Whoa, wait a second. Did I read that right? Did Luke just give away all my credit of belief to grace? But wasn't it by putting my faith in the grace of Christ that saved me?
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8
Wow, Paul. You're stealing my thunder here. But I at least get some props for repentance. After all Mr. Robinson said, "faith without repentance makes Christ nothing more than a fire escape. There must be a work of repentance and faith upon the sinner's heart before salvation can become a reality."
But Paul's desire was that "God may perhaps grant [sinners] repentance." 2 Timothy 2:25
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So long as I believe something within me autonomously chose God I have made a nest for religious pride. I can boast in the things that brought me to faith, thinking I deserve some credit or at least I was somehow able to choose rightly when the gospel was presented to me. I may then go on to prosthelytize all my religious nuances with an elitist, judgemental attitude for those who don't adopt my practices, goading them on by guilt and manipulation... or slip into a fatalistic laissez faire attitude by resting my faith in a one time act of repentance rather than the one who brought me to a life of repentance (turning away from Sin and towards God). But in light of Scripture I know that Salvation from start to finish is the work of God and there is nothing left for me to boast in but Jesus... not my choosing Him but Him choosing me even while I was at enmity with the Almighty.
(see Ez. 36.26-27, Matt. 16.17, 1 Cor. 2.12-14, 2 Cor. 3.3,6, 2 Thess.2.13-14, Titus 3:5)
And if I should take pride in my knowledge of His sovereign grace then I am failing to understand it because it is only by His Spirit and His grace these truths have been illuminated to me and even yet I am merely at the threshold of understanding the riches of God's grace that are the only thing that can rightly motivate and sustain me to a life of service for His glory in joy and gratitude for His unfathomable love for one so ill-deserving as myself. And if I should grow apathetic and fatalistic then my mind is dim to His great mercy and I miss the joy of glorifying Him and I should not be so confident that I really heard His voice in the first place if I should seem deaf to it now.
[Jan.13th ammendment]
Because there's no room for human pride in the economy of God's converting grace those who claim to understand it but yet retain pride give evidence for faulty understanding. And whether Calvinist or Arminian we all stumble in our growth through sanctifying grace, giving pride a foothold, and because we will never be free of our flesh in this life the fruit we bear will never be so perfect and pristine as to be sterilized of pride but we are in constant need of applying this gospel of Christ more thoroughly in all aspects of our life, trusting that our meager offerings of service are acceptable only because of His rich grace and mercy.
And by this grace I know I am guilty of every accusation that could be brought against me and more.
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Because there's no room for human pride in the economy of God's converting grace those who claim to understand it but yet retain pride give evidence for faulty understanding. And whether Calvinist or Arminian we all stumble in our growth through sanctifying grace, giving pride a foothold, and because we will never be free of our flesh in this life the fruit we bear will never be so perfect and pristine as to be sterilized of pride but we are in constant need of applying this gospel of Christ more thoroughly in all aspects of our life, trusting that our meager offerings of service are acceptable only because of His rich grace and mercy.
ReplyDeleteAnd by this grace I know I am guilty of every accusation that could be brought against me and more.