I believe it's scriptures like these that the legalists use to hide behind, and operate from, to continue keeping people in bondage and under religious control. Either through ignorance or through a religious spirit in operation. Either way as we expose these scriptures and bring true light to them it disarms the darkness whereby the legalists operate. The more we bring light to these dark areas the less ground these legalists have to operate from! If they are legalists through ignorance and bad interpretation then they should respond well to the light, if they are legalists because of a religious spirit then they will hate us because of the light! But hopefully the people under their control will be liberated!!!!!!
Romans 11:21,22
It's amazing how the legalists try and use these scriptures to bring people back into performance when the very reason these scriptures exist is to show people the futility of their performance and a law based righteousness! Paul is addressing the problem of boasting in yourself! He says do not boast in the branches but boast in the root! They were boasting in the branches as though salvation had come to them because of election or their performance. Paul was saying 'no! You aren't grafted into the root because of election or performance but because of faith in the root -Christ!' If you boast in the branches it shows you have not seen the root and your faith is not in the root. Therefore you are a branch that hasn't taken to the root! Basically you're a false branch and are in danger of being cut off. Gods goodness is towards those who by faith are grafted in the root and are trusting in the righteousness that comes from the root, but his severity is towards those who do not have faith in the root but are still trusting in themselves - the branches. It all comes down to the issue of self righteousness vs the gift of righteousness! If Israel were to turn from their self righteousness and put their faith in the gift of righteousness which comes from the root then they would be grafted in but they are cut off because of their self righteousness. The first fruits are those who are in Abraham - the remnant - who rely on a righteousness from God. Those who were cut off where Israel that came under Moses - the law/flesh based covenant. They were cut off to demonstrate to the world/gentiles that no one can relate to God through self righteousness. Their being cut off brought salvation to the gentiles meaning that God used them as an example to show the world how useless law/performance based righteousness is. But if the gentiles don't see that and think that salvation is coming to the gentiles now because God has shifted His election then their faith is not in Christ but in God's choosing which is not saving faith! Now when Israel finally gets a revelation of the gift of righteousness and comes into the root then there is going to be a full blown gospel revolution explosion across the world! Ryan Rufus.
Wayno - Through faith we are grafted in, Gal 3:12 “the law is not based on faith”….the Israelites figured it was through the law, their own self-effort that they could relate to God…they were wrong…that was/is not Gods way… had Abraham been their father, they would have known that….we are grafted in now because we have faith in the gospel, of His righteousness, that is ours apart from our works…thing is, when we stop operating in faith and go back under law, we get cut off, not because God cuts us off but because we cut ourselves off…do we lose our salvation….NO…. we lose out in the blessing that faith, being rooted in Christ’s righteousness, brings…and being rooted in Christ’s righteousness (in our minds) is being rooted in the gospel…and we know the gospel is the miracle working power of God…
Wayno
Dealing with legalists concerning the wrath of God:
My friend what you're feeling right now is not the Spirit of God. It's a religious spirit attacking you. Trying to get you back under law and re-arm the enemy. You're not alone. I've spoken to a number of pastors around the world recently who are facing persecution for the gospels sake. Seems like the enemy is having a real good go at undermining the grace message. But he will not win. There are too many revolutionaries that are standing now for this gospel of Grace.
I'm telling you, no matter how the obscure scriptures sound, if they bring you back under performance based christianity and a sense of judgment or condemnation, then you are not interpreting them correctly. In fact in this time, God is beginning to shine His light out of darkness. Not upon darkness but out of darkness. Where the enemy has kept people in legalism and confusion through misinterpreted scriptures, by preachers who hide in these dark corners of scriptures out of context God is, from those dark corners and dark scripture (His word that has had darkness brought over it) is shining the brilliant light of the glorious gospel of Christ! I'm telling you, every single one of those scriptures is actually glorious and reveal the futility of trusting in yourself, flesh, performance and not fully in Christ! Ephesians 6 talks about taking our stand against the schemes of the evil one, and it talks about having our feet fitted with the gospel of peace! My friend the way you stand is to stand in the gospel! In the finished work of Christ and not our performance. Also God is calling you to present the gospel more than your defend it. Legalists want to tie you up in arguments and distract you from the real work and that is proclaiming the gospel and liberating people. Jesus didn't spend much time with the Pharisees, he spent more time with the people who the pharisees had lied to. If we at City Church get caught up with all the attacks on grace and start trying to defend ourselves to the legalists we're finished! God has called us to get on with the job of proclaiming the gospel. Of coarse the legalists hate us for it, but so many are being liberated and continue to tell us never to back off! Yet even some of the legalists are starting to see it! The questions are being answered for them as we go along. Legalists will tie you up in endless scriptures and questions to try and take you out. YOU ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO ANSWER THEM!!!! BE SET FREE!!!!!!
Sometimes Paul despaired even of life. He felt the weight of the opposition against him. Hey, you're just like Paul! Hated, accused, cut off, slandered, mocked, lied about, and absolutely loved by those who are seeing the beauty of Christ through the gospel you are proclaiming. It wouldn't be the gospel if there wasn't persecution! YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK MY FRIEND!!! BE STRONG! KEEP THE COARSE!!!! DON'T BE INTIMIDATED! DON'T BACK OFF! IT'S WORTH PERSEVERING!!!!!!!
Concerning those scriptures, I just want to encourage you to sit down with those particular scriptures open in front of you, and ask the Holy Spirit to unlock them and make them clear to you. I'm telling you he will if you let him! He will put them into their proper context and bring the beauty of grace out in them. I don't want to answer all those questions for you and rob you of ploughing the nuggets for yourself! In fact I don't have all the answers. I could get them if I pursued them all, but will get to them one by one. I don't have to have them all answered in order to know God and his goodness. I know him through the finished work of Christ and he is very good! I know his goodness. I know his voice. I know his presence. I know the Spirit of truth. I know when something is truth or a lie. I know the gospel, and if a scripture doesn't fit into the gospel, I don't throw out the gospel, I make sure that scripture has been properly interpreted. And if it continues to contradict the very clear themes of the gospel, I check it again, and again, without doing word gymnastics, until I have revelation how it fits into the gospel. And I'm telling you now, it always will!
