Ignoring the Truth
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB
All – What do you suppose Paul meant when he said “we must all appear”? Do you think he meant only believers? Of course not. That possibility is dismissed by the further claim that the deeds to be examined are both the good and the bad. So he clearly means everyone, believers and unbelievers. But the implication that believers will have to account for their deeds is hard for “grace only” theology to swallow. If believers have to appear and give account for their deeds, both good and bad, then where is grace? Are we supposed to be excused from such investigation? Doesn’t grace erase those sins we commit? How can Paul suggest that believers must give an account? Or do you suppose that in the last moment before the verdict Yeshua rushes into the court of the Most High and offers substitution for our sins? If that’s what Paul believed, he certainly didn’t take this opportunity to say so. There is nothing here like, “Hey, don’t worry. You have been forgiven so the accounting really doesn’t matter. It’s just a formality.” No, that’s not what Paul says. In fact, Paul’s dire warning suggests that not one single person and not one single act of any person will go unnoticed. We will have to account for all of it, no matter what our status. Furthermore, according to Paul, we will each be recompensed according to what we have done. Paul doesn’t mention forgiveness at all. He only focuses on reward and punishment. Judgment is coming—and there is no escape!
Now, you might choose to ignore what Paul says. You might convince yourself that since Jesus died for your sins, you are covered. You might go on living as if on that final day all you will have to do is claim the cross as your excuse. But if you decide to take that road, you’d better hope that Paul is wrong.
Paul’s idea of atonement and forgiveness is grounded in the fundamental rabbinic concept of reward and punishment—either here or in the next life. We will be held responsible for our choices. We will be recompensed for what we have done. In fact, without the foundation of reward and punishment, all ethics collapses. God is not a god of justice and righteousness unless there is reward and punishment. God is not holy unless the righteous are rewarded and the wicked punished. And God is not God if He excuses or overlooks any unholy act. So where is grace?
We often think of grace as some kind of sin-eraser, but that is a big mistake. Grace does not erase sin. Grace re-establishes a relationship with the Most High in spite of sin. Grace is the action of YHVH to open fellowship with me despite my unworthiness simply because I need Him. Atonement and grace are not the same thing. Grace brings me back. Atonement is about clearing up the mess I made of things while I was gone. And atonement often means that I must do the repair work. Of course, YHVH is also involved in atonement and has offered His son as a means of atonement. But that does not let me off the hook. I must still do what I am supposed to do.
The only missing element in this equation of accountability is mercy. What is mercy? Mercy is the time God grants me to atone. Mercy is the fact that the Judgment Day isn’t today. Mercy is the extension of my opportunities to atone for my evil deeds so that on that Day I will have something to offer the Judge. Mercy is God waiting.
You and I have some serious theological revision ahead. If what Paul says is true, then grace will never be an excuse. Nor will it be a justification. The only thing we will have to say for ourselves on that Day is, “But I did all I could to make up for what I did.” And we hope that will be enough.
Topical Index: atonement, grace, mercy, judgment, 2 Corinthians 5:10
So now that sin has become important(!) what exactly IS the stuff? If I am going to be held accountable for it, then what am I going to be held accountable for, and what about that atonement? If I am expected to be involved in that, too, some kind of way, then what is my part? And, conversely, what is righteousness? What is the reward for that? What counts for righteousness, and what does not? And why? Oh, might need to go back and read the Word a little more carefully!
Sin breaks the Law of relationships. Anywhere there is fracture between me and G-d, me and myself, or me and others, and, ALSO, between me and my job that I was given, which was stewardship (remember?), I am in sin. Now, some of that fracture was not my fault; some of it occurred because someone else broke covenant with me. What about that fracture? Well, it seems there is apparently no difference before the relentless Throne, which seems to consider ALL fracture in my life as something I am responsible for. The part I initiated I am held accountable for, and the part others initiated? Well, I am expected to drop the end of that stick that I am left holding. What end is that? All fracture causes bitterness. Bitterness means it is not fine with me that someone did not love me. No, it is not fine! But, bitterness is the flesh response to sin, and bitterness has no power to fix it, so therefore I must trade in my ineffective flesh response for one that does work, and that, of course, is forgiveness.
