to do something good with your life? Then drop your cheap sacrifice and marvel at his infinitely sublime one.

Being persuaded that Jesus is who he says he is, and living from that persuasion, is the most productive thing you can do with your life. The seed of God’s word is fruitful. It will grow and bear a harvest all by itself. But we can certainly hinder that process through doubt and unbelief. Trying to make things happen is one of the most destructive things you can do. So don’t do it. Labor to enter his rest and stay there.

I am absolutely convinced that the most creative and fruitful people in this world are those who have seen Jesus, who have been undone by his love, and who are resting in their Father’s unconditional approval. If this is you, then you will shine like the stars (Php 2:15).

In the next post we will look at the words of Paul.

https://escapetoreality.org/2015/09/24/judged-for-what-we-have-done-john-5v28-29/

Evening

Kpoooiiii

Bimpppp

Uuu

Xxxxxx

Hoinnn

Evening

Really??

Buuuuuu

Cool

Hoi

Hey

Zodiac61:
Any beer and brandy at this party?
I hope there will be enough food and booze for those of us who would want to gate crash.

No gate crashing bro... You are admitted only if you are born again.

The Bible says that we will be rewarded for what we have done. Not what we have believed, but done-diddley-done-done. So what do we have to do? In this three-part series, we’re going to look at some of the rewarded-for-what-we’ve-done scriptures, beginning with this one:

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. (Matt 16:27)

Forget the gospel of grace, you are rewarded for doing stuff! Better get busy for Jesus. But let scripture interpret scripture and you will see that Jesus is not promoting performance-based religion. (You knew that, right?) He’s quoting a psalm:

Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. (Psa 62:12)

Psalm 62 is a psalm of rest, not labor. “Truly my soul finds rest in God… Yes, my soul, find rest in God” (v.1,5). Underline the doing words in this psalm and you will see that it is exhorting us to trust the Lord:

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken… Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (Psa 62:6)

According to David, what do we need to do to be rewarded by God? Answer: trust him, rest in him, find refuge in him. Selah.

The work that is rewarded

Here’s a fun Bible fact. When David says “you will reward each person according to what he has done” in Psalm 62 he’s referring to something God said. (See Psalm 62:11.) So in Matthew 16, Jesus is quoting David who is quoting God. Talk about being on the same page!

And just to make things really interesting Jesus is also quoting Jeremiah, who was also quoting God:

I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve. (Jer 17:10)

What deeds has Jeremiah just described in this famous chapter? What are the activities that are rewarded?

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him” (Jer 17:7).

Put them together and you will see that the prophet and the psalm-writer both say we are rewarded for trusting the Lord. Resting is the work that is rewarded.

But what about Jesus? What specific deeds does Jesus refer to in Matthew 16?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matt 16:24)

Jesus is not calling us to a life of self-sacrifice. He is calling us to follow him and trust in his finished work. When you were baptized into Christ, you were baptized into his death. The person you used to be no longer lives (Gal 2:20).

What does it mean to deny self?

We live in a world that rewards the bright and the beautiful, but in the kingdom of God we are not rewarded for anything we do on our own; we are rewarded on account of Jesus. David, Jeremiah and Jesus all say the same thing:

David: Don’t trust in wealth or be envious of the rich; trust the Lord who rewards those who seek him. (Ps 62)

Jeremiah: You’re cursed if you trust yourself and your labors, but you’ll be an evergreen tree if you trust the Lord. (Jer 17)

Jesus: If you gain the whole world but lose your soul, you’ve lost everything. Follow me. (Matt 16)

To deny self is to quit trusting in your own efforts. It’s saying no to performance-based Christianity and the pitiful self-help messages of dead religion. It’s saying yes to Jesus who is your life and resting in his finished work.

And what is our reward?

Christ gives us nothing less than his very life. His abundant life – free from condemnation and the dog-eat-dog insecurities of worldly ambition – is the life we yearn for.

What’s the takeaway?

This world offers you one kind of reward – the fading, rusting kind – but Jesus offers you something better. So abandon the futile quest for self-improvement – it’s a dead-end street.

But receive Christ and his righteousness and you will reign in life like a king (Rom 5:17)!

Stay tuned for Part 2!

https://escapetoreality.org/2015/09/16/rewarded-for-deeds-matthew-16v27/#prettyPhoto

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