Even in terms of the wrath of God. God is not out to just punish you. Legalists always want to scare you. But look at their relationship with God. Do they really know him and feel really close to him. No they can't get close cause they're to scared of God. God disciplines us as sons because he loves us and wants to bring us into our future in the good works that He has planned for us. What is the wrath they are talking about? It can't be anything Jesus experienced on the cross! In fact it can be nothing of what Jesus experienced on the cross. That would violate the law of double jeopardy! God will never make you carry anything Jesus already carried for us! NEVER!!!!!
God wants us to relate well to man and yes has to teach us that because we have grown up in a screwed world. Fine, let us learn. We're not perfect in that area. But don't preach a gospel that says God is putting on us what Jesus carried on the cross.
Anyway, just some quick initial thoughts. I haven't analyzed those scriptures. But be encouraged my friend. Don't let those guys push you around. Press through. It's worth it.
Been reading that 'wrath' article you sent me. Firstly that guy is wrong in saying that Moses and others were regenerate when the wrath of God was falling on him in the old testament. No one was regenerate in the old testament! Not even Abraham. Regeneration only came through the cross! They all had faith in a future messiah who would take away the sins of the world, previously left unpunished Rom 3. How on earth could Moses be regenerate through the law! That's the whole point - you can't. That's what God was trying to show mankind. That was the purpose of the law, and that is what the message of Romans is all about! It's all about self righteousness vs the gift of righteousness. And BTW the book of Romans wasn't just written to Christians only, it was also written to false Christians who didn't have faith in Jesus but still put their faith in their flesh, performance - law based righteousness or even in the election of God - which isn't true faith - That's what Romans 11 is all about. God used Israel under the law to reveal to the world the futility of trusting in the flesh! They were branches who were boasting in themselves and not in Christ - reveling they were not true branches- their graft hadn't taken because it wasn't anchored in the root! and were in danger of being cut off!
Anyway, for this guy to say the wrath of God fell on unregenerate and regenerate people in the old testament is total rubbish. I'm sure he would like it to be the case so he can make us scared of God. They were all unregenerate, yet some were trusting in Moses and some were trusting in Abraham. That's what it's all about. The Abrahamic covenant was a grace covenant but the Mosaic covenant was a flesh/performance based covenant. Israel before Sinai in Egypt were still in the Abrahamic covenant. They left Egypt laden with silver and gold and no sick among them, they get to red sea and complain - no wrath - they run out of water and complain - no wrath- they have no food and complain - no wrath - Why? because they were still in Abraham. They come to mount Sinai and enter into a performance based -righteousness but the law covenant - with God and the first time they sin and complain they are judged. They complain again and are judged and again and again!!! The whole purpose of the law was so that God could pour out wrath on Israel to show the world the futility of a performance based righteousness! That's what Romans 9-11 is all about! That's why the nations are blessed by Israel being cut off! Not the ones God foreknew in Abraham but the ones who went under law! They were cut off so the nations could be blessed - or rather come into a grace based righteousness through faith in Christ and not performance of the flesh!
The wrath this guy is talking about is simply the curse of the law! Israel agreed to it. Deu 28! If you don't fully obey the law then... but if you fully obey then...
To make out that the new covenant is in any way similar to that covenant is full bore heresy and extremely dangerous and reveals a total lack of a revelation of grace. Paul would have a lot to say to these kinds of trouble makers who pervert the gospel!
Obviously I don't have the time to go through this guys article line by line, but if I did, I'm telling you it can be pulled apart! This guy has a total lack of a revelation of grace! It's classic Galatians 1 stuff. 'Some came in to trouble you...' Paul speaks about a wrath coming to them!
The issue of obedience and disobedience mostly speaks about faith or unbelief. Israel's disobedience was 'an evil heart of unbelief'. Paul warns Jews and Gentiles throughout scriptures to not have an unbelieving heart - to have a pure heart - a holy heart – and that is to have a heart that only trusts in Christ and not flesh, law, idols, other faiths or practices. It's not talking about actions. Actions will follow your beliefs.
Wrath is coming to all those who are disobedient yes - those who don't believe by faith in Jesus. They are still in the position of the law - so they are seen and named as law breakers, adulterers, murderers etc.
This guys clearly doesn't understand propitiation and Christ's eternal mediating ministry! Heb 10:10-15, 1 Jn 2!
About the discipline thing, 'Endure hardships as a son...' I was thinking about that last night. You know Paul's hardships were not from God, they came from the religious spirit, from the Jews, Circumcision group, pharisees, legalists! They stirred up persecution and trouble for Paul. Paul was persecuted for preaching a righteousness by faith alone and not a righteousness by the law. God said endure it as discipline! Those hardships disciplined Paul in his faith that sonship is never about self righteousness but the gift of righteousness. They weren't there to punish for wrong doing. The chapter does start out about the sin of unbelief and throwing off everything that hinders - throw off legalism, throw off flesh based performance and run the race marked out - that's the race of faith. Paul says I have run my race I have kept the faith! in 2 Timothy. Hardships that come through preaching the gospel help us to throw off everything that hinders and unbelief and intensifies how important it is to fight the good fight of faith and to run the race of faith and to not get caught up and entangled in performance. Sorry this isn't to clear but can you see something of what I'm trying to say? This has a whole different atmosphere than what that other guy is teaching. This gets your eyes on Jesus and not yourself. The moment we get our eyes off Jesus and onto ourselves in self analysis and 'what's my current level of sin' we're finished! The only way to run the race is to have our eyes on Jesus - the author and perfecter of our faith, our mediator, our holiness, our redeemer, propitiating sacrifice, our righteousness!!! God's disciplines are about helping us to keep out eyes on Jesus and not on ourselves. If God didn't discipline us we would end up with our eyes on ourselves in self righteousness. That's why Paul had to come and give the Galatians a little 'smack'! and say who has bewitched you ...
Perhaps it's time for you to do a little 'smacking in love' to bring people back into grace and away from self righteousness and law?!!!! and to get their eyes back on Jesus!
Confession of sins?
If you sin as a Christian does that make you now unrighteous? So then is my righteousness based on my performance or on Christ performance on my behalf? If it's based on my righteousness then I'm finished! If it's based on His perfect performance and His righteousness then I can have peace and confidence before God!
Romans 5 says that we have been made righteous.
1 Cor 1:30 that Jesus has become for us our righteousness.
2 Cor 5:22 that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
Heb 10:14 that we have been made perfect forever.
Heb 10:10 that we have been made holy once and for all.
Heb 8:12 that he will be merciful to our unrighteousness and remember our sins no more.
