Self-righteousness, Contributed By: The prophet Hosea used the tribe of Ephraim as a poetic representation of the northern kingdom of Israel. The idea worked, and sales jumped dramatically. Be "patient in tribulation" and await the finished product. I wish she could have heard my song. I was walking in the park one morning, listening to a tape by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. To them it sounds too easy and simple to be true, even though the Bible says, "By grace you have been saved through faith, … it is the gift of God, not of works" (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Can more than half of the US adult population be wrong? You lean on your own merits, your religious fervor, the sincerity of your motives or the goodness of your overall behavior, and you will remain in your sins, under the wrath of God. The masterpiece is complete. His ship encountered a terrifying, violent storm. But one early morning, his tanker truck flipped over and burst into flames. Leave this out and we're finished, estranged from God and incapable of doing anything to change that. Although they took advantage of the Lord's goodness, they did not seek Him with their heart. Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9 Salvation is the "deep and indestructible" gift of God, received by grace through faith. In that moment, all you have will be what you possessed five minutes before the blows came. But not wishing to sound contradictory nor to appear boastful, we stop there and avoid verse 10 about "good works." Both of them had been widowed, and they struck up a friendship. Author: Rachel Feltman / Illustration Exchange. Jesus laid down His life to redeem people from every tribe and nation. His was a spiritual kingdom of truth and love. But it's in v. 8-9 that Paul breaks the word wide open. And in chapter 2 he emphasizes our position in Christ. We serve because we have been saved. –J E Yoder. Grace, Contributed By: What a relief it is to know that our sins are forgiven! I Am a Sinner Who Needs a Savior - Ephesians 2, Are You Married or Just Dating the Church? FreeSermonIllustrations.com is a website created by Dr. Mitchell Dillon, founder of Illustration Exchange. The universal scope of His sacrifice shows His love for every human being. Have you received Christ as your Savior? In context, though, we find that James wasn't denying that we are saved by faith, for he referred to Abraham and said that he "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (James 2:23). No Fair! Colossians 2:14 ; Psalms 103:12, Works Salvation What a change Christ makes in our lives! That's why we believe on Jesus Christ. --D C Egner. That's what makes God's grace so amazing! 13:13). A headline in The Grand Rapids Press caught my attention: "Conversion to Hindu Faith Is Torturous." It means that we are under heaven’s government. — How carefully the apostle defines the true position of works in the divine life. I saw tears running down his face, and I knew if they could, they would have taken the whole lot home with them. 6. "But in her ninth year of life, something unexpected happened that changed everything. Salvation That testing may come in the form of "various trials" to refine our faith (1Pe 1:6). . " Faith without works is presumptuous; faith with works is precious. But now, you have been reconciled. Because I had learned about them through the film, I became interested in hearing their music. Chilean poet Pablo Neruda was a lonely and unhappy child, with no siblings or friends. Jesus came as a baby, and when He grew to manhood He preached peace to a warring world. Bill finds the worker and hits her in the face. Scripture: Genesis 1:27; Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 5:16 See to it that nothing hinders the output of His glorious indwelling. Thinking It Over Are you willing to take the first step to understand fellow believers who are different from you? And people have never ceased singing his song, "Amazing Grace." Eternal salvation is available only by grace, through trusting in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for our sins (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8, 9). by Lloyd Stilley on Wednesday, January 01, 2014 at 7:00 AM. Are they charmed with his smile? Consequently, they live in a world where words have little or no meaning. --Burroughs Only God can transform a sin-stained soul into a masterpiece of grace. . Just as it seemed that the vessel would sink, Newton cried aloud, "Lord, have mercy upon us!". Once it is glowing with molten brightness, the white-hot metal is maintained at precisely the right temperature until it qualifies as crucible steel. In fact, many women would kill their children because they didn't want them to face such rejection. He has already made things square for us. --D J De Haan. The rich young ruler in Luke 18 was outwardly religious and morally upright. Why did God come for me, for you? He too needed forgiveness. And Because God Loves us, He saves us through His Mercy and Grace. An elderly man on his deathbed said it well: "I have just taken all my good works and all my bad works and thrown them right overboard, and I am going to heaven on the basis of free grace." This meant some measure of security would return for her, and she wouldn't have to make food, clothing, and shelter her daily pursuit. Jesus bought our souls with His death, and He offers us salvation that is free and paid for (Ro 5:15; 6:23). Some day your motives and reasons Hill be manifested (Col 3:4). Jesus paid it all. A week later, he was lying in a hospital bed and looking into the face of a black man who had saved his life. But that masterpiece was completed when Jesus said, "It is finished," while hanging on the cross (John 19:30). Have you ever been scammed by spam? (Lee Strobel, "Meet the Jesus I Know," Preaching Today Audio #211.). People object to the idea that God gives unmerited favor so freely to unworthy sinners. He sent Jesus, who died so that we could become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). ’Tis life or death; the choice you make Is for eternity. Then he took this huge hand and laid it on my face. Reading this story made me think of God's gift to you and me—His hand reaching out to us with His love that sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins. No doubt Moody then explained grace —that God has compassion on sin-sick people and freely offers them forgiveness and new life through faith in Christ. I was a scrawny thing. Free Sermon Illustrations > Ephesians 2:10. Another important part of this ministry is visiting these folks later and sharing the gospel of Christ with them. He now spends much of his time cataloguing memorials for the war dead, making sure they are cared for, and that they are remembered. A church organist was practicing a piece by Felix Mendelssohn and not doing too well. It has occurred to me that buying a fixer-upper's nightmare gives us a picture of what God has done for each of us in Jesus. When you hear that Jesus paid the price for your sin and that you don't have to do anything to merit God's grace, do you think it's too good to be true? "I'm going to be sad," Frank said, looking fondly at his knife, "when this blade gets too thin to sharpen." We are dead toward God, dominated by the Devil, and destined for hell. In Ephesians 2, Paul shows the full spectrum of our new position. Listen: all religions are basically divided into two categories. —Newton God claims by grace those who have no claim to grace. Inside, there is no gold, no earthly treasure, and no body. —Anon. It is not less sweet to us who dwell below. In fact, as we shall see, we not only are undeserving of this gift, we are ill-deserving of it. On His own initiative, God has acted on our behalf. (Reference) – Ephesians 1:3 (all spiritual blessings). Paul begins with where we were before we … Sometimes even those who have placed their trust in Christ live on almost the same level.
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