AMAZING GRACE
GOD "WORKS" IN US
A. WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION
1. Salvation from Hell - a Fact.
"Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that
you would send him to my father's house, For I have five
brothers, that he may testify to them, LEST THEY ALSO COME
TO THIS PLACE OF TORMENT. Abraham said to him, 'They have
Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said,
'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the
dead, they will REPENT,'" Lk 16:27-30.
This passage and context plainly teach that if one
will not repent he will go to hell. Is that correct, or
not? Likewise the passage and context also teach that if
one will repent they will not go to hell. Is that correct,
or not?
If it were not correct we would not teach it. When
we say someone was "saved," we mean he or she was saved
"from" something that was undesirable.
For instance: the small child slipped and would have
fallen a great distance, but its father grabbed it just in
time and saved it "from" falling.
Again: the blind man would have walked into the path
of a speeding car, but his seeing eye dog warned him and
saved him "from" serious, perhaps fatal injury.
"Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands,
having this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and,
'Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from
iniquity.' But IN A GREAT HOUSE there are NOT ONLY vessels
of gold and silver, BUT ALSO of wood and clay, some for
honor and some for dishonor. THEREFORE IF anyone cleanses
himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor,
sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every
good work," II Tim 2:19-21.
In God's overall household (this is not the church)
there are not only vessels of "honor" but also vessels of
"dishonor." The passage teaches that the vessels of honor
are those who depart from iniquity and purge themselves
from such (these are the faithful saved), while the
vessels of "dishonor" are saved people who do not do so
(these are the unfaithful saved).
In the church we are to depart from iniquity and
purge ourselves and also the church from iniquity, I Cor
5. The passage quoted above (II Tim 2:19-21) is not
talking about the local church, but God's overall
household which will include His firstborn sons who are
the faithful saved and also the other sons who are the
unfaithful saved.
2. Work out Your Own Salvation -- Salvation of the Life.
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed,
not as in my presence only, but now much more in my
absence, work out your own SALVATION with fear and
trembling," Phil 2:12.
"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of
many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall
be SAVED," Mt 24:12-13.
"Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken
off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.
For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not
spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and
severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward
you, goodness, IF you continue in His goodness. Otherwise
you also will be cut off," Rom 11:20-22.
"Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue
in them, for in doing this you will SAVE both yourself and
those who hear you," I Tim 4:16.
"Then He said to them all, 'If anyone desires to
come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross
daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to SAVE his life
will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will
SAVE it. For what advantage is it to a man if he gains the
whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever
is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will
be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His
Father's, and of the holy angels," Lk 9:23-26.
The Bible is replete with verses like these. The
salvation of the life is in addition to salvation from
hell, and the number of passages establishing this bold
fact is too numerous and obvious for anyone of experience
in the Bible to be unaware of them.
The truth is that many brethren are afraid of being
branded with dirty names and cut off from fellowship with
the rest of the Lord's people. As a result they bow down
and obsequiously go along with the crowd, disregarding the
displeasure of the Lord at their betrayal of His Word. The
only righteous thing they can do is reverse this pattern,
suffer the consequences now, and reap the glorious and
eternal benefits in the resurrection and forever
thereafter.
Salvation from hell is settled without any "work
out" of that salvation to be done. This is clear from many
passages. However, we must work out the salvation of our
lives with fear and trembling. Observe again what the next
verse in the same context says.
B. GOD "WORKS" IN YOU
"For it is God who WORKS in you both TO BE WILLING
and TO BE DOING of His good pleasure," Phil 2:13.
These "works" are NOT man's works. They are not our
works. They are not the works of the Law which are flesh
works. These are GOD'S "WORKS." They are the "works" of
the Holy Spirit within us. They are the "works of
faith,"and are therefore the "works of grace."
When we work out the salvation of our lives, it is
God using our minds "to be willing" and our bodies "to be
doing" His own good pleasure. By faith Paul "labored" more
abundantly than all the apostles, yet it was not Paul but
the Holy Spirit working in and through Paul. Paul's
"labors" were by faith and were therefore by grace through
faith. They were the works of God by the Holy Spirit in
and through us.
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