Ps 103 separated my sins as far as the east is from the west
Heb 10:12 one sacrifice for all sins for all time!!!!!!! (This is one of the most power packed scriptures in the entire bible that most people miss!!!!)
As for myself I know I've been totally forgiven all my past , present and all my future sins! The cross looked ahead at every sin that would ever be committed and it dealt with it right there! It had to deal with all future sins otherwise every one who was born after the cross could never be forgiven. No it deals with all future sins and if all future sins have been dealt with then all my future sins have been dealt with! To ask God to forgive your future sins is like saying the cross never worked. Or it's like trying to crucify Jesus every time you sin so you can be forgiven again. The fact is if you do sin and ask God for forgiveness, if you listen to what He says next I promise you you'll hear Him say 'I already have!'
If God has made you righteous, perfect and holy - based on the once for all sacrifice- then how can your sins make you unrighteous, imperfect and unholy especially if they have all been dealt with and he's separated them from you and remembers them no more and doesn't impute or count them to you. If we think that our sinning can make us unholy, imperfect and unrighteous then it clearly shows that we have no idea about what grace truly is, and we seriously need to humble ourselves and listen to people who do have a revelation of grace!
To confess your sins again and again and keep asking for forgiveness is heresy! Just plain lack of revelation and boy does the devil have a field day with our ignorance!
How can my sin make me unrighteous now if God had made me righteous permanently and forever?!!!
I believe as dad does that the blood only has a once for all application. The daily application has nothing to do with confessing sins in order to be cleansed. We've been cleansed of all sins once and for all. I believe the daily application is about revelation about the blood. I once preached we need to apply the blood every day but I was wrong.
There's no where in the new testament that says we need to apply the blood every day. In fact that's the essence of the old covenant - that blood needed to be continually shed because the peoples sins were never truly dealt with. But in the new covenant our sins have been dealt with once and for all by the one sacrifice! We simply need to walk in revelation everyday about the blood. Whether we do or not makes no difference to our standing in God but it affects how we see God relating to us on a daily basis. The greater our revelation the great we know there is nothing in the way between God and us. There's peace thru the blood. When I sin I don't apply the blood. I thank God for the blood! I don't confess my sin and ask for forgiveness. Well actually I do, but the more we have a revelation about the once for all sacrifice that Heb 10 talks about and how the Holy Spirit testifies to us about this, and have our minds renewed, the more we will realize that he has already forgiven us and cleansed us of every sin we have, are and will ever commit! I believe 1 Jn 1 is talking to unbelievers, false converts and true believers. But in the case of 1Jn1:7-9 it is speaking to unbelievers and false converts and that they need to confess theirs sin and put faith in Christ who at the point of salvation will cleanse you of all unrighteousness.
How is it that the Holy Spirit will never leave you even if you sin?
When under the old covenant he would. Because in the new covenant we are made perfect and 100% righteous in Christ regardless of our performance. He's separated our sins as far as the east is from the west. He's not counting them against us- why because he counted them all against Christ. It really comes down to this one understanding: Did Christ only die for you past sins or did he also die for your future sins as well? If you believe he also died for your future sins then it means that you believe God has not only dealt with your past sins, He has also dealt with your future sins. Now if God has dealt with your future sins then why do you feel like you need to deal with them by confession and repentance and asking for forgiveness and applying the blood? That all means nothing to God in fact He's wondering what you're even doing. The bible actually calls what you're doing dead works! Or acts that lead to death- same thing. Lifeless acts or meaningless acts. Heb 9. And it's the blood that cleanses our conscious of these things not by application but by revelation! A revelation of the once for all sacrifice of Christ will release you forever from the bondage of having to try and do things to deal with your sins! It's oppressive to live with a sin consciousness and a feeling that God is not happy with me unless I've dealt with every sin in my life. I tell you the devil is so much behind that thing. He oppresses people thru it. But Heb 10 says that Jesus sat down after he had offered his own blood once and for all. Job finished. The old covenant priest had to continually offer sacrifices- to keep doing that when Christ has sat down is dead works. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool because by one sacrifice... I tell you we need to meditate on that! Because we're seated on that throne with Christ and share the same footstool, and the enemy that oppresses us with guilt and condemnation and sin consciousness comes under our feet more and more as we get a revelation that Jesus sat down after he had paid for our sins for all time. The greater our revelation of the blood the more the enemy is crushed under our feet! 'They overcame by the blood of the lame...'
Eternal security:
Hebrews 10:26 If we (Hebrew in general) deliberately keep sinning... is talking about those who reject salvation and continue in their self righteous way thinking they don't need Jesus. This is shown clearly by vs 28 that says that 'Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
This isn't talking about a christian who then rejected Jesus, but someone not saved who rejects Jesus and will be horrified when they face God on judgement day. Someone who is not saved that rejects the gospel tramples Jesus underfoot and treats as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him.
The reason why people get confused and think it's talking about christians is because it says 'the blood of the covenant that sanctified him'. Now surely if it's talking about sanctified people it's talking about Christians. Well remember the book of Hebrews was written to Hebrews! Israel as a nation was sanctified! They were chosen by God. They were the called out ones- separated (sanctified) from the Gentiles. Given the Abrahamic covenant. A covenant that was based on faith. And it was based on faith in a future hope that Jesus would come and deal with first Adams sin in mankind (sinful nature) and therefore reconcile man eternally back to God. Even Abraham had to go to the Paradise that was downstairs (it was called Abraham’s bosom) and wait until Jesus came and ratified the covenant with his blood! The blood that ratifies the sanctification by bringing justification! It's interesting that Hebrews 10:29 says sanctification and not justification. Israel was sanctified but it was the blood of Jesus that completes that sanctification and they (the enemies of God) have rejected it and therefore there is now no hope for them unless they repent!
Once we are in grace and in the position of perfect righteousness that is given to us as a gift, then there is no amount of sin that could ever take us out of it. That scares preachers because they think that christians will use that as a license to sin but Paul makes it clear that when we get born again, something supernatural took place on the inside of us that killed the sinful nature in us and gave us a new nature that actually wants to live for God and not for sin! The unfortunate thing is that many christians just don't see that and still think the sinful nature is in us and are trying to kill it and die to themselves. And if preachers haven't seen salvation, then they will always try to put restraint on christians. Those restraints always manifest in legalism and fear. "If you sin you will lose your salvation therefore don't sin!' or 'You are saved by grace but you need to prove that by your good works and sinless lifestyle' or 'If you sin you will be judged and punished by God' or 'If you don't obey God then he won't bless you and won't be pleased with you'. All of that if garbage!!!
