2016-02-18 THRIVE
Kent Ross
THRIVE MINISTRIES
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February 18, 2016 – Thursday Morning E-Devotional
"THRIVING On With James" - Kent Ross (Ohio)
"I love James, and so do many in my church. Our pastor is preaching a series on James right now--he is on Chapter 5. I quizzed on James, coached 2 quiz teams on James, and know much of it by heart. Love James. "
I suppose I deserved that kind of response, though in fact, I meant it all somewhat facetiously. Since I also believe in "sola Scriptura," or the Bible, as the inspired Word of God, opposed as I am, with Martin Luther, to the imposition of the proclamations of the Roman church's Councils. Since the first of them with a non-Christian emperor forcing the council of church leaders into a decision, it's work has never improved.
But back to James, which I indicated I would come back to today. A good way, even the best way, to explain a difficult Scriptural concept, is to see if it can be discovered in other parts of Scripture. The struggle that Luther had, and with which many struggle even today (with the exception of our responding writer) is trying to understand how "if Grace ad Faith save, then where do works enter in."
I suggested yesterday I felt it best explained by Paul, in Ephesians 2:8-10, not just vv. 8,9. " 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [h]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."
With verses 8,9 Luther would agree, and so would most of us.
However it is in verse 10 that Paul makes all of this clearer. Note the
underlined portions of it::
"We are God's workmanship," - He has chosen us and made us especially
as He desired;
"Created in Christ Jesus" - " Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;
the old things passed away; behold, new things
have come."
2 Cor. 5:17
"Created ... for good works." - this is why we were created in
Christ, not to be saved by good
works, but to do them because that is what we were designed to do.
"Which God prepared beforehand so we would walk in them" - God designed for tasks after saving us through grace and faith, but it was to do those works we were designed for.
If this all follows Scripture a detailed study if 1 Corinthians 12-14, three chapters that clearly delineate this teaching, and because we have not understood it, or have been unwilling to implement them, we have failed to do church His Way. It it any wonder we have not reached people like they did through the early chapters of Acts where even the New Testament church slipped away from doing it His Way.
Is it any wonder?