In the modern gospel of grace, everything is allowed. All behavior, включително греха, is allowed and accepted, due to the so-called love of God and the grace of God. This means that you can stay the way you are, do what you want to do, и живейте както искате. Но това е вярно? What is grace according to the Bible? What does the grace of God mean for the lives of born again Christians? If you don’t have to change due to the grace of God, then why did the prophets, апостоли, and Jesus call the people to repentance and talk about removing sins and living a holy life?
What kind of grace did Jesus and the apostles preach?
The apostles lived in the same spiritual dispensation of grace as we live in. In their letters, which were written after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and after the coming of the Holy Spirit, they not only wrote gentle and encouraging words to the believers. But they primarily wrote corrections, наказване, отстраняването на греховете, отлагайки стареца, sanctification and the call to live a holy life. (Прочетете също: Как да отложим стареца? и Как да сложим новия мъж?
В Книгата на откровението, which was also written after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and after the coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus not only spoke gentle positive words to His Church. But Jesus confronted the believers of the seven churches with their behavior and works and called them to repentance. (Прочетете също: Призивът за покаяние).
Were Jesus and the apostles liars?
If the grace of God would be the same as the grace of God that is preached today, whereby you won’t have to change and may live the way you want to live, then that means that Jesus and the apostles spoke lies to the believers, who belonged to the Church; Тялото на Христос.
Because if believers won’t have to change after they are born again, then why did Jesus and the apostles confront them with their works? Why did Jesus and the apostles command them to change their behavior and their walk? Who is telling the truth? Jesus and the apostles or the modern preachers and teachers of today?
If God’s grace would approve and tolerate every kind of behavior, even if it contradicts the Word, and wouldn’t hold believers accountable for their words and works, then Jesus and the apostles wouldn’t have to correct the believers. They only had to say “Well done, keep on going!”
But Jesus and the apostles didn’t say that. They warned the believers and confronted them with their words, работи, и живота. They often spoke hard words to the churches, just like Jesus spoke hard words during His walk on this earth, after His resurrection, and during His appearance to John in the Book of Revelation.
Based on the words of Jesus during His walk on earth and after His death and resurrection and His Kingship, we can conclude that if someone belongs to Jesus and wants to последвайте Го, then the person can’t remain living after the flesh and keep living in sin and not change, and do what the person wants to do.
Because the day will come when everyone, включително вярващи, will stand before His throne and be judged according to … техните произведения (2 Коринтяни 11:15, Откровение 20:12-15).
Това означава, that works are important. Това означава, that the way a person lives and what a person does, do matter according to the Word of God.
But what does the grace of God, which everyone talks about, означава? To prevent this blog post from becoming extremely long, this subject will be discussed in several blog posts.
Какво е благодат?
In the New Testament grace has been translated from the Greek word ‘χάρις’, не 5485 (SC) което означава: благодат, the state of kindness and favor towards someone, often with a focus on a benefit given to the object; by extension: gift, полза;credit; words of kindness and benefit: благодаря, blessing:- grace favor, благодаря, thank, pleasure, приемливо, полза, gift, милостив, liberality, thanked, thank worthy.
Grace means, that you receive something without having to work for it. If you didn’t have to do anything for it, you can’t earn it. That’s why grace is unmerited favor. Because as soon as you earned it by your works, it is no longer grace, but your own merit (римляни 11:5-6).
This also applies to the grace of God. The grace of God shows us God’s goodness, милост, and love towards people, and relates to the perfect дело на изкуплението of Jesus Christ and the redemption and restoration of fallen man, who is reconciled with God and gained access to the Kingdom of God through regeneration.
Само с вяра, you can become a partaker of the grace of God. By faith in Jesus Christ and His work of redemption and through покаяние и регенерация, you are justified and accepted by God.
You are not justified and made holy and righteous by your own works but by the work of Jesus Christ. Чрез регенерация в Христос, you have become a partaker of the Divine nature of God (римляни 4:16-17, Тит 3:5-7, 2 Петър 1:4).
Every person on this earth has been given a free will to make a choice to become a partaker of the grace of God or not.
Божията благодат; the promise of the Messiah
В Райската градина, after man had sinned and fallen from his position, God made a promise of the (духовен) restoration of fallen man, to man and his seed (offspring). God promised that He would put enmity between the serpent and the woman and between his seed and her Seed and that it would bruise his head (Битие 3:15). The Seed referred to Jesus Christ.
от His promise, God showed His grace; Негова милост, and goodness, because man didn’t deserve it.
It is important to know, that Adam didn’t belong to the carnal people of Israel. Адам беше Божият Син, the first-born human being on this earth, and the father of fallen man; грешници.
