POPULAR HERESY: GRACE MAKES CHRISTIANITY EFFORTLESS
QUOTE
FROM FAMOUS HERETIC: “Do you realize that most people believe that one
needs to work hard to achieve success in life? The world’s system of
success is built on the twin pillars of self-effort and diligence.
There are always some “laws” that you have to abide by, and some
“methods and techniques” that you have to keep on practicing before
there can be any results. Most of the time, any result that you may get
will start to fade once you cease to follow through with the prescribed
methods and steps. We have been taught to focus on achieving, on doing
and on relying on our self-efforts. We are driven to ‘do, do, do’,
forgetting that Christianity is actually ‘done, done, done’.”
RESPONSE TO FAMOUS HERETIC:
Grace doesn’t do away with the Biblical virtue of hard work. (See Proverbs 18:9; 20:4, 13; 21:25-26; 24:30-34; 26:13-16; Matthew 5:16; 25:14-30; II Thessalonians 3:10; I Corinthians 9:19; 15:10; II Corinthians 6:1; II Timothy 2:15.)
Diligence is still a necessary part of the Christian experience (See John 8:31; Hebrews 11:6; II Peter 1:4-10.), and your results WILL fail when you stop being diligent! (See Galatians 1:6-10; I Timothy 1:5-6, 19; Hebrews 3:6.)
“Achieving” is not an evil concept, especially when God has provided incentive and guidelines to obey. (Deuteronomy 28; Matthew 25:14-30; Philippians 3:14-16; II Timothy 2:3-7; I Corinthians 9:24-27.)
The Bible tells us to “do, do, do” because though Christ’s redemptive work on the cross IS “done, done, done,” Christians still have a lot left to do (see the Sermon on the Mount, the Great Commission, the Book of ACTS, the book of Titus (whose theme is GOOD WORKS) and the Book of James (whose theme is being DOERS of the Word)!
Grace is incompatible with works of self-righteousness (See Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:21; 5:4.); but grace is also God’s power working THROUGH you and me because we are cooperating with Him! (See Ephesians 3:7; Philippians 4:13; Romans 6:1-11; Colossians 2:6.)
RESPONSE TO FAMOUS HERETIC:
Grace doesn’t do away with the Biblical virtue of hard work. (See Proverbs 18:9; 20:4, 13; 21:25-26; 24:30-34; 26:13-16; Matthew 5:16; 25:14-30; II Thessalonians 3:10; I Corinthians 9:19; 15:10; II Corinthians 6:1; II Timothy 2:15.)
Diligence is still a necessary part of the Christian experience (See John 8:31; Hebrews 11:6; II Peter 1:4-10.), and your results WILL fail when you stop being diligent! (See Galatians 1:6-10; I Timothy 1:5-6, 19; Hebrews 3:6.)
“Achieving” is not an evil concept, especially when God has provided incentive and guidelines to obey. (Deuteronomy 28; Matthew 25:14-30; Philippians 3:14-16; II Timothy 2:3-7; I Corinthians 9:24-27.)
The Bible tells us to “do, do, do” because though Christ’s redemptive work on the cross IS “done, done, done,” Christians still have a lot left to do (see the Sermon on the Mount, the Great Commission, the Book of ACTS, the book of Titus (whose theme is GOOD WORKS) and the Book of James (whose theme is being DOERS of the Word)!
Grace is incompatible with works of self-righteousness (See Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:21; 5:4.); but grace is also God’s power working THROUGH you and me because we are cooperating with Him! (See Ephesians 3:7; Philippians 4:13; Romans 6:1-11; Colossians 2:6.)
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