Some preachers try to put the law on people to restrain the sinful nature that they still believe is in people. So they use something that we are no longer under to try and restrain something we no longer have! Boy have they missed it!
God is not trying to put restraint on us, he put restraint in us! When he took away our old heart and gave us a new one. No longer external law needed for us, because He has put His perfect law in our hearts. Not as a reminder to keep them or else, but as a new drive- the new nature- the nature of God. Before we were save sin was on the inside trying to get out and the law was on the outside trying to get in. Now that we are saved sin is on the outside trying to get in (in the form of temptation) and the law is on the inside trying to get out (expressing itself thru us as the empowerment of the righteousness of God!).
Basically people are scared that grace will release christians to sin more. No that's what the law will do! It will condemn christians and steel their confidence to come before God. Therefore people under the law cannot live close to God. And the further away from God we live, the easier it becomes to just give into temptation. Grace enables and empowers people to draw near to God. It gives them total confidence to come right into Gods presence because they know they're not coming by their conditional righteousness but by their positional righteousness in Christ that is perfect and God accepts them perfectly with open arms every moment of everyday even if they just messed up in the worst way! People who live close to God find it very hard to just go out and sin, in fact the closer you live to God the less drawing power temptation has on your life.
Anyway bro, I could go on forever about grace. But I hope that answered more questions than it provoked!
Forgiving others to be forgiven?
I believe Mat 6:12, 14,15 Jesus is speaking to people under the old covenant. It's not pre-conversion, it's pre-cross. There was no true forgiveness yet! Only a temporary covering for sin on the basis of their law keeping and offerings. Under that old covenant no one deserved forgiveness. Jesus was perhaps exposing self righteousness by these statements. IE how is it that you believe that you deserve to be forgiven yet you don't believe others deserve to be forgiven? The only way they could forgive others is if they realized that they didn't deserve to be forgiven. The only way you could not forgive others and yet expect to be forgiven yourself is if you think you deserve forgiveness. Anyway. Not sure if that's clear.
It's interesting though, that on this side of the cross things have changed. We no longer hear words like ' if you don't forgive then you won't be forgiven'. Rather under the new Covenant we hear 'Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other , just as in Christ God forgave you.' Eph 4:32 and Col 3:13 'Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against on another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.'
Check this out! God spun it around:
Old Covenant- forgive us as we have forgiven others. (conditional, not yet forgiven- forgiveness future tense)
New covenant- forgive others as he has forgiven us. (Not conditional- suggestive! Already have been forgiven!!! Forgiveness past tense!!!)
The basic principles for relating any old covenant truth to us today is:
'How does it pass thru the cross?'
'What does the finished work of Jesus have to say about it?'
'Does it undermine the gospel and present another gospel?'
I've got to write some other emails now but why don't you try that with the 1Jn5 scripture and let me know what you get?
Scripture references for total forgiveness:
Psalms 103; Colossians 2:13; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 8:12; Hebrews 10:12; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; Revelation 1:5; 2 Corinthians 5:2; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:20; Isaiah 43:25; Psalms 103:12
The judgement seat:
About the judgement seat, to be honest I haven't worked that all out completely. I love the heavenly realm, the glory realm, the eternal realm, but there are so many facets and dimensions to it that it's hard to understand on this side of eternity. There are things in heaven that we have never seen and couldn't even describe with words. There are sounds we've never heard before. Heaven is awesome and way beyond our finite minds. I know we'll all give an account to God for the things while done in the body but what exactly that means, I honestly don't believe anyone really understands that!!! I know our sins will not be counted against us and therefore will not come up. I know there will be absolutely no possibility or even a sense of punishment. We won't be able to smell punishment in the air. I know there will be no accusation or guilt or condemnation-regret finds its roots in these things I think.
So if these things are not a part of the judgment seat, then what is left? Rewards? Affirmation? Commendation?
What kind of rewards could we receive? Will there be comparison between people?
To be honest I don't know!
I do know that God is awesome. I do know that heaven will be awesome. I don't believe there will be any trace of darkness there or the effects of it- negativity, depression, regret, remorse, being without, heaviness, pain etc!
But absolute pleasure in God. Awe of God. Think weighty atmosphere of His glory. Constant encounters with a loving God with absolutely nothing in the way between us and Him. Even that is hard to get your head around. Nothing at all between us and God. Perfect intimacy!!!!
Hope this answers some things. Wow, I feel the glory of God! I believe that's the whole point of theology- that we might encounter God in His glory more and more!
Paul’s thorn in the flesh:
Paul's thorn in the flesh is a messenger from Satan to buffet him. I just think an assigned demonic spirit to attack him violently by stiring up violent and religious people where ever he went. It wasn't from God and God didn't give Paul the easy way out but wanted Paul to face the demonic and exercise his dominion over it. The grace of the name of Jesus that is above all names and is sufficient.
Just like Jesus in the wilderness, Satan himself tempted him for 40 days. Jesus didn't run from him, God didn't deliver him, but Jesus walked through it and came out victorious and the devil found out, he's not that powerful!
(Luke Ide’s thoughts)
I listened to some of the sermon by McArthur and there are a few things I absolutely disagree with. Especially the bit where he says that God uses Satan in order to teach us lessons and that some of the purpose of God can only be accomplished by using the devil and demons! I don’t fully understand the verses he quotes but what he preaches seems to contradict the very clear scriptures I do know. I don’t believe we can afford to let the scriptures we don’t fully understand nullify the clear promises of God.
What I do know is that the Bible says
Acts 10:38 “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”
1 John 3:8 “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”
Jesus mission was to destroy the works of the devil. So why would the Father send Jesus to destroy the devil if the Father was using the devil to fulfill his purposes? Now you have Jesus working against the Father and a divided house cannot stand as Jesus says in Matthew 12:25, Mark 3:25 and Luke 11:17.
Jesus is the perfect representation of the Father Hebrews 1:3 He is the exact representation of God’s will. Do we EVER see Jesus say to a sick person:
I’m sorry I can’t heal you from this sickness or deliver you from this demon because this one is from my Father, he is teaching you a lesson.
Or this torment you are bearing is because God is fulfilling His will in you. There is no other way that he can accomplish this in you.
We NEVER see Jesus do this! He healed ALL who were under the power of the devil.
