Rom 4:2 (works)

Here is what i have been WAITING TO SHARE!!! i have had many many occasions that i have talked with other Christians and run into the subject of works and not had this info to help me. i found it last night and go so exhilirated! i feel liberated in knowing these things. i don't like to argue about the Word, in fact, fighting about it isn't even Godly, but there are times that i will find folks struggling in their walk. At my old church, they taught a whole lot of good things, that helped my walk with the Lord in mighty ways, and others that hindered my walk...and through much tribulation, failings, and the leading of the Holy Ghost to set me straight again, i am able to see when others are bound in "works-based religion." There IS a difference!

We were taught of the importance of fasting, prayer, worship and studying the Word, which are all great things and essential in the Christian walk. You almost can't have an effective walk with the Lord and continue to grow without practicing these basic principles, along with love, tithing and many others. the issue, is that many Christians believed that if they do not do these things, God will not bless them, He will not work in their lives, that He will simply withdraw His hand from them if they are not doing these things on a daily basis. that is "works!" again, they are essentials in our walks with the Lord, i do not believe that you will experience ALL you could in the Lord if you don't do these things, but God knows are frame and that we are dust. He knows that if we could overcome our flesh on our own, we wouldn't need what He did at Calvary for us!

My husband and i have a lot of friends that we talk to on a regular basis that are down on themselves in their relationship with Christ because they feel like God is not blessing them because of their lack of ...you fill in the blank. condemnation is not from God, His Spirit exhorts. in all things the Lord desires for us to want more of Him...HIM, HIM, not anything else but HIM. So, in our lack, we need HIM to fulfill, in our sadness, we need HIS JOY...we have none of our own. is this making sense? But He does NOT leave our lives completely in OUR hands and just sit back and watch to see if we will choose right or wrong. He is personal, He said that He would send the Comforter which is the Holy Spirit to lead us. Honestly, when we evidence Faith in Christ and what He has done for us...knowing that everything was "finished and accomplished" on that tree He hung on, and trust in the leading of the Holy Spirit to show us what to do and where to go...we give Him permission to have full reign in our lives. And that is pleasing to God! That is His way, not ours! His will, not our own.


Ok, this is the part wanted to share about works, it's helped me, perhaps it will help others as well.

There is an argument that comes up in Christiandom about "works," for those that are Word Lovers. There are two scriptures that SEEM to conflict with one another and always cause those that are "works oriented" to use against those that are not. (EPH 2:8-9 & JAMES 2) I was reading a commentary by John Gill last night on Rom 4:2 and this is what he stated about these two scriptures:

He compares: "Paul speaks of the justification before God, James of justification before men.

Paul speaks of a justification of the person, (before God), James of the justification of a man's cause (before men). Paul speaks of works as the causes of justification, James of them as the effects and evidence of faith.

Paul was dealing with the self-righteous, who trusted in their own works as justification before God, James with the Gnostics, who slighted and neglected the performance of them.

They are actually found to agree, once we understand all of this."

What does this mean? they are both speaking to two different audiences. Paul to those that think they are pleasing to God by what they do, and James to those who think that they are pleasing to God even though they don't do any of them.

Again, all of these things: fastings, prayer, word studies, worship, tithing...are absolute musts in the Christian walk, but none of these activities should be viewed as though it is the means by which we earn anything from God or in His sight. All of these things should be done in effort to intimately know our Creator (like Adam KNEW Eve, intimately), and to show trust in the Lord for His Fulfilling us in our every need.

In effort to prove that these are some essentials for the Christian walk, i have scriptures to prove such:

FAST, PRAY: Matt 6:6-7 He says, "WHEN YOU.... WHEN YOU..." not IF YOU...!!!
TITHING: MAL 3:8

Again, we should do these things in effort to fain RELATIONSHIP with Christ, not a BETTER STANDING.

Ahhhh, i love the Word! :) i know, i know...WORD GEEK! and proud of it!! LOL