Forgiveness is how I fix the fracture in my life caused by others, and forgiveness in my life precipitates heaven’s forgiveness of me. Heaven cannot release sin until I do. Heaven cannot quit proceedings against me until I quit them against others. G-d cannot forgive me until I let Him off my hook, too! Blame is judgment, too! I found myself blaming Him for everything in my life I could not fix, but still felt the condemnation for. Everything that was ‘unfair’, in fact, I accounted to His ledger, and it was a long list!
I think we kinda understand about forgiving others, because that bitterness is mostly visible, even though it gets harder to see the bitterness we hold against those we love, because we tend to bury whatever makes us feel guilty , and we know we are not supposed to be bitter against our loved ones, so we pretend we aren’t upset when they betray us, and we hide the hurt, but it is still there. We PRETEND to forgive them, but the fracture still hurts, and as long as there is hurt, there is going to be bitterness, for bitterness IS how we process hurt in the flesh. Guaranteed. Sad little fact, ya’ll! If you want to find bitterness in your life, then, go looking for what is still hurting you. Pain says only one thing: “STOP!”. Stop what? Bitterness. You may have hurt me once, but I continue to hurt myself with the memory of you every day for the next fifty years. Do you want to know what is behind what I think are many of the biggest “sins unto death”, or, sins that are going to seriously shorten my life? Bitterness is behind them , like as not. Unforgiveness is a killer, both eternally, and now, here, in my flesh, today. It can shorten my life, and precipitate a whole lot of curses, while it does. Well, it was that way for me, anyway! Why is forgiveness important? Bitterness binds me to the sin against me, because fracture kills me, no matter WHO started it: bitterness is just a visible sign of that murder. Bitterness is how I participate, or, agree with, my own murder. We have to learn how to quit agreeing with hell, folks!
Here is an awful fact about righteousness in my flesh. I found that when I tried to power myself to do good, I used unholy fuel, and that fuel was judgment, and condemnation, of myself, with the resultant ‘punishment’ of self bitterness. I started out every day hating myself; hard on myself; driving myself with every species of whip hell could invent and I could purchase. Heaven cannot forgive me until I can forgive myself, either. Loving myself means forgiving myself when I mess up, but because the flesh has no way to forgive, I continue to sin against myself in all the places that I am still trying to work my way to heaven: all the ways I am still attempting righteousness in my own flesh. Self bitterness is the only way I have to do that, I found, but I found that all the places I was being hard on myself were the same places I was hating myself. I hate myself in all the places I am holding a record of wrongs against myself – all the places I am accusing myself – because I hate anybody who betrays me, and that includes where I am betraying myself, too. The reason the flesh can never excuse betrayal is because we have to have love to live, and the flesh wants to live. Bitterness is because I want to live: want to love and be loved, but don’t know how.
Before I can get sin out of my life, then, I am going to have to understand forgiveness, Forgiveness releases binds in two directions, but, because it does, there is responsibility on both sides. We have to agree to let each other out of the corner, so to speak. I have to quit participating in the fractures of my life before I can go about fixing them. I have to quit the wrong stuff before I can do the right stuff. Therefore, turning around, or, repentance, is all about forgiveness; both mine and heaven’s. I can’t fix the fractures until I stop agreeing with them; but, then, neither can heaven!
God forgive me for trying to resolve pain through better-ness or bitter-ness.
Thanks for the summary, cbcb!
Skip is right: there is no forgiveness before the Judgment Throne. Any forgiveness that is going to happen happens here and now, and it is precipitated by us, not Him. Atonement is something we participate in: the forgiveness we receive is forgiveness we release Him to do in our lives. To let go of my sin is repentance. To let go of other’s sin against me is forgiveness. Both are necessary before the Atonement is efficacious in my life, and that happens now. Then will be too late. Everything still left on that ledger is going to stand against me, but I am the one who decides what is against me. The sins I did that I excuse, or the sins of others that I did not release, will continue to stand: will continue to be THE DEATH OF ME, but it will be because I said so. Heaven is just going to rubber stamp my own verdict. That is the power of free choice. That is the nature of the Love that gave it to me. Awful gift!
Grace Insufficient
No, (facetiously, foolishly) what Christ did on that cross, —His atonement was not enough! I must add my own “good works” to what He has finished, Paid for, “atoned” in full. Testalesti- does NOT mean “paid in full” for words no longer have any meaning. While the blood of bulls and goats may not have been sufficient, neither was the rich, royal, real, red blood of the Son of God. I have to add my own “Good Works” (aka Cain) to what He has done.