And in turn Jesus has commissioned us (believers) in Matthew 10:7-8. 7As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
God has told us to destroy sickness and cast out demons so why would he put sickness or a demon on us to teach us? God never allowed for it to come upon us, He hates it! He hated it so much that he sent His only Son to go through Hell so that we would not have to. God poured all his wrath and punishment upon Jesus, there is none left for us!
The Bible also says in John 16:13 and 1 John 2:27 the Holy Spirit will guide us into ALL truth. The Spirit teaches us all things. So to say that God can only teach us certain things by using suffering and demons is to call God a liar. I believe some people do learn valuable lessons from mistakes that they have made and people do learn lessons from hardship they go through. But to say that God led them into that suffering I think is wrong. I think that God is so good at turning the bad things into good that people get caught into believing that God put that thing on them in the first place.
Concerning Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:5-7), many people say Paul had an eye disease and this was his thorn. If you look throughout the Bible where the same kind of phrase is used as in Numbers 33:55, Judges 2:3 and Joshua 23:12. They are all talking about the thorn as persecution. Never is the word thorn in scripture used to represent sickness. Paul knew the scripture, he was not a dumb man he was a scholar. When he wrote this verse he knew very well what the thorn represented – it meant persecution not sickness.
So on this basis it is definitely not a sickness that Paul was talking about but it was a messenger of Satan – it was not a thing but had a personality that brought (verse 10) insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties.
The sad thing to me is that people know all these kind of verses and try to find loop holes in the Bible to prove God sends bad stuff our way. They seem to know all these verses but do they know all the clear scripture that say God has blessed us, He has healed us, and He has delivered us!
Let us know your thoughts about it because I don’t really understand it myself. But I do know when I heard it something in me rose up saying this is violating the very thing that Jesus came to destroy. It is attributing the acts of the devil to God.
Luke Ide
Purpose of the Law:
Romans 3:19; Romans 7:7; Romans 5:20; Galatians 3:23-25; Galatians 2:15,16;
Released from the Law:
Romans 7:6; Romans 10:1-4; Galatians 3:10-14; Galatians 3:21; Galatians 5:4; Colossians 2:13,14
The gift of righteousness vs self righteousness
Romans 3:21
Romans 5:19
Romans 5:17
Romans 4:4,5
Hebrews 10:14
1 Corinthians 1:31
2 Corinthians 5:21
Fullness in Position:
Colosians 2:9,10; Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1-4; Hebrews 10:14; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24.
Standing firm until the end to be saved?
I'll try and give a few of my rough unpolished convictions on these scriptures. Take it or leave it. I haven't done an in depth study on them. It takes a while to work your way round to every scripture and re-look at it thru new covenant lenses. And honestly I'm in no rush or feel under pressure to do so. God puts scriptures on my heart and then studying them is a delight. We definitely don't need clarity on every scripture before we can have convictions on grace. I think once we've got the foundation and general theme of grace sorted it will actually help interpret other scriptures and give us a peace that we don't have to have an answer for every scripture that seems a bit otherwise. Not that we're purposely ignorant but that we know if God is so strong and clear on a general theme, He's not going to contradict it with a few loose scriptures.
These scriptures you're wanting clarity on really shouldn't pose any threat to grace if you look at them in context. Anyway without rambling and telling you things you already know and could teach better than me here's some of my thoughts:
Mark 13:13 Does it mean 'he who stands firm till the end will be born again'? If that's the case then being born again has to do with your performance. I'm not so keen to go with that! If it did mean that then it means also that we're not born again now, we'll only be born again then! Or that we are born again now but dependent on how we perform will determine if we keep that salvation. That just doesn't square with grace as far as I'm concerned. You're either born again now or not. If you are then how can you be unborn again. And if you can be unborn again is it possible to be born again again? How many times does Jesus need to be crucified?!!! Once! He can never die again. Romans 6 says in the same way we must consider ourselves! We died once with Christ and were made alive with Him and can never die again! Because the same way he can never die again is exactly the same way we can never die again! There's no way this scripture is saying if we perform well then we'll be born again or won't lose our salvation! That would undermine grace!
Vines gives many definitions for the word saved. One meaning saved from the trouble and persecutions. Saved from the terrible times. Even Jesus said to be of good cheer because he has over come the world, and that our faith is the thing that overcomes the world. Perhaps Mark 13:13 is taking about those who continue with their eyes on Jesus and their heavenly position in Him and their future glory-faith will find a way thru the troubles and persecutions and hardships where as those who move into self effort and human strength will be consumed by it all!
Concerning rebuking and Revelation scriptures:
NASB 19'(BE)Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and (BF)repent.
That sounds more Fatherly doesn't it? Rather than the angry guy upstairs with the lightning bolts secretly hoping you don't repent so he can destroy you!
Also about overcoming, what does it mean? What does it mean to overcome, what are the means of overcoming and what are we overcoming? Bottom line I just think overcoming is about being in Christ. In Christ you're saved or you overcome. You overcome this fallen world. You don't go down with the fallenness of this world. You don't sink with the ship- you're saved. And that only in Christ! You will make it to heaven and partake in the things that the sons of God get to partake in! Those who aren't saved or don't overcome don't get to partake in those things! If you're not in Christ you can't overcome!
It's amazing how we turn these scriptures into a performance thing! We should see the grace in them.
About the Lords supper dad did a great teaching on that about a year and a bit ago. Perhaps check that out. It's a whole teaching on it!
Anyway just some initial thoughts. Hope it's helpful in some way and can spark a different train of thought.
Mantles or activation:
The new covenant doesn't seem to speak explicitly about receiving mantles and different peoples anointing. I'd say it speaks more about activation of gifting and anointing within you already. I'm not really too caught up with whether it's an activation or if it's a mantle. I can hang out with people who believe one or the other. I personally had an incredible experience where a teaching mantle came upon me in a meeting and it elevated my teaching gift into another realm! Some might say it was an activation, some might say it was a mantle, either way, that fact is once it happened I was suddenly empowered to do something much better than I had previously been able to do. Many people have experienced mantles, and I wouldn't want to write that off even if I didn't have scripture to support it. If those experiences blatantly contradicted the new covenant then there's a problem, but if they don't and they're authentic then I don't have a problem at all!!! There's times when the believers prayed for boldness Acts 4:29-31 and they we're filled with the Holy Spirit and enabled to speak the word boldly. What's that? A mantle of boldness? A Holy Spirit activation of boldness? Who cares about the terminology, they were filled with boldness and spoke the word boldly at a level they hadn't previously operated in!
