VictoryinJesus asked: I’ve read part 1, 2, and 3 and have so many questions. I won’t ask them all here but one that is really bugging me. Maybe I’ve misunderstood but you seem to be saying there are steps one must do to earn grace.
There are no steps to earn God’s grace; it is a free gift, an unmerited favor. However there is a distinction between that grace (the “common salvation”, Jude 3), which in due time will be made applicable to all men and that special grace or favor being offer now during the Gospel age, the “acceptable time” (2 Cor 2:1, 2). We might refer to these two favors as step one and step two in the sense that one must first receive of the first favor before they can be made amenable to receive the second. The first as we had said requires nothing of the individual (save faith and obedience) everything has been accomplished through the work of Christ, there’s nothing to add.
Now in reference to the second step, this step requires something more than just faith and obedience, this step requires sacrifice. Now some believers confused, imagine sacrifice as one not following the course of this world, abstaining from sin, resisting the will of the flesh and etc., this however is not a sacrifice this is a requirement of all God’s creatures.
So what then is an acceptable sacrifice, what is it that those who would follow in the masters footsteps are to sacrifice? God’s on word tells us he cannot accept a blemished sacrifices, what could we possibly sacrifice that would be acceptable?
There are lots of things to be sacrificed in the service of the Lord, such as time, money, talent, family, friends, a good name, etc. etc. these and many more things are the sacrifices’ made by the Lord’s people. But what makes them acceptable?
Is it not true that even nominally professed believers make some of these very selfsame sacrifices?
Yes, but there is a difference between the nominal believer and the truly consecrated, nominal Christians do offer some of the same sacrifices but their sacrifices are unacceptable because they are not actually justified but are still in theirs sins. The only ones capable of offering acceptable sacrifices are those who have been justified through the blood of Christ. These if they so choose may as the Apostle admonishes all believers, those who have taken the first step of faith and obedience present their bodies living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God through Christ Jesus’ their Lord (Rom. 12:1.)
“During this Gospel age God has made a special offer to those to whom he has justified through faith in His Son, telling them that on certain conditions (sacrifice) they may cease to be earthly, human beings and become heavenly spiritual beings--like unto the angels--like unto Christ's glorious body. Now some believers--justified persons--are satisfied with what joy and peace they have, through believing in the forgiveness of their sins, and heed not the voice which calls them to come up higher (as expressed in 2 Cor 6:1); others moved by the love of God, as shown in their ransom from sin, say, "Lord what wilt thou have me to do?" To such the Lord answers through Paul:--"I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice; holy, acceptable to God, your reasonable service."-- Rom. 12:1
Paul, what do you mean by our giving ourselves living sacrifices? I mean that you shall consecrate and give every power, which you possess, to God's service that henceforth you shall live not for self, nor for friends, nor family, nor for the world, nor for anything, but for and in the service of him, who bought you with his own precious blood.
But Paul, surely God would not accept of blemished or imperfect sacrifices, and since we all became sinners through Adam, we cannot surely be sacrifices, can we? Yes, beloved, it is because you are holy that you are acceptable sacrifices, and you are holy and free from sin, because God has justified you from all sin freely through Christ's death. As many as obey the call of Paul, rejoicing to be accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Christ--those who look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen--at the "crown of life," at "the glory that shall be revealed in us," at "the prize of our high calling--in Christ Jesus"—these consecrate themselves wholly to God and are from that moment no longer reckoned men; but, as having been begotten of the Holy Spirit through the word of truth--no longer human, but henceforth spiritual children; they are now one step nearer the prize than when they first believed.” R273
There is however one more item which we sacrifice when we fully consecrate ourselves to the Lord which none but those fully justified can give, and that is our restitution life rights, those rights given to all mankind through the ransom sacrifice of our Lord. What the Lord does is that he gives to us those life rights in advance of the world (they will receive theirs in the next age), he then takes these perfect life rights and combines them with his, thus it becomes one sacrifice, his, we are then joined to the body as prospective members of the Church of the First Born, and should we make our calling and election sure by the faithful completion of our sacrifice “even unto death” (Rev 3:10) we will receive the reward of joint-heirship with our Lord, sharing in his honor, glory and nature, the divine nature.