Amazing Grace is only amazing to a point? Yes, the cross certainly is “foolishness!”
Ye who think of sin but lightly,
nor suppose the evil great
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate..
Where is “here?” —”At Calvary”
Mercy ‘There’ was great
and Grace was free!
Pardon ‘There’ was multiplied to me
‘There” my burdened soul found liberty
[Where is “There?”] — “At Calvary”
Or, just maybe… we do ERR, NOT knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God!
For according to what is written in the Book God wrote: [It is] -NOT by [any] works of righteousness which we have done.. BUT according to His mercy (His lovingkindness- HIS ‘chesed’ – He saved us, [He delivered us] by the washing of the regeneration [the New Birth] and the renewal of the Ruach HaKodesh [the Holy Breath]. Yes, the Spirit Himself [Himself?] testifies with our spirit, we ARE [now, today] the sons [and daughters] of God! And? ~ Now [now] -if any man [any man, any where] does not have the Spirit of Christ, he [or she] is none of His. Are you His? Do YOU belong to Him? Have YOU been “bought with a price?”
Yes, there is no “free lunch!” Somebody must pay. And that Somebody who “paid in full,” our sin-debt was none other than the Son of God and the son of man, the LORD Jesus [who is the] Christ.
Ready for action? Love God and love people. This will keep you quite busy ’till death do us part!” Didn’t He say, “if you love Me —keep My commandments?”
How soon we forget: (what is our malfunction?)
It is
by Grace
through Faith
[and?] —unto “good works!”
And? “without Him, we can do [what?] – “nothing.”
Carl, perhaps you will investigate the penal theory of the atonement which you have so eloquently declared here. You might find that until the reformers re-read the Scriptures with their own rose colored glasses, no one seriously proposed such a view, certainly not the disciples but so not the early Church fathers. That makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Just why did this theory not arise for 1500 years?
And that might lead you to ask, “If grace has always been the means by which God established restored relationship with Him (as evidenced as early as Genesis 3), then what is all this hoopla about the cross?” The cross is crucial, but maybe not for “grace” to be given since grace was alway in operation long before the cross.
And that might lead you to ask, “If grace was always the way God restored us to fellowship, then why did He give the Torah right along with it?”
“We often think of grace as some kind of sin-eraser, but that is a big mistake. Grace does not erase sin. Grace re-establishes a relationship with the Most High in spite of sin. Grace is the action of YHVH to open fellowship with me despite my unworthiness simply because I need Him.”
How is that action of YHWH manifested in my life then? Through Torah living! Torah IS grace. (notice I didn’t say that grace IS Torah.) But God’s grace seen in and through Torah is what shows me how to re-establish relationship and shows me how to worship and live according to the desires of my King. The King opens the door for relationship, welcomes me, and then shows me how to establish that relationship, through worshipping according to HIS desires!! SO it IS by grace I have been saved through faith(fullness): not of myself Not of (my) works (Man’s Torah) lest anyone should boast! For we are HIS workmanship created in YEshua Messiah for GOOD WORKS (His Torah), which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them.
How could we say that grace is what allows us to come back into relationship but then say He gives us no instructions on what relationship with the Omnipotent, All powerful Creator of the Universe looks like! That would be the antithesis of grace!
So then Torah IS grace! It is what allows me to reciporacate HIS loving-kindness back to Him! And He gives it to me freely/liberally, if I ask and do not waiver. If we are going to be judged by our works, as Skip has so explained so well, then Torah becomes the vehicle by which HIs Grace is given to me. Without the instructions, I am STILL as good as lost!
Thanks, David F. Good insight and comment.
I had been comforted by the “once saved always saved” adage right up until the thought that possibly it wasn’t so established a foot hold. I’ve been wondering ever since. In the wondering, I have noticed my outlook has changed. Whereas, previously, under my OSAS worldview, I easily and frivolously dismissed my shortcomings as covered, dealt with and dissipated of harm or influence towards me.
Now, I am considerably more introspected regarding any actions that originate from me. I consider the effects of my words and actions much more seriously as this idea of responsibility and judgement has more detailed pixels in their portraiture. I see the waste, evil and ungodliness of my lawless actions more clear now as I scrutinize the fruit of their (my) actions. I can’t find the “get out of jail free card” in my pocket anymore no matter how hard I look and how hard I attempt to rationalize.
