Question- The Grace of God

[Bob]

Who do you ask forgiveness from?

From whom does one ask forgiveness?

Scenario: a Methodist church picnic in Hanson, Ky. The tables groan with all the delicious fare: the fried chicken, sweet corn, squash casserole, fried okra, freshly picked blackberries, etc.

I am walking casually with a full glass of sweet tea for the mother of my brother-in-law. Children are dashing between tables. When a child nearly collides with me, I lose my balance and spill half the tea on you.

After expressing my sincere apologies, I ask you to forgive my clumsiness, and offer to make amends as needed.

Later, in prayer, I ask God’s forgiveness for my carelesssness and seek His wisdom concerning how the damage could have been prevented, and thus how to mitigate future accidents.

Peace.

 

[Judge Hardcastle]

If "grace" is power over sin, I wish He'd give grace to more believers. I've seen too many prayers for deliverance from addiction go unanswered, homosexuals beg in vain for God to straighten them out, so much pride and self-centeredness and lack of love among believers, especially in these forums....

The journey to the Promised Land is just that...a journey. God doesn't drive out our enemies all at once but instead trains us in warfare as we encounter them along the way.

Deuteronomy 7:22
22The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.

Judges 3:1-2
1These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2(he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience)

 

[Judge Hardcastle]

...all desire to commit sin is in our past, no longer in our "present or future" as heretics preach who are clueless to the POWER OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

I still sin, and I probably will in the future, so what are you getting at here? Am I an heretic?

 

[Judge Hardcastle]

The only reason we are no longer under the Law is because Jesus cleanses our nature of all unrighteousness.

The reason we are not under the rule and condemnation of the law is because God fulfilled for us through Christ that which the law requires. In Christ we are circumcised. In Christ we enter into Sabbath Rest. In Christ the leper is made clean. The disfigured are made whole. The unclean are made clean. The ceremonially unqualified are made qualified. What remains is the continuing debt of law to love one another as we love ourselves. And rather than that law being a burden that we are 'under', our faith makes it a light and easy burden that we 'uphold'.

1 John 5:3-4
3...his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Romans 3:31
31Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

 

[Judge Hardcastle]

When a child nearly collides with me, I lose my balance and spill half the tea on you.

After expressing my sincere apologies, I ask you to forgive my clumsiness, and offer to make amends as needed.

Later, in prayer, I ask God’s forgiveness for my carelesssness

I don't see you at fault in this scenario. The child is at fault. You can be sorry for what happened to the person, but you do not need to be sorry for a clumsiness and carelessness you are not guilty of.

 

[Bob]

I don't see you at fault in this scenario. The child is at fault. You can be sorry for what happened to the person, but you do not need to be sorry for a clumsiness and carelessness you are not guilty of.

Thank you for the reply and the support.

Actually, as I was the one carrying the tea (full to the brim), the fault is still mine. (Disclosure: I encountered the crucial distinction in a written discussion from some Buddhist, or Taoist, or some such.)

Although it is tempting to deflect to the root cause—and we know people quick to point fingers elsewhere—it is important for Christians who want to stay true to Love Your Neighbor, to accept responsibility for the consequences of their reactions.

The lesson for me is the prayer to God afterwards, when we ask for help to mitigate future potential disasters. (My personal experience is that He will answer.)

Consider also Deuteronomy 19:
4 “. . . If anyone kills his neighbor unintentionally without having hated him in the past— 5 as when someone goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down a tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live,”

In other words, actions resulting in harm must have consequences.

Blessings.

 

[Moonwood]

Hi everyone, I had a question- the scripture says we are under grace, the grace of God, but I do not understand this. Can anyone explain grace to me? Thanks

It’s my understanding that Romans 6:14 means that once you are living in Christ, God’s own sanctifying power—rather than the external constraints of the Mosaic Law—is what governs, frees, and strengthens you, and this grace works by purifying the soul, elevating the Christian into a spiritual priesthood, empowering the will to resist sin, transforming even human weakness into participation in Christ, and uniting the believer to His own divine life.

 

[Lambano]

Hi everyone, I had a question- the scripture says we are under grace, the grace of God, but I do not understand this. Can anyone explain grace to me? Thanks

It means God has given you the status of being His child, not because you've earned it, but because... because... because He wanted to.

What's would be your response to being given this kind of a gift?

 

[Lambano]

John Wesley taught that a "second working of grace" MAY (and I emphasize "MAY") occur during a believer's lifetime. This is "Sanctifying Grace" and is separate and distinct from "Justifying Grace", which is when God reconciles the believer to Himself and declares them right with Him. "Sanctifying Grace" involves what he called "entire sanctification", in which the carnal nature is eradicated and the believer is made completely holy. The free will to backslide into sin and/or apostacy is still retained, though, and must be diligently guarded against.

Interestingly, while John Wesley (who was a lot more holy than I'll ever be in this life) taught sanctification as the goal of the believer, he never claimed to have reached "entire sanctification" himself.

(Note: Since grace is a gift, you don't "achieve" entire sanctification; you're given it. "Lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:9). I want to emphasize that point. I just wish God would give it to more people.)

Source:

Second work of grace - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[1stCenturyLady]

I don't make it that complicated. Romans 7 is self revelatory and Romans 8:1 gives me the confidence not to stress.
For me it come down to simple trust

The writings of Paul are complicated though. Just ask Peter. He says many twist Paul's writings because they are "hard to understand." Romans 8:1 in Alexandria, cut off the condition that is so important. Without the condition there are whole denominations that believe Jesus forgives our "past, present and future" sins. Those words are found NOWHERE in the New Testament, but they are common in the Church at large.

The gospel is not complicated ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS. But many don't know. They even believe you will never be free of sin. Why? Because they know they still sin. What they don't realize is "as a man thinks in his heart, SO IS HE." So, of course, they still sin. Doctrines of demons make us theirs forever.

 

[1stCenturyLady]

John Wesley taught that a "second working of grace" MAY (and I emphasize "MAY") occur during a believer's lifetime. This is "Sanctifying Grace" and is separate and distinct from "Justifying Grace", which is when God reconciles the believer to Himself and declares them right with Him. "Sanctifying Grace" involves what he called "entire sanctification", in which the carnal nature is eradicated and the believer is made completely holy. The free will to backslide into sin and/or apostacy is still retained, though, and must be diligently guarded against.

Interestingly, while John Wesley (who was a lot more holy than I'll ever be in this life) taught sanctification as the goal of the believer, he never claimed to have reached "entire sanctification" himself.

(Note: Since grace is a gift, you don't "achieve" entire sanctification; you're given it. "Lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:9). I want to emphasize that point. I just wish God would give it to more people.)

Source:

Second work of grace - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I love John Wesley, and so did Jesus. I think and believe with all my heart, that it was John Wesley who Jesus wrote of in Revelation 3:4. And I also believe Martin Luther and John Calvin were who he spoke of in Revelation 3:1, who John Wesley fought against, especially Calvinism.

I've written about the difference between righteous and holy, and both are possible in our lifetime. It's not as hard as you may think. To what you said, just abide in Jesus and let him do His work as the Finisher of your faith for holiness. All it is, is maturing in all the fruit of the Spirit. Keep them in mind when you post, because the forums are the best place in the world to mature and "not react." This process of glorification, not sanctification, is the second faith John Wesley thought of as sanctification you spoke of. Read 2 Peter 1:5-7 to know what to be aware of, then never say or think you can never achieve holiness. You absolutely can. Jesus made that possible. Remember Proverbs 23:7a, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."