It's a good question and actually one that's been coming up a bit a City Church a lot! Don't get to caught up in the terminology, just seek God and receive everything He has for you and/or wants to activate in you.
1 Corinthians 5:9-13
One has to take into account the situation in Corinth. It sounds a lot similar to the guys coming into the churches that Jude refers to with adultery in their eyes. Claiming to be brothers and turning the grace of God for a license for immorality. It's quite obvious these people are not saved but masquerading as though they are saved. They are warped and evil men that pollute and contaminate the faith. I think that's what the main issue is that these people distort and pervert faith in Jesus and that is Paul’s and Jude's main concern. Once someone’s faith is shaken they kind of lose their way and are very vulnerable to the enemy.
Of course God doesn't want his children carrying on in idolatry and fornication etc but we must not be too quick to be judge and accuse any Christian who has their struggle with sin. These are clearly people that are warped and evil who don't submit to the gospel. It really does come down to whether you are born again or not. Someone born again can be deceived, or burn out or overtaken in a sin that draws them away from Jesus. Of coarse God doesn't like that but the fact is they are still saved. It's not judgment and warning of hell that will bring them back but a true revelation of the grace and goodness of God. They've just lost sight of it.
Handing someone over to Satan 1 Cor 5:
Handing a brother over to Satan is actually a very encouraging scripture, because it shows that even this brother who was involved in a terrible sin was born again and once his flesh was destroyed (once he dies) he will then go on to be with the Lord as any born again person does! I don't believe it means Satan plays a part in getting the guy saved. What kind of gospel would that be? There's no precedent for that in scripture. I believe it means the guy is already saved.
I think handing him over to Satan means just withdrawing any prayer support and covering over him. Basically giving up on him! I really don't think we should practice this kind of thing to hastily as there's not enough scripture to build a strong enough case for us to do this and it's really not written to us but for a specific situation and I believe is the only reference to this kind of thing.
Any way later on we see that this guy repents and Paul says they should embrace him again. We really don't know what exactly happened to this guy to make him repent. We can speculate but the details are so vague and it would be very dangerous to try and build and promote a formula out of this situation.
Churches that are quick to try and practice these sorts of things will end up treating people with a judgmental pharisaical spirit. We need to be very wise about how we treat people. And slow to judge. Are they struggling with a sin or are they overtaken in a sin and influencing others to partake in it and teaching that actually there's nothing wrong with it?
So many people are quick to associate someone with the people that Jude talks about. To make anyone equal to the people Jude talks about is a very very serious accusation. Those people Jude talks of are very evil! I don't know many people if any like them.
Most times when Paul, or Peter or even Jesus seem to come across harsh to people I don't believe they are attacking brothers and sisters and being ungracious, but are attacking a spirit- a religious spirit and a spirit that opposes faith in Jesus and anything that mixes the gospel with other things.
Handing someone over to Satan? I can't say I've personally done it or know anyone who has!!! Not sure if I would ever do it. Not sure if I'd even build a theology around it. Why? Because it seems like such an extreme thing to do and yet the scriptures don't give us a clear method or definition or urging to do it. To start developing a church discipline method for doing this could get you into some dangerous territory. But is worth looking into I think, so let us know what you come up with.
We need to be very careful with Corinthian scriptures as they are written to a specific people for a specific time that we don't totally understand. Some of it we can learn from but some of it is not for us. IE it was written for us but not to us.
1 Cor 5 about handing someone over to Satan is a very serious thing that we just don't have enough scripture to build a solid doctrine on. To form a practice or a standard for Church on this one scripture I believe is dangerous and will just end up in lots of judging going on in the church. Where do we draw the line between one persons sin and another’s? All sin is bad so why don't we just hand everyone over to Satan who just commits one sin?
I believe Paul warned them possibly, to not eat with 'such' people, because they were so weak and struggling with sin and would be so easily influenced. Like an alcoholic - I would suggest that they never go to bars even if they were going to drink a coke! It would be bad for them.
Also they are obviously people who have come under deception and now just living in sin. They're not pursuing the gospel anymore and it's not helpful to hang around those people, but we mustn't write them off with pious self righteous judgment. Even handing them over to Satan seemed like a drastic but loving act towards them.
If our interpretation of scripture causes us to become self righteous and judgmental it usually means we are misinterpreting it and are putting law back into it. There should be such a liberating sense of grace about the scriptures that empowers people into freedom and cause people to get their eyes off themselves an onto Jesus and to put their faith and hope in Jesus not themselves.
Revelation 1-3
I think the key with those verses is the issue of Jezebel. Basically a cultish figure seducing the christians away from Jesus. Jesus the bridegroom is not to happy about that and is jealous over his church. The bed of suffering is towards her and therefore anyone who is deceived by her to turn somewhat away from Jesus and embrace her idolatry will share in where her religion is going. They will suffer with her unless they repent (turn away from) her ways. Doesn't say their ways but her ways meaning she is under the judgments and because they are uniting with her they will receive second hand what she is receiving- not directly. I will strike her children dead, I believe is figurative of the fruit of her religion- a perversion of the gospel- and Jesus will strike that dead - and that's a good thing!!!
Hearing the voice of God
I hear God that way sometimes. Other times through dreams. Other times when reading scriptures I ask God to make it clear and he gives me revelation. Other times through other people. I don't try to force hearing his voice rather just try to relax and from a place of peace to hear him speak. Often I'll just get a strong spiritual sense. It's good to train yourself between what's just natural thoughts and what's a spiritual inclination. I try to focus on my spirit a lot and become aware of it and aware of the Holy Spirit in me.
Galatians 5
One of the biggest causes of legalism is from taking scripture out of context. This is done by not interpreting a particular scripture within it's surrounding chapters and the books it's in and the covenant it's in. It's also done by not correctly understanding the words that are used in a particular scripture.
This particular portion of scripture is classically taken out of context. This is unfortunate because it can be a very dangerous scripture to take out of context. The problem is people just read it at face value and misinterpret the words.
Important note: Don't rely on the NIV to interpret this scripture! It's confusing. Rather use the KJV. I love both. Both have advantages and disadvantages.
The NIV uses the word sinful nature which is misleading and confusing in this context. The original word is Sarx (Greek) which is flesh in English and has various meanings depending on the context it's in. In this context it is referring to trying to live under the law!