Заради неговата неподчинение към думите на Бог, Adam fell from the position that God had given to man. Неговият дух, which connected him with the Father, died and Adam was spiritually separated from God.
Man became a living soul and consisted of a body and soul (плът).
Тези, който ще се роди от семето на човека, would be born in a fallen state as a fallen man; грешник. No one was excluded! That’s why God said, that the Seed of the woman would bruise the head of the devil. Since no one, who would be born of the seed of man and would be born as a sinner, would be able to bruise the head of the devil and take away his authority. Защото всеки, who is born as a sinner lives under the authority of the devil (паднал архангел) and is placed beneath the angels.
В Райската градина, God promised the restoration of fallen man and the reconciliation between God and man. Man didn’t deserve it, and would never be able to deserve it, but God made this promise and He kept His promise.
Because of God’s great love, Боже, и милост, God gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to redeem fallen man and restore the position of fallen man (Джон 3:16).
You can’t deserve grace by works
Защото всички съгрешиха, и са лишени от Божията слава; Бъдете оправдани даром чрез Неговата благодат чрез изкуплението, което е в Христос Исус: Когото Бог е поставил като умилостивение чрез вяра в Неговата кръв, да обяви Неговата праведност за опрощение на греховете, които са минали, чрез търпението на Бог; Да декларирам, аз казвам, в това време Неговата правда: че Той може да бъде справедлив, и оправдателят на този, който вярва в Исус (римляни 3:22-26)
Всички, who is born of the seed of man is born as a sinner. Няма изключен. Всеки човек, who is born on this earth in the flesh, нужди redemption of his fallen nature, който присъства в плътта, включително тези, who belong to the carnal people of God. Because God’s promise was for His carnal people first and then for the Gentiles (Исая 56, Осия 2:23, римляни 9:24-29)
The soul of the fallen man lives in a body. But the spirit of the fallen man (грешник) is dead and stays dead.
Падналият човек (грешник) lives under the authority and rulership of the devil and his kingdom and is not able to escape his kingdom and his reign by his own works. Fallen man is not able to escape death through his own works.
Има само еднопосочно: through faith in Jesus Christ, Неговата работа, и регенерация.
Jesus Christ dealt with the sin problem and the sin nature that is present in the flesh of fallen man. Jesus conquered sin and iniquity at the whipping post and on the cross.
Jesus became the Substitute for fallen man and took all the sins and iniquities of humanity, which lead to death, upon Himself and took the death penalty. Така че, Jesus would enter Hades and conquer death and reinstate the position of fallen man and reconcile man back to God.
Всички, които вярват в Исус Христос, Синът на живия Бог, repents and becomes born again, would be redeemed from death by laying down his flesh. The person would be made holy and righteous by the blood of Jesus and his spirit would be raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit and receive eternal life (римляни 3:24, Ефесяни 1:4-12, Тит 3:5-7, 1 Петър 3:18).
That’s why Jesus had to become equal to man (identify Himself with man), so that He could become our Substitute. Only when you identify yourself with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you will have peace with God and receive eternal life (Прочетете също: ‘Беше напълно Исус човек?‘).
Being justified by faith in Jesus Christ
Следователно оправдание чрез вяра, ние имаме мир с Бога чрез нашия Господ Исус Христос: Чрез Когото също имаме достъп чрез вяра до тази благодат, в която стоим, и се радвайте с надеждата за Божията слава (римляни 5:1-2)
Чрез вяра в Исус Христос; the Son of the living God and in His perfect дело на изкуплението, that Jesus has accomplished at the cross, са тези, които вярват в Него, repent and become born again, made righteous and redeemed from death ((1 Коринтяни 1:4, римляни 5:15, Тит 3:5-7).
Чрез регенерация, you have crucified your flesh with its sinful nature, and in which sin dwells and causes you to persevere in sin, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, your spirit is raised from the dead. You have been redeemed from the power of the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of His dear Son Jesus Christ (Колосяни 1:13-14).
The promise of God is also for the Gentiles
It is the grace of God, that the promise of God is not only for God’s carnal people (Израел), and that God not only gave them the ability to be saved from death and be redeemed from the sinful nature of fallen man, but God also gave the ability to the Gentiles to be saved and be redeemed from the power of the devil, that reigns in the sinful nature of the flesh, and that through regeneration they’ll be reconciled to God and have received the power to become sons of God.
Everyone has been given the ability to become part of God’s people, чрез circumcision in Christ (Джон 1:12-13, Актове 4:33-34, римляни 15:15-16, Ефесяни 3:6, Колосяни 1:6, 2 Тим 1:9-10, Тит 3:4:7,1 Петър 1:10-11).