As for 1 Pet 4:17, I will address that in my next post.
There are no steps to earn God’s grace; it is a free gift, an unmerited favor. However there is a distinction between that grace (the “common salvation”, Jude 3), which in due time will be made applicable to all men and that special grace or favor being offer now during the Gospel age, the “acceptable time” (2 Cor 2:1, 2). We might refer to these two favors as step one and step two in the sense that one must first receive of the first favor before they can be made amenable to receive the second. The first as we had said requires nothing of the individual (save faith and obedience) everything has been accomplished through the work of Christ, there’s nothing to add.
Now in reference to the second step, this step requires something more than just faith and obedience, this step requires sacrifice. Now some believers confused, imagine sacrifice as one not following the course of this world, abstaining from sin, resisting the will of the flesh and etc., this however is not a sacrifice this is a requirement of all God’s creatures.
So what then is an acceptable sacrifice, what is it that those who would follow in the masters footsteps are to sacrifice? God’s on word tells us he cannot accept a blemished sacrifices, what could we possibly sacrifice that would be acceptable?
There are lots of things to be sacrificed in the service of the Lord, such as time, money, talent, family, friends, a good name, etc. etc. these and many more things are the sacrifices’ made by the Lord’s people. But what makes them acceptable?
Is it not true that even nominally professed believers make some of these very selfsame sacrifices?
Yes, but there is a difference between the nominal believer and the truly consecrated, nominal Christians do offer some of the same sacrifices but their sacrifices are unacceptable because they are not actually justified but are still in theirs sins. The only ones capable of offering acceptable sacrifices are those who have been justified through the blood of Christ. These if they so choose may as the Apostle admonishes all believers, those who have taken the first step of faith and obedience present their bodies living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God through Christ Jesus’ their Lord (Rom. 12:1.)
“During this Gospel age God has made a special offer to those to whom he has justified through faith in His Son, telling them that on certain conditions (sacrifice) they may cease to be earthly, human beings and become heavenly spiritual beings--like unto the angels--like unto Christ's glorious body. Now some believers--justified persons--are satisfied with what joy and peace they have, through believing in the forgiveness of their sins, and heed not the voice which calls them to come up higher (as expressed in 2 Cor 6:1); others moved by the love of God, as shown in their ransom from sin, say, "Lord what wilt thou have me to do?" To such the Lord answers through Paul:--"I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice; holy, acceptable to God, your reasonable service."-- Rom. 12:1
Paul, what do you mean by our giving ourselves living sacrifices? I mean that you shall consecrate and give every power, which you possess, to God's service that henceforth you shall live not for self, nor for friends, nor family, nor for the world, nor for anything, but for and in the service of him, who bought you with his own precious blood.
But Paul, surely God would not accept of blemished or imperfect sacrifices, and since we all became sinners through Adam, we cannot surely be sacrifices, can we? Yes, beloved, it is because you are holy that you are acceptable sacrifices, and you are holy and free from sin, because God has justified you from all sin freely through Christ's death. As many as obey the call of Paul, rejoicing to be accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Christ--those who look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen--at the "crown of life," at "the glory that shall be revealed in us," at "the prize of our high calling--in Christ Jesus"—these consecrate themselves wholly to God and are from that moment no longer reckoned men; but, as having been begotten of the Holy Spirit through the word of truth--no longer human, but henceforth spiritual children; they are now one step nearer the prize than when they first believed.” R273
There is however one more item which we sacrifice when we fully consecrate ourselves to the Lord which none but those fully justified can give, and that is our restitution life rights, those rights given to all mankind through the ransom sacrifice of our Lord. What the Lord does is that he gives to us those life rights in advance of the world (they will receive theirs in the next age), he then takes these perfect life rights and combines them with his, thus it becomes one sacrifice, his, we are then joined to the body as prospective members of the Church of the First Born, and should we make our calling and election sure by the faithful completion of our sacrifice “even unto death” (Rev 3:10) we will receive the reward of joint-heirship with our Lord, sharing in his honor, glory and nature, the divine nature.
As for 1 Pet 4:17, I will address that in my next post.
