Comments on Fire in the Bones [Biblical, Heterodox Christianity]: What is Grace?

Very enlightening and beneficial to someone whose ...

2010-11-05T02:43:22.575-07:00

Very enlightening and beneficial to someone whose been out of the circuit for a long time.

- Lora

Grace is described in amazing terms in the New Tes...

2010-04-14T21:54:58.178-07:00

Grace is described in amazing terms in the New Testament:

Rom. 6:14: Because of grace, sin has no power over us.
Tit. 2:11-12: Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly.
Heb. 4:16: Grace helps us in time of need.
1 Pet. 4:11: Spiritual gifts are the product of grace.

Too often, Evangelicals have grace confused with mercy. Grace conveys power. Mercy is forgiveness.

Grace saves by doing what is described in Tit. 2:11-14. Faith gives us access to that grace (Rom. 5:2).

Great post! I wrote some very similar stuff on my ...

2009-05-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

Great post! I wrote some very similar stuff on my Eph 2:8 apologetics article:
http://catholicdefense.googlepages.com/eph2

The key points are that:

1) Paul was against "pelagianism," HOWEVER pelagianism was NOT his primary focus. Reading Paul with anti-Pelagian glasses on is what most people today do, but that leads to serious distortion.

2) The Judaizers were not trying to "work their way into Heaven." In fact, the Judaizers believed in "sola gratia," grace alone, the very thing most Evangelicals think the Judaizers denied! The Judaizers were saying "God made me a Jew, I did nothing to deserve this, but since God did this I'm entitled to all the rewards He promised to Abraham!"

Paul's number one theme throught all his writing is that God's children come by one way, not by racial lines, not by the Mosaic Covenant, but by the Indwelling Spirit of Adoption. The concept of "imputing Christ's righteousness" is not only something Paul never speaks of, it is a "solution" to a question Paul never asked. The "imputed righteousness of Christ" solution is foreign to Paul's thought.

David, Thank you for the time & continuous ef...

2009-05-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

David,

Thank you for the time & continuous efforts you put into discovering God and the life of Yeshua. It is inspiring ...

You touched on the idea that no one, jew or gentile, had a right to the blessing of the Ruach HaKodesh. This seems to be a profound point during the times of Yeshua’s ministry. There were no covenant requirements met, on behalf of the various politico-religious parties, that were responsible for bringing about the unleashing of the Ruach HaKodesh. It's time had simply come and no one could, or can, prevent the Almighty Father from acting out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice; regardless of the continuous plotting and attempts to dissuade these infinite occurrences.

In this very specific way, God displayed once again that Reality cannot be stopped and will not withstand being stifled by religion, politics or ignorance. Yeshua HaMashiach presented to all mankind that God is not exclusive, nor a respecter of persons. Rather, the Almighty continuously acts out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth (as God always has and will always continue to do - being that God is not double minded and unstable and all) and desires people to do the same.

One Love

Very clear explanation

2009-05-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

Very clear explanation

Good job, David. I agree.

2009-05-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

Good job, David. I agree.