By faith in Jesus Christ and through regeneration in Christ, станахте а ново творение; нов мъж. You have become a partaker of His divine nature by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
It is grace, that by faith in Jesus Christ you have been made righteous and have peace with God (римляни 5:1-2).
It is grace, that by His work of redemption, you have received His (духовен) inheritance; Неговият Свят Дух. It’s not by your works, what you have done, and not because you deserve it (Актове 20:32, 1 Коринтяни 1:4-5, Галатяни 1:3-5).
Because due to the fact, that the flesh contains the sinful nature, every work that derives from the flesh is evil and corrupted with sin and that’s why man will never be able to deserve nor to accomplish the state of righteousness by his own carnal works.
Through the grace of Jesus Christ, He Who was rich became poor, so that through His poverty, you could become (духовно) rich (2 Коринтяни 8:9).
Saved by grace
Но Боже, който е богат на милост, заради голямата си любов, с която ни обичаше, Дори когато бяхме мъртви в грехове, ускори ни заедно с Христос, (по благодат сте спасени;) И ни издигна заедно, и ни накара да седим заедно на небесни места в Христос Исус: За да може в идните векове той да покаже превъзходното богатство на благодатта Си в благостта Си към нас чрез Христос Исус. For by grace are you saved through faith; и това не на себе си: Това е дарбата на Бог. Не от произведения, да не би всеки мъж да се похвали (Ефесяни 2:4-9).
It is the grace of God, that He made you alive in Jesus Christ and saved you.
It is the grace of God, that He has given you in Christ a place in the heavenly places and that you are седнал в него.
Now you may live in the grace of God and show God’s mercy, Боже, and grace to the people around you, by preaching the gospel of grace, which is the message of Jesus Christ, Кръстът, and God’s perfect work of redemption, and give them the ability to come to Jesus Christ, and accept Jesus as Saviour and make Jesus Lord over their lives, so that they will be redeemed from their sin nature and saved from death. Through faith in Jesus Christ, покаяние, and regeneration they become partakers of the grace of God.
Because that’s the gospel of grace: that every sinner, no matter what the person has done, may come to Jesus (Актове 20:24, 1 Петър 4:10).
The only thing, that the person has to do is to покайте се и станете роден отново в Христос, which means that the person will crucify and lay down his flesh so that the spirit in man can be resurrected from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because the spirit of man cannot be resurrected from the dead unless the flesh has died.
No one can earn his or her salvation. No one can be saved and be made righteous and holy by doing ‘good works’, charity work, ходене на църква, and/or keeping the law.
Only through the grace of God and by faith in Jesus Christ, through repentance and regeneration, every sinner can be redeemed from his sinful nature and saved from death. Ето защо, it’s so important to keep preaching this message of the grace of God, which is the message of the cross.
What do you do with the grace of God?
Следователно ние получаваме царство, което не може да бъде преместено, нека имаме благодат, чрез което можем да служим на Бога приемливо с благоговение и божествен страх: Защото нашият Бог е огън пояждащ (иврит 12: 28-29)
но.... Now that you have found grace in God’s eyes, which means that you are saved by faith in Jesus Christ and are accepted by God and through регенерация, you have become His son, what do you do with His grace? (Ефесяни 1:5-7, Тит 2:11-14)
What do you do with your new position as a son of God and what do you do with the inheritance, which you have received in Jesus Christ?
Какво правиш, to show God your gratitude? Do you thank Him, honor Him, glorify Him and exalt Him with your life, by walking in His grace and after His will? (2 Солун 1:12)
Or do you stay carnal and keep living for yourself and do you use the grace of God and all that you have been given for yourself, to satisfy the lusts and desires of your flesh and to build your own kingdom?
Although you are not justified and made holy and righteous by your own works but by His grace and work, the works of righteousness will follow you. Because you have been made righteous in Christ and have become a new creation in Him and have God’s nature, you will walk after the Spirit in righteousness and do righteous works.
Поради факта, that by faith in Jesus Christ; Словото, and by His work you have been made righteous, you shall also do what the Word tells you to do because what you do will confirm your faith. When you say that you believe, but you don’t do what the Word tells you to do and therefore become непокорен към Словото, then your faith is without works and therefore your faith is meaningless and death (римляни 4:4-5, Джеймс 2:14-26)
да, you have been saved by the grace of God and entered the Kindom of God, but by everything you say and do in life; вашите произведения, you decide whether to stay saved and stay in the Kingdom of God or not (Прочетете също: ‘Веднъж запазено, винаги запазено?‘).
You can’t be saved by your works and by keeping every commandment of the law, but your works do testify, to whom you belong: Исус, the Word and the Kingdom of God or the devil, the world and the kingdom of darkness.
"Бъди солта на земята"
