fusionatl

This past week we talked through Galatians & Paul's development of the foundation of faith versus works for salvation & a right standing with God.

What are your thoughts on what we talked about?

I thought it was really good. It backed up Your Final Destination, and it also backed up what I had been learning in VWMTC in Avery's class & Lance's class, having to do with faith and right standing with God.

I think we don't hear those messages nearly enough, and it's always good for believers to get a refresher, and the lost to hear those messages.

Thumbs up!

I really got a lot out of it. I tend to fall into the trap that God loves me more when I am doing things right and in a way, I’m trying to earn God’s acceptance. The Bible says that we are saved by Grace through faith and not by works, so that no man can boast. I’ve heard/read that verse a million times, but I never understood how it actually applied to the way I live.

i recently spent some time at ihop during the wee hours of the night. while there, the Lord was really ministering to me about this. i've been brought up with the mentality that i have to earn my keep; owe no one anything, work for it. which isn't bad, however that train of thought has translated into me constantly trying to earn the right to be His daughter. I kept hearing Him say, "Stop trying to earn it or deserve it; you already have all my love, all of Me. Leave everything behind: your fears, your failures, your weaknesses, your strengths, your good works. All I want is you."

If only it were as easy to walk that out as it is to talk about it!

Its very important for followers of Christ to grasp this concept. Righteousness is only credited to us through believing in God. We often get caught in the trap of "trying harder". That comes back to bite us when we inevitably fail at whatever it is we are "trying harder" to accomplish in our own strength. As a result of our failure we invite condemnation and guilt and wide array of things we are freed from and should not experience.

We need to undertsand that our salvation is not a commision to do more than what we are capable of doing but, once we are reborn, it is freedom from sin to do what should have been doing all along, that is living for God.

Cool insight Tai. Glad to hear God is speaking to you like that in "the wee hours"!

i'm just without words on this. like. i understand it. but i don't. i understand it from a surface level.

i'm saved because he helped me to believe in Him. He chose me. i didn't choose Him.