Monday, March 23, 2009

Grace

You will never fully understand Grace (Ephesians 3:1-4, Romans 5:20-21) until you study and understand the scriptures. One must be willing to accept that things are not as they have been taught by preachers, Sunday School teachers, college professors or even by parents and grand-parents and so on. This is the very reason why there are so many doctrines, denominations (even cults) and various methods of baptism, legalism and man-made traditions (Galatians 1:14) and so on. You must first understand that All of the Bible is for us, but not all of the Bible is to us. From the book of Genesis to the middle of the book of Acts was under the law, to the Nation of Israel. Circumcision (Galatians 2:7), baptism and signs were all under the law. It was not until the stoning of Stephen in the seventh chapter of Acts that God temporarily set aside the Nation of Israel. I repeat: God has temporarily set aside the Nation of Israel. God raised up a man named Paul (Galatians 1:11-12) (Saul converted on the road to Damascus) with the mystery (Colossians 1:26) and grace message to the Gentiles... TO US! YOU AND ME! We no longer need to be circumcised or baptized (1 Corinthians 1:17) to be saved. We no longer require a sign, we simply believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and what was accomplished on the cross, shedding His Blood and believe that He rose again on the third day. Salvation is not by works of any kind lest any man should boast! What a wonderful revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Oh what a Savior!!! Study God's Word and try rightly dividing the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15)! Study, study, study God's Word!