Grace. Time.
That puts a whole other spin on the entire scheme of things. Instead of hurrying and seeking what I thought I wanted, that is, heaven, to quickly usher itself in, now I am surely thinking, “Just one more day. Please allow one more day for me to try to undue more of what I’ve messed up.” I would much rather the list weigh heavier on the “good job in repairing the damage you’ve done thus far” than, “Well, I suppose you did TRY, but you certainly didn’t make much progress.”
This is real motivation to live in life rather to die in death. It is tangible, understandable and has valued substance.
Good TW! Thank you.
It is just an amazing thing for me to see how far off the path the modern views of Christiandom have been led. What a concerted effort that began so long ago and has so many genuinely fooled. Myself included for most of my life.
Get out of jail free card. What a lovely concept and how easy. Wish it were so and believed it for years too.
The older generations always said that “nothing of value ever comes easily.” Also said “nothing is free.” The way I see it, that applies to a life that truly pleases God as well. It is not a one time event of “getting saved” like so many are led to believe. It is truly a lifetime of a journey filled with valleys and mountaintops. There are always choices to be made and opportunities to take a path that leads away from God at any time. Salvation is never a sure bet but something to be worked out daily.
Truly one must learn to live the gift of new life each morning and not hold on to those things that separate us from what pleases God. Hard to do-yessss! But a choice none the less that can be made.
Think about it, we will be accountable for ALL of our choices! All will stand in judgment. We have so many chances to make things right and fix (atone for) the wrongs we have done. Gives a bit more depth to the words “now is the acceptable hour, today is the day of salvation.” Seems to me that means every day and every hour is the time to keep making those choices that lead us closer to God.
Keep working things out and look to the hills for your strength. Never give up.
“Seems to me that means every day and every hour is the time to keep making those choices that lead us closer to God.”
Seems so to me, too, Dawn. Makes much more sense in all ways than the doctrine I had been so wondering about in the past.
Also, I do love music. It is very moving and somehow, out there, in ways that are inspiring that I can’t really explain. Along those lines, I have friends that just love to go to church and sing, sing, sing in to worship. While I love a good song, I just no longer see singing for hours on end as worship anymore. Yes, I do know the angels are suppose to be singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” all day and all night, day after day, but I just don’t see that as something that I can accommodate in my walk. I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, but I can make and effort to obey. Not judging others. I encourage them to sing, sing, sing as long as they want. I’m just not buying the ‘worship’ routine I grew up with anymore. I am making an effort, ahem, in his grace!!!, to DO more things that align with his torah rather than just sing and close my eyes. Again, not judging, just do have the desire to follow along that path any longer. I’m not going to be judged for how well or poorly I sing, or how much or how little I sing, but what I do with torah. I’ll certainly sign along the way, but I’m not going to participate in the industry any more.
One more time, no judgement on others that do, just another step I’ve chosen to take along the way toward working out my salvation. (Ahem, via his grace!) I have no allusions of earning my way in to his presence, but I do envision stepping in to and on to his paths each moment. An effort he both calls me to do and expect me to do.
As I see it today. I’m still searching deeper understanding of his instructions. It is my hope I will see and understand better tomorrow. And the day after that, and so on.
It’s just sad to realize how deeply entrenched I was in main stream Christiandom and how much I was really missing.
There are so many things that prove to be distractions like the thoughts on music that you mentioned Michael. Along with the notions that you should be in church every time the doors are open and that you need to dress in certain ways and speak in a certain fashion and homeschool your kids and only listen to approved preaching/music and read the approved translation and so on ad nauseum.
All vanity and all very distracting from truly learning about God. All of those (and more) are more about earning man’s approval. Ugh!!
I love your closing line above and agree with you…
“As I see it today. I’m still searching deeper understanding of his instructions. It is my hope I will see and understand better tomorrow. And the day after that, and so on.”
The last couple of years have been so freeing to me in leaving behind all of that main stream stuff. I really do not want to offend (being offended is truly a choice) new thinkers here but religion places heavy burdens that we were not meant to carry. I do not have everything figured out by any means but I am learning. I am free to choose which side of the road I will walk and to be that Good Samaritan and to heck with what religion thinks about it!!
Hi Dawn,
It seems you are expressing frustration in your post, much of which I can understand. However, I must respectfully disagree with your opinions on homeschooling. I am writing not to justify our own experience, but to encourage any families here who are considering homeschooling that might be dissuaded by your opinion.