The whole context of Galatians is that the law covenant is a flesh covenant based on our fleshly performance of self righteousness (trying to keep the law) and the Grace covenant is a spiritual covenant based on the promises of God and His righteousness in us.
Lusts of the flesh are our desires to try and live by the law! That's why circumcision is such a big deal in Galatians. Paul was saying to be circumcised in your flesh is to go back under the law or to put your faith in your flesh (self efforts to be righteous) Gal 5:2.
The book of Galatians is about living in grace by faith in Jesus and the gift of righteousness, and not going back to the law and self righteousness. So we must interpret any scripture in Galatians through that understanding.
Just some basics to help when you study Galatians 4 and 5: (It's still really rough so at best it may just prompt some tracks of thought!)
Gal 4 is key in interpreting Gal 5! The context of living by the spirit or living by the flesh is found in Gal 4:21-31 especially vs 23 and 24!
Gal 4:31 sets up chapter 5 by describing what is freedom- it's to be a child of the free woman - Sarah - Grace, new covenant, child of promise not works/flesh.
Gal 5:1 Stand fast in the liberty where with Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
What's the freedom? Freedom from sin? No! Freedom from the law! Don't go back to the law! It's bondage!
5:2-4 Don't put your faith in your flesh! That is being circumcised and your ability to keep the law. Keep your faith in Jesus! Live by faith in Jesus not your flesh.
Gal 5:12 There were people troubling the Galatians because of their faith in Jesus. Persecuting them. Law promotes discord, jealousy, disunity. Grace promotes love and unity.
Gal 5:13 Don't use your liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve on another. Don't use your liberty in grace to go back to the law. The law forces you to love but can't make you love. Grace/Spirit causes you to love.
Gal 5:16 Walk in the Spirit - i.e. walk in the grace covenant you are in
And you won't satisfy the lusts of the flesh - i.e. a desire to go back under law and live by your flesh (self efforts to be righteous)
Read in context with Gal 5:24 and 25.
The truth is we are permanently and positionally in the grace covenant, in the spirit and therefore should live out in our condition from that place. But it's possible to not live from that place and go back under law in our condition. We are in the spirit so lets also walk in the spirit.
Gal 5:17 you cannot reconcile the flesh covenant with the spirit covenant! Read Gal 4:30, 31. Hagar and Sarah or Isaac and Ishmael. You cannot live under grace and law- you'll end up doing things you don't want to do. Things the law requires but things that faith says you don't need to do if you believe in Jesus!
Gal 5:18 Is key to interpreting this whole portion of scripture!!! This scripture makes no sense when reading it the way your 'scholars' read it. But when you read it in context with law vs grace it makes sense. "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under law' Or even 'not in the flesh!'
To be led of the spirit refers to someone born again. (Compare with vs 25 and Rom 8:9 also read vs 8 (KJV again!)
Some one born again is not under the law! They're not in the flesh or flesh covenant!
They are in the Spirit! They cannot be under the law because they have been released from the law Gal 3! Rom 7, Rom 10.
If you are not born again you are in the flesh! Rom 8:8,9. and under the law.
Those in that position manifest the fruit of being in that position which are the things in Gal 5: 19-21.
Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Why? Because they are not born again!
They are those who are still in first Adam, in the flesh, under the law, in sin. (Listen to my sermon on keys to understanding Romans 5, 6, 7&8.
http://www.citychurchinternational.net/mp3_2/2008_08_24.zip
They sin because they are sinners. They're in the position of the flesh that's why they manifest the works of the flesh.
The law was given to try and stop these things but only stirred these things up because people who are not in the spirit but in the flesh who try to live by the law find that the law stirs up sin. The law was actually give to expose the flesh and it's inability to keep Gods righteous standards never to enforce right behavior! That's why vs 22 talks about the fruit of the spirit or rather the fruit of those who are in the spirit (Sarah/Isaac covenant of promise rather than flesh works) that there is no law against such fruit! We don't need laws to enforce right behavior if we are in the spirit and live by the spirit. Those things will just come out.
The flesh covenant was weak and useless because even the law couldn't enforce right behavior. But the grace covenant is superior because even without law right behavior can flow.
That's why in Gal 6:7,8 talks about sowing to the flesh or the spirit. Basically don't live by the law but live by grace. If you sow to trying to live by the law/flesh you'll end up living in hell on earth! But if you sow to living by grace/spirit you'll end up living in heaven on earth!
Anyway. Sorry it's so rough. Just some thoughts. Perhaps it's open more questions than it's answered. Hope it helps.
If it hasn't helped then at least just try to reconcile your original view in context with the whole book of Galatians and the clear themes that are in it.
Why grace scares some preachers:
Guys this is excellent! You're prophetically putting your finger on something that is absolutely key and central at this very moment!
The religious spirit is raging thru the church at the moment and trying to put pressure on leaders to preach more holiness and righteousness and obedience and consecration. Sadly many are blindly participating with this nonsense and are becoming more religious and joyless! This whole thing on this new 'moral revolution' and a 'revival of righteousness' seriously concerns and troubles me. It's flesh, it's pharisaical and it's an Ishmael! It's not a moral revolution, it's a grace revolution! That's what God is doing! The byproduct of that will be holy living etc but don't make that the focus. I want to scream at people 'stop trying to be more holy! Stop trying to be sanctified! Stop trying to be more obedient! Stop trying to be more consecrated!!! Get your eyes off yourself and onto Him. See what He's already fully accomplished. See grace! See prophetically what God is releasing across the earth and that is a revelation of His righteousness in us and our absolute unchanging eternally perfect position in Him!
God reminded me yesterday that 'seeing your salvation' is key in this time. Many preach 'holiness and morality' because they haven't seen their salvation. They haven't seen the supernatural work that has taken place on the inside of a christian at the point of salvation. That God is not trying to put restraint on us because he's put it in us! Grace is the reason we could keep sinning because God has taken the external restraint of the law off us! Yet grace is the reason why we don't keep sinning because God has put the restraint of His nature inside our spirit! Any other kind of restraint christians put on each other is external, and no matter how subtle, it's law!!! IE fear of judgement, promise of blessing, fear of curse, promise of the Fathers pleasure, withdrawal of His pleasure etc, is all external manipulation to get a christian to 'move'. Stop trying to get Christians to move!!!! God moves Christians! Just present the glorious truths of the gospel and christians will come alive! Our spirits have been given fullness in Christ, are seated with Christ, blessed with every blessing in Christ. Our spirits love Jesus perfectly, have perfect faith, perfect love, perfect righteousness, perfect authority, perfect 100% passion to live for Him, perfect power over temptation, perfect health, perfect prosperity, perfect encounter with God etc etc. All we got to do is connect with that and live from that place. Grace reveals that and empowers us to live from that place because grace is spiritual and has it's faith in Him. Law is fleshly and has it's eyes on self. Your flesh, your mind. As long as your pursuing that, you'll never live from your spirit thru your mind and flesh.
