Grace, Faith & Life

 GRACE, FAITH and LIFE
A Personal Statement of Christian Faith and Practice

IN CHRIST WE HAVE

The Way of Salvation and Christian Life.

[1]  We were all born spiritually dead in our sinful nature. (This means that everyone is born with the sinful nature of Adam.)

    Ephesians 2:3 Romans 3:23 Romans 6:23  

[2]  What do spiritually dead people need?

    John 3:16-21  

[3]  Does the law give life? 

    Galatians 3:20-25 Romans 7:10

[4]  Does forgiveness of sins give life? 

     Romans 5:9-10 Colossians 2:13-14 John 3:36 

[5]  Our newness of life comes from Christ.

     John 5:24 Ephesians 2:4-5 Galatians 3:13-14 Galatians 2:19 2 Corinthians 3:6 Romans 7:6

[6]  How do we walk as Christians? (Not by the Old Covenant commandments, but by the New Covenant of love and Christ in us.)

    John 15:9 Galatians 5:1 1 John 5:3 2 Corinthians 3:6 Matthew 11:27-30 Colossians 2:2-10 

[7]  We are new, a new creation;

We were sinners and dead to God,

     Ephesians 4:17-18

 but now, we are a child of God and alive in Christ.
     Titus 3:4-7 2 Corinthians 5:17  

[8]  Why do many believers still want to live seeing themselves as continual sinners (saved by Grace), rather than as a new creation with newness of life? (Sin can no longer condemn us.)

     Romans 8:1-2  

[9]  Do any legal terms have anything to do with our enjoyment of our life in Christ? Doesn’t our joy come from knowing who we are in Christ, not what we should do for Christ?

     Titus 2:11-14 Colossians 2:20-23

[10] Isn’t abundant life being filled with the joy of knowing who we are and sharing that with others rather than a set of legalistic terms to try to keep? We simply abide in His life not a set of rules or legalistic terms. His life and Word teaches us.

     Galatians 5:13-14 Ephesians 5:16-19 Colossians 1:26-29  

[11] Trying to make Jesus Lord of our life by our performance or by cleaning up our flesh is not walking in newness of life.

[12] There is nothing left for us to do except believe (abide), have a teachable spirit, and yield to the truth as the New Covenant of Christ lives in us. That is the offense of the cross. The flesh is offended by the cross. The flesh, left to its own desires, is a doer. Significance, for the Flesh, is based on performance and commitment. The Flesh will want to live according to the Old Covenant commandments. The Flesh will always try to be obedient to its own conscience. Unfortunately, much teaching mixes Law and Grace, by adding Grace as an afterthought and therefore most of the teaching speaks to the Flesh.

     Romans 5:1-2 1 John 2:2 Galatians 5:16-17 2 Peter 3:18 Galatians 3:1-5 Romans 11:6 1 Peter 3:15

Copyright © 1996 Daniel R. Boliek www.gflstudy.org