Homeschool can be, in my opinion, the perfect avenue to truly learn about God as well as build a close knit family. In fact, a family that has recently joined us for Shabbat/Torah study is here because of homeschooling. The family was studying church history and found a book on Constantine. They were reading through the book together when one evening dad came home and mom went to him and said, “Um, we have a problem… did you know…”
Distractions from truly learning about God and distractions in general can be significantly reduced depending on how one structures their homeschool. In fact, I see homeschool as a lifestyle, which is what I believe we are relearning here as part of this community… how do we live as members of G-d’s family, or how should we live anyway 🙂 What better way for our kids to learn than to live through the struggle of changing the paradigm with them each day?
As far as homeschool as a way to earn man’s approval, don’t get me started! I suppose it could be that way in certain communities but when we began we were alone. We had clear direction from G-d and so we stepped out. Thankfully through the years He has brought others along which is what I see happening in our current lifestyle journey. In fact the two are so closely intertwined (and so many of the families we meet at events like Sukkot or ‘Hebrew roots’ conferences are homeschool families) that your comments really surprised me.
Anyway, thanks for offering your perspective, I don’t doubt there are situations like what you describe. However, I want to encourage families, especially those here who might be considering homeschool to make the most of the wonderful opportunity they have with their kids.
HI Tonya,
Let me clarify…I personally think homeschooling your children is a wonderful choice. I know quite a few families who have chosen to do this and I have the privilege of knowing some very (in my opinion) intelligent, well rounded children. Wish I would have known homeschooling existed when I raised my daughter. sigh
Not slamming homeschooling in any way. What I am pointing out is that this can be (was in a church who used it) one more required marker to fit into a particular religion or denomination.
Just exposing some truth as I have walked thru it and seen a lot of things on my journey.
Thanks for the time taken to point out how wonderful homeschooling can be.
Thanks Dawn! I understand your point now.
This is terrifying. I’m thinking of every person I was ever cruel or insensitive to, every person I ignored or devalued, as far back as I can remember. I’m thinking of all the times I blasphemed God during the years I called myself and atheist. I’m thinking of every vain, wasteful, biting, sarcastic, irreverent word that has flown casually from my mouth. I’m thinking of every time I’ve been harsh with my children. I’m thinking of my first marriage, and all the wounds inflicted. I’m thinking of every bill I’ve neglected to pay. Every dishonest thing I’ve done and considered harmless and forgotten.
The worst thing in the world I can possibly imagine is to be asked by the Creator what I have to say for myself. What will I say? There are no words for that moment.
Alicia, And so it was written: “As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me. God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.” Shalom…really.
(Psalm 55:16-19)
Alicia — you are forgetting the most important point, “grace” never covered our intent to sin! Neither was there a sacrifice for intentional sin — the only solution has always been the same: Teshuva. Turn back to God, stop doing the sin and start doing what God said to do. Yes, we will fail repeatedly, sometimes with the same sin, but God hasn’t said when we fail we should just give up and go on sinning. Every time it’s the same solution — STOP the sin and turn back to God. Start again. Christianity taught me that we needed Christ’s sacrifice on the cross because God couldn’t stand to look at sin and that SIN is what caused God to turn from me. (And here is where they usually referenced Matt 27:46) But that isn’t the truth! God doesn’t turn away from me when I sin, sin causes ME to turn away from HIM! His hand is extended to bring me back (i.e., mercy — the time to make the choice to return).
PS — I don’t think we will be asked to give an account for anything that we have truly turned away from, so long as our turning brought us back to obedience. Only the church (and maybe the “world”) expects us to be perfect. God expects obedience.
SO good Suzanne.
Lets let Ezekiel talk to us for a moment
3:18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. 20 Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”
and again ,
18:19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. 21 “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live…….(through verse 32…I will stop because of space and redundancy, 🙂
And just in case you don’t get Ezekiel’s theme/point, one more time:
33:12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.’ 13 If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done. 14 And if I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right– 15 if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die……verse 20 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge everyone of you according to His own way.
