St. Augustine " Grace"

-

  St. Augustine said  “Grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.” – from "On the Spirit and the Letter (De Spiritu et Lettera"). His writing was merely confirming what the bible stated almost 2000 years ago when Paul the apostle wrote to the church in Ephesus. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2 "7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

 When we read St. Augustine speak of grace he clearly states it is not given becasue of our good works or holiness.  Other religions proclaim sets of rules, systems of meditation , fasting, pilgrimages and even sacrifice of ones own life as saving works. Works that they claim add or can achieve divine mercy and entrance to heaven, True Christianly says the opposite.  those thing are the by-product of salvation and God's mercy and Grace . Those works cannot save or make you acceptable to God .  "We are "saved " by " Grace", the bible says and St. Augustine agrees, "in order that we may be able to do .."  the good works.

 The bible says in Ephesians 2 10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." We are saved to do "good works" Salvation by God's grace through faith is also so that throughout eternity every true Christian will "show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." We will show what his Love, Grace, mercy and His kindness have done.  We by just being" by grace ... saved through faith, and that not of yourselves" will testify of God's Glory , love and power.  Our works are not to bring us glory but to bring God and Jesus glory for all eternity. Glory for taking wicked broken humans and making then his workmanship and creations who are able to do "good works ".


Edited/Written by SSligh blog creator/moderator

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are you faithful?

-
 Lesson on Jeremiah 35:5-11    Jeremiah 35:5 Then I set before the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, "Drink wine." 6But they answered, "We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever. 7 You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.’ 8 We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, 9 and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed, 10 but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of th...
Read more

A Short Reflection on 1 Corinthians 15

-
                                     1 Corinthians 15 speaks on the doctrine of resurrection among other things. We should begin with who wrote the book. Paul the apostle wrote book which is one of three letters biblical historians say he wrote to the Corinthian church. The church was located in the city of Corinth, a major city in the country of Greece. The church had many problems, including sin and doctrinal confusion. Paul wrote to correct the sinful behavior and clarify doctrine, especially concerning the resurrection. Paul was trying to teach and discipline a troubled and doctrinally unstable congregation.  Major doctrinal errors and false teaching had risen. One was deadly the dangerous belief—borrowed from the Sadducees and Greek intellectuals namely that there is no resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees, who rejected spiritual realities and denied resurrection altogether. The G...
Read more

Trapped in a burning building with one way out !

-
                                   Trapped in a burning building with one way out !     I was listening to Mike winger, who is a Christian apologist and speaker.  He was discussing how people get angry when they are told that there's only one way to heaven.  a burning  anger comes at being told there is one way to be right with God, one way not to end up in hell or more specifically the lake of fire. Many people get upset and angry Christians have been branded as elitist, phobic and intolerant because of this TRUTH. A truth spoken by Jesus Christ himself. John 14: 6 "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. "  That is clear but what about those before Christ well the bible says in Romans 4: 4 "What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by...
Read more