Anyway. You guys are getting me excited. Well done. Keep going for it. I feel like the religious spirit is mounting a final stand as he can see he's loosing the fight. Like Paul just before he got saved, his persecution intensified, and then all of a sudden God smacked him off his horse and delivered him for that religious spirit and he became one of the greatest grace guys ever! I feel like the grace revolutionary's need to stand all the more in these times and not be intimidated but bold and courageous! Strong in the grace of God! Because great deliverance is coming world wide to the church. Our battle is not against flesh and blood (even though sometimes you just want to smack some people for the stupid things they say!!!) it's against the religious spirit that is ravaging precious people and churches who are blinded, but I can see the panic in his eyes, because he knows that we know that God knows- he's coming down!!!!!!!!!!! And incredible freedom is coming to multitudes world wide!!!! Praise God!
More strength, more grace, more boldness, more peace to all you guys.
Lordship salvation?:
I read the article you sent me. I agree with what that guy is saying but not so much the tone he's using or the way he slams those other preachers publicly by name. If someone is full of grace and truth you will pick that up as they speak.
Anyway, Lordship Salvation is adding to the gospel and brings people back into performance and works. And if it were true then lets be honest- we're all finished! We all have area's of our life where Jesus isn't 100% Lord. Does he have to be 100% Lord of 100% of our lives? What if he's 99% only? Are we saved? You could keep going with this and you would see how ridiculous the whole teaching is!
I believe people teach it because they haven't seen their salvation and feel they need to control the lives of Christians otherwise they would just run wild and get into all kinds of sins. So they use teachings like these to put external restraints on Christians instead of seeing the internal restraint that God has put in the heart of a regenerate person. It all comes down to regeneration! Had a person been regenerated/born again. If so they are saved and that's it! They're united with Christ and seated in heavenly places and there is just no reversing that! How do you get born again? Simply through faith in Jesus nothing else! Matt 7:21 is easy - 'the will of my father in heaven' is to believe on the son! In verse 23 the reason they are evil doers is because they God never knew them meaning they were never saved- trusting in their own self righteousness and not in the gift of righteousness - and that is evil!
James 2 is all about false conversion and continuing in self righteousness vs genuine conversion with faith in the gift of righeousness. The works I believe it's talking about is actions of faith. They simply reveal your trust is in Jesus and nothing else.
James 2
Hey good question. I'll have a go at answering it. I'll just give you my opinion and you can take it or leave it.
Basically religious people out there are very good at taking scriptures out of their context and twisting them in order to bring people under religious bondage and control. Why do religious people use scriptures like this to motivate Christians into works of service? Because their religion isn't producing life and passion in people and making people come alive to God and His purposes, and so they have to resort to manipulative, external imposing pressure in order to move people.
And it may get a response in people but it's all dead works!
True grace is enough. When you preach it it ignites people internally and you'll see it externally! True Christianity starts from the internal and flows the the external. A God nature on the inside that wants to express itself in passion, righteousness, obedience and fruitfulness! Religion is all about the external pressures to try force change to the internal. True Christianity is internal. Religion is external. When you've been liberated by Gods grace from religion you start to see scripture from a better perspective-what God did for us. When you're still in religion you can only see it one way -what we must do for God. So when you hear 'works' if you're still in religion you think- works is what I must do for God. When you're in grace and you hear works you think- works is what God empowers me to do.
Religion is self focused. Grace is God focused. When religious people read James chapter 2 they think of what we must do to prove that we have faith. When grace filled people read James 2 they think of the things that they can do because of what faith has done in them. I believe James 2 is talking first about saving faith and then the overflowing life of faith that is the result of that. That because we came into faith we were born again. Because we have been born again and changed by God it's impossible to not display fruit/works. It's not something we must do- it's something that will just happen. It's an outward overflow of what has taken place internally. It's not talking about the works of the law! Which we know cannot save/justify us. If people preach that James 2 is saying that we are saved by faith plus keeping the law or service or holiness etc, then they are in clear heresy according to scripture after scripture. James isn't talking about the works of the law, he's talking about the works of faith. It's not works we have to do to get saved but works we will do because we are saved. If you're an apple tree then you will produce apples. It's not something you have to try and do, it's something that will just happen! If you're truly born again, you won't have to try and do works, it's something that will just start to happen. Law requires works but does not empower you to do them. Grace doesn't require works (because Jesus fulfilled every work on our behalf) but grace actually empowers you to do works! Not works of the law but works as a fruit of salvation. An empowerment.
Abraham’s faith produced obedience to God to sacrificed Isaac. Abraham’s actions/works showed that His faith was real. He believed that God would raise Isaac back to life because he believed God was telling the truth when He said that the nations would come thru Isaac. He knew if God didn't raise Isaac then God lied. But Abraham’s faith said that it's impossible for God to lie. James isn't actually saying that it was his works that justified him but that it was his faith that justified him and his works showed that his faith was genuine -as confirmed by verse 23.
I think James is trying to say that it's easy for anyone to say that they believe. But that if your faith doesn't cause you to be supernaturally transformed by Gods regenerating power that causes a natural outworking of fruit in your life, then your casual believing is just in vain! It's not true faith. It's empty faith. Faith transforms your spirit supernaturally. And out of a transformed spirit will flow good works/fruit. If your spirit has not been transformed then the fruit of true faith (saving faith) will not flow out of your spirit. How interesting that James says as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. Works are manifested thru your body by a transformed spirit. If your spirit isn't transformed then you'll never manifest the works in your body. It would be as though your body didn't even have a spirit. Works don't supernaturally change your spirit but they show that your spirit has been supernaturally changed!
James 2 is all about false conversion and continuing in self righteousness vs genuine conversion with faith in the gift of righteousness. The works I believe it's talking about is actions of faith. They simply reveal your trust is in Jesus and nothing else.