This is so simple a child could understand it. Yet it seems that 33:20 becomes the reason, for many, that we need Jesus’ and the cross. “God’s ways are not fair! No one can actually do what he commands….enter Jesus….” Jesus becomes the answer for God’s unfairness…..Yet Yeshua is not God’s corrections for His mistakes and unfairness! HE is the Messiah of Israel! The One who live perfectly righteous, overcomes death and becomes the first born of many brethren……I’m not there for sure but I can see the prize….
Amen, David — exactly what I was trying to say. Thanks.
TW July 5, 2015
“ . . . Paul’s dire warning suggests that not one single person and not one single act of any person will go unnoticed . . . He only focuses on reward and punishment. Judgment is coming—and there is no escape! . . God is not holy unless the righteous are rewarded and the wicked punished . . . So where is grace? . . Grace re-establishes a relationship with the Most High in spite of sin. . . “
TW May 30, 2015
“. . . God alone determines His acts of favor, His promise not to abandon His children, not to count their inequities against them any longer, not to destroy them, is an eternal decision, independent of the evaluation of their worthiness (or unworthiness).”
TW May 29, 2015
“. . . Why try if we are doomed to fail. Madness. But this is not the way YHVH views us. He is filled with hanan [grace or favor] and hanan is incompatible with punishment . . . “Favor cannot coexist with judgment. It is given or withdrawn according to whether one is positively disposed toward another. . . Love can coexist with judgment (Prov. 3:12) and exists at a deeper level of the inner consciousness, where conflicting emotions are allowed to coexist.”[3] But Fabry’s first point is crucial. Hanan is a function of God’s disposition toward us, not our evaluation of our worthiness before Him. He chooses to show us favor because He finds something pleasing in us . . . His love does bring judgment and for that we should be eternally grateful. Judgment alters the course of life.”
No doubt I need more study but I have been confused about grace and works all my life and unfortunately, these seeming contradictions are not helping me. I understand it is a huge topic not quickly explained but may I start with this one question?
We have all sinned and deserve (eternal) death. (The wages of sin is death.) Therefore, it doesn’t matter how many good works anyone does, we are all going to eternally die except for the grace of God.
My point being is that it must be grace, and only grace, that gets us resurrected. (Otherwise, the wages of sin is not eternal death.) Hence, it is our works that must determine our place in the Kingdom, or, our punishment throughout it.
Hello Dan.
As i thought about what you have written here —> ” Hence, it is our works that must determine our place in the Kingdom, or, our punishment throughout it. ”
I am compelled to reflect on what Yeshua taught his followers according to Luke [ ch 16 ] and Matthew’s witness at least in this instance where Yeshua is speaking to pre-requistes that will determine our Kingdom status [ reward and or punishment ]
Mat 5:18 “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.
Mat 5:19 “Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.
Many religions claim rite of passage into the Olam Ha – Ba, and some even believe that if you say the sinners pray or follow salvational doctrines that you will be saved.
Many proponents of these schools of thought don’t obey the commandments…, yet they obey some of them in part yet can’t every seem to give a good explanation as to why this is or how it fits into their doctrine that to obey means we have fallen from GRACE if we attempt to obey them yet most of them keep over 50% of the Mitzvot anyway. I personally don’t think these understand the true meaning of Grace as Yeshua and his talmidim taught. Are these theologies the mystery of iniquity revealed in 2 Thessalonians 2: 3 -15 ??
We can see that most Christian replacement theologies fly right in the face of what Yeshua was teaching his talmidim on the mountainside. Clearly we can see our kingdom status [ reward or punishment ] is defined by either being pro-torah or not [ Mat. 5:18-19. ] Summarized : Who breaks + and teaches so = least in the Kingdom of heaven ~ vs ~ who keeps + and teaches so = shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven.
read chapter 3 of Matthew – see the theme building [ Isa 40:3 , John 8: 33- 34 , Romans 9:8 ]
read chapter 4 of Matthew – see the theme continuing to build [ Dt. 8:3 – Dt. 6:13,16 – Isa 9: 1-2 ]
To me …., what i glean from Scripture is that the Grace given is a GIFT of the ruach haKodesh that empowers us to keep the commandments of YHVH by Faith. Nearly everyone who keeps the commandments of YHVH and observes torah according to Mashiach will testify that it is a miracle to be spiritually sustained and keep the Mitzvot in a world of people who’ve come to hate them for doing so.
And i can’t think of a more profound time in our lives where the spiritual darkness is so self evident in light of all that is bestowed upon us right here in the USA according to current events . And that is just for starters.