SUNDAY'S SACRED SCRIPTURES: *GOD'S* MERCIFUL LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING...

 As we enter into the CHRISTmas season, we ought to be reminded, in varied contexts, of the beautiful PLAN *GOD* HAS for Mankind, which IS THE GIFT OF CHRIST JESUS for the sake, and souls of all whom believe, and accept HIM as SAVIOUR---

*GOD'S* LOVE, GRACE, and MERCY ARE offered to ALL, but free will allows each to accept, or to deny! MANY do NOT comprehend, acknowledge, or understand WHY there are choices to made for the sake of the eternal soul, as opposed to the choices made concerning the temporal body. Even those who have some knowledge, wrestle with the eternal matters of the soul...

IF we receive THE LORD, CHRIST JESUS, we have now died to our former selves, and have taken on the new self, which is of THE SPIRIT, and thus, we are inclined towards spiritual ways; which doesn't mean we have no more struggle to REMAIN IN HIM, but that we are awake, aware, and more enabled to resist, and to RELY ON HIM to guide us through whatever we might face, WHILE clinging to the wholesome goodness which IS as innately placed within us, as is what is wrong...

It makes the beauty OF HIS GIFT OF LIFE all the more acute WHEN we understand, embrace, and begin to exist IN HIS WILL, and our roles as heirs TO THE KINGDOM; it TRANSFORMS us, and finds us walking THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHILE HE IS WORKING in us, through us, and around us! HE GAVE US FREEDOM, which we now use according TO HIS WILL, FOR HIS GLORY, the sake of our souls, and those of others; HE GIVES us relevance, which we go forward in reverence of...

EPHESIANS 2: 1-10...
1+++And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
2+++in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
3+++Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
4+++But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5+++even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6+++and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7+++so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8+++For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9+++not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10+++For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Sin is the death of the soul. A man dead in trespasses and sins has no desire for spiritual pleasures. When we look upon a corpse, it gives an awful feeling. A never-dying spirit is now fled, and has left nothing but the ruins of a man. But if we viewed things aright, we should be far more affected by the thought of a dead soul, a lost, fallen spirit.

A state of sin is a state of conformity to this world. Wicked men are slaves to Satan. Satan is the author of that proud, carnal disposition which there is in ungodly men; he rules in the hearts of men. From Scripture it is clear, that whether men have been most prone to sensual or to spiritual wickedness, all men, being naturally children of disobedience, are also by nature children of wrath. What reason have sinners, then, to seek earnestly for that grace which will make them, of children of wrath, children of God and heirs of glory!

God's eternal love or good-will toward his creatures, is the fountain whence all his mercies flow to us; and that love of God is great love, and that mercy is rich mercy. And every converted sinner is a saved sinner; delivered from sin and wrath. The grace that saves is the free, undeserved goodness and favour of God; and he saves, not by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus. Grace in the soul is a new life in the soul. A regenerated sinner becomes a living soul; he lives a life of holiness, being born of God: he lives, being delivered from the guilt of sin, by pardoning and justifying grace.

Sinners roll themselves in the dust; sanctified souls sit in heavenly places, are raised above this world, by Christ's grace. The goodness of God in converting and saving sinners heretofore, encourages others in after-time, to hope in his grace and mercy. Our faith, our conversion, and our eternal salvation, are not of works, lest any man should boast. These things are not brought to pass by any thing done by us, therefore all boasting is shut out. All is the free gift of God, and the effect of being quickened by his power. It was his purpose, to which he prepared us, by blessing us with the knowledge of his will, and his Holy Spirit producing such a change in us, that we should glorify God by our good conversation, and perseverance in holiness. None can from Scripture abuse this doctrine, or accuse it of any tendency to evil. All who do so, are without excuse.

JAMES 2: 14-26...
14+++What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 
15+++If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 
16+++and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 
17+++Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
18+++But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 
19+++You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 
20+++But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
21+++Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 
22+++You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 
23+++and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God.
24+++You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 
25+++In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 
26+++For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Those are wrong who put a mere notional belief of the gospel for the whole of evangelical religion, as many now do. No doubt, true faith alone, whereby men have part in Christ's righteousness, atonement, and grace, saves their souls; but it produces holy fruits, and is shown to be real by its effect on their works; while mere assent to any form of doctrine, or mere historical belief of any facts, wholly differs from this saving faith.  

A bare profession may gain the good opinion of pious people; and it may procure, in some cases, worldly good things; but what profit will it be, for any to gain the whole world, and to lose their souls? Can this faith save him? All things should be accounted profitable or unprofitable to us, as they tend to forward or hinder the salvation of our souls. 

This place of Scripture plainly shows that an opinion, or assent to the gospel, without works, is not faith. There is no way to show we really believe in Christ, but by being diligent in good works, from gospel motives, and for gospel purposes. Men may boast to others, and be conceited of that which they really have not. 

There is not only to be assent in faith, but consent; not only an assent to the truth of the word, but a consent to take Christ. True believing is not an act of the understanding only, but a work of the whole heart. That a justifying faith cannot be without works, is shown from two examples, Abraham and Rahab. Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Faith, producing such works, advanced him to peculiar favours. We see then, ver. 24, how that by works a man is justified, not by a bare opinion or profession, or believing without obeying; but by having such faith as produces good works. And to have to deny his own reason, affections, and interests, is an action fit to try a believer.  

Observe here, the wonderful power of faith in changing sinners. Rahab's conduct proved her faith to be living, or having power; it showed that she believed with her heart, not merely by an assent of the understanding. Let us then take heed, for the best works, without faith, are dead; they want root and principle. By faith any thing we do is really good; as done in obedience to God, and aiming at his acceptance: the root is as though it were dead, when there is no fruit. Faith is the root, good works are the fruits; and we must see to it that we have both. This is the grace of God wherein we stand, and we should stand to it. There is no middle state. Every one must either live God's friend, or God's enemy. Living to God, as it is the consequence of faith, which justifies and will save, obliges us to do nothing against him, but every thing for him and to him.

There is NO contradiction from Paul's statement in ROMANS 3: 28---
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. It is contextual! Paul was speaking from the stance of believing that following THE LAW gave those early Jewish converts to Christianity, gave them reason to boast of their Salvation. It is to be particularly observed that χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου implies no antinomian doctrine, nor any opposition to James (James 2:14, etc.). Its reference is not at all to works required or not required from man for acceptance, but simply to the ground or principle of his justification. In other words, it disallows us to determine our Salvation, void of *GOD'S* saving GRACE... 

Notice that James begins this section by using the example of someone who says he has faith--verse 14. He then immediately gives an example of what true and false faiths are. He begins with the negative and demonstrates what an empty faith is (verses 15-17). Then he gives an example of the type of faith that isn't much different from the faith of demons (verse 19). Finally, he gives examples of living faith by showing Abraham and Rahab as the type of people who demonstrated their faith by their deeds.

James is examining two kinds of faith: one that leads to godly works and one that does not. One is true, and the other is false. One is dead, the other alive; hence, "Faith without works is dead." (James 2:20).

This is why in the middle of his section on faith and works, he says in verse 19, "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder." James says this because the demons believe in God; that is, they have faith, but the faith they have is useless. It does not result in appropriate works. Their faith is only a mental acknowledgment of God's existence.

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