HEAVENLY INCLINED...: GOOD WORKS & FAITH...

Thanksgiving for the LORD's Favor

Psalms 138 (A Psalm of David)
1/ I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2/ I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
3/ In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
4/ All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
5/ Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.
6/ Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
7/ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
8/ The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me:
thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands... AMEN!!!

One CANNOT earn GRACE, it is HIS own ESSENCE; a gift, still, IF one claims to be IN HIS GRACE, we ARE to, or, OUGHT to, be reflections of that GRACE! 2 CORINTHIANS 6:1, tells us not to take HIS GRACE in vain! This means, living in LOVE, morality, ethics, virtue, righteousness, and, spiritual improvement, TOWARDS, spiritual maturity, WHILE, visibly BEING as LIGHTS, beaming OF *GOD*, beckoning the world, TO THE LIGHT! Righteousness MEANS, conduct in conformity with *GOD'S* WILL, and, "Be HOLY because I AM HOLY!", therefore, indicating that knowledge, wisdom, and, effort, DO, apply TO the righteous!!! NEVER forget, we were grafted in, and, if we do not bear fruit, as a dead branch, we will be pruned out, just as were, the natural branches!!!

We are not saved by works, instead, works PROVE HIM in us: they identify HIS own...

IF I claim ONENESS with *GOD*, through CHRIST JESUS, I am DEAD TO THE WORLD, THUS, LIVING as HIM, which is, hopefully, witnessed IN, and, THROUGH, my every thought, action, and, reaction; MEANING, I am, THROUGH CONSCIOUS application OF THE WORD, HIS COMMANDS, HIS WILL, REFLECTING righteousness, not, merely, FAITH! I become, the TRULY FRUITFUL branch, of THE VINE, the TRUE member of THE BODY/THE CHURCH, CHRIST JESUS, and, TESTIFY, then, GLORIFY, BOLDLY, BY my thoughts, actions, and, reactions, HIS name, because, HE IS WORTHY, and, IN HIS LOVE, has SHOWN me, how I OUGHT to exist, to which, I eagerly, adapt, and, comply!!!

MATTHEW 5:48...
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect

1 PETER 1:14-16...
14/ Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
15/ but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
16/ for it is written, "Be holy because I (am) holy."

ROMANS 12:2...
Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Conduct, in conformity to *GOD'S* WILL, marks the righteous; it is NOT because of guilt, or, ancient Laws, but, because of LOVE; LOVE for *GOD*, self, then, others! CHRIST JESUS gave us Commandments to live by, of which, the first is to LOVE *GOD*, with all of your mind, heart, and, soul; the second is, to LOVE one another!

LOVE COMPELS us to LIVE IN HIM, through conduct which conforms to *GOD*; in other words, morality, ethics, doing good, and, being good, and, ever striving to improve the spirit! It is about REFLECTING THE TRUTH, for ALL to bear witness to, FOR, and, TO HIS GLORY, RADIANTLY SHINING OF HIS POWER, GRACE, and, MERCIES!!!

It IS ALL ABOUT LOVE, baby, all about LOVE!!!

MATTHEW 4: 17...From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

JOHN 14:15..."If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

NOTE: I do not intend to preach, rather to reach; to stir up, awaken, to inspire, and, bring forth, in discussion, that which is, perhaps, dormantly existing in the heart of hearts, thus, little, or, no, sugar coatings, just THE WORD of *GOD*, the TRUTH, along with some of my thoughts. And truth is, I am reminding myself always, as I practice these reminders, in the best of my abilities, and capacities, while RELYING on THE LORD to lead me on that narrow PATH---> MATTHEW 7: 14: "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it... TO *GOD* BE ALL GLORY...

GOOD WORKS & FAITH...

By the LOVE, GRACE, and MERCY OF THE LORD *GOD*, we are SAVED! I do not believe we are saved by works, yet, our works EXEMPLIFY the transformation HIS GRACE HAS wrought in us; GRACE becomes grace in us---

WHEN we TRULY leave the flesh behind, and exist in THE SPIRIT, we are no longer whom we were before, and we, bit by bit, ARE brought into our TRUTH, which means we now, think, say, and do, according TO HIS WILL, HIS WAYS, HIS WORD! Sure, we WILL have times when we stumble, struggle, and have troubles, though we just REMAIN IN HIM, as we PRAY, and RELY ON HIM!!!

IF we are born again, we ARE born of righteousness, and so, to say that goodness, or good works aren't part, and parcel TO the restoration process is silly; Christ lives and reigns in him, and he lives here on earth by faith in the Son of God, which works by love, causes obedience, and changes into his holy image (GALATIANS 2: 20). It ISN'T that our goodness, or good works are saving us, it is that *GOD* IS WORKING IN US, THROUGH US, and AROUND US! We CANNOT feign wholesomeness; it is simply, too complicated to pull off, and our LORD KNOWS whom is sincere, or not! We ARE BEING MADE HOLY, IN THIS TIME, though it won't be complete until we reach THE KINGDOM, and despite the battles we endure WHILE being made whole, it is NOW in our beings to DO, and to BE what is right, just, and good! NOT for show, but because we UNDERSTAND now, through KNOWLEDGE which HE HAS provided, THE DIFFERENCE between our TRUTH, and what we learned via the world, which IS that we are OF SPIRIT, thus we exist spiritually, NOT carnally!!!

FAITH IS THE connector; FAITHFULNESS IS THE PROOF! Throughout THE BIBLE, THE LORD HAS CALLED HIS people to be faithful; to be honest; to be good; and to SHINE OF HIM; none of which we could do without aligning to HIS WILL, HIS WAYS, HIS WORD...

I am like a diamond in the rough; my potential IS BEING realized, even though I am yet rough around the edges, and my brilliance is yet, at times dull! *GOD* IS WORKING IN ME, and my role IS to ALLOW HIM to do so, AS I adhere, more, more, and more TO HIS WILL, and forego, my will! HIS standards, principles, precepts, decrees, and WILL, LEAD me TO being, and doing what is right, just, and good, as I am OPENED UP TO REALIZATION, and acknowledgement of WHY HIS WAY IS better than my way!!!

We leave the world behind; we ARE a new being; and our journey IS IN THE STEPS OF CHRIST JESUS, our EXEMPLAR! We, ABSOLUTELY, WILL trip along THE WAY, we are still in due process, but, we keep on keepin' on, as we TRUST HIM TO bring us deeper into our REALITY...

FAITH and good works ARE ONE! HE says that by our 'fruits' we will be known, and since HE IS GOOD, we also, become good; there is NO way to fake it, or to think that good works alone, will find us on course!!!

Goodness IS A PRODUCT OF FAITH; it IS the LIGHT of our FAITHFULNESS!!!

LWINSOR © 2017
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS