For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
We are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Redeemed by the blood of Jesus in the death of the Cross. By which we are saved.
Every sin has been paid in full.
Justified freely. God sent forth Jesus in propitiation for the sins of the world. To declare His righteousness, power and glory. He has overcome the world. He has placed us in the care of Holy Spirit who helps us to share this Good News with others. It is the gift that we do not deserve and is totally unmerited.
Faith in the salvation of the Cross saves us. It is nothing to do with our works. By His grace we are saved through faith and that not of ourselves it is the gift of God. Our salvation is not of works lest any one boast. We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God has ordained us to walk in.
Remember that in the past we were gentiles in the flesh at that time when God was dealing with Israel. We were without Christ and aliens of Israel and strangers to the covenant. But now in Christ we are made close by the blood of Christ.
Hebrews 6:10 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
James 4:17 (ESV) "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." If we know the good we ought to do and do not do it, it is sin.
He reminded them of their dependence on the Lord and then confronted them on their attitude: "As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil" (James 4:16).
The original Greek word translated as "arrogance" in James 4:16 implied someone who wandered about making false claims about their accomplishments, like what we might call a "poser" today. Many theologians describe this type of person as an imposter who hopes to appear superior to others by speaking loudly about exploits they know they can never realistically achieve.
James called boasting evil because, by nature, it declares God irrelevant. Disregarding the fact that He has gifted us with our skills and abilities in the first place, focusing too much on our own agendas leads us to dethrone God in our hearts and take the credit He deserves for our successes. Such an attitude and the actions that result from it reek of pride. In fact, James' rebuke sounds a lot like the Apostle Paul's words to believers living in Corinth, who also struggled with pride: "What do you have that you did not receive [from God]? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7b-c).
Because of who He is, God deserves absolute authority in our lives (Philippians 2:10-11); however, we often fall into pride as we fail to acknowledge our need for His presence, strength, wisdom and guidance. In reality, we wouldn't even exist apart from Him (Acts 17:28), so what makes us think we can navigate life well apart from Him?
Let's acknowledge our dependence upon Him, trust Him to guide us, and invite Him to rule over every detail of our lives. First5
The church of my childhood told me that grace was something I needed to earn. And I was told often, that I didn’t deserve grace, or that I did things which kept grace away from me. I do know this; such scripts can imprint you, and stay with you for a very long time. Gratefully, I now know that they are not true.
Grace calls something—invites something beautiful—from each one of us, and grace never leaves until the invitation is heard and embraced. It may shake up our life, there's no doubt about that. We're not used to being unconditionally loved. Sabbath Moments
If your peace is contingent upon circumstances, you open the door to anxiety and fear. Peace 101 says that God is greater than your challenges, and you can choose to catch calm rather than worry. Your peace does not depend upon people, which is good because they are fickle. Your peace does not depend upon the government, which is good because rulers come and go. Your peace does not even depend upon a peaceful home, which is good because kids misbehave. Peace—long-lasting peace—depends only upon God.
With Jesus Christ living within you by the power of his Holy Spirit, you can take control of your thoughts before they take control of you. Remember, “the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world” (1 John 4:4 NLT). Relax. Anxiety is needless when God is near. Max Lucado
Below is a list of some of the character traits of God found in the Bible: Spiritual Caregiver
• God is love – 1 John 4:8
• God is not slow to fulfill His promise – 2 Peter 3:9
• God is light; there is no darkness in Him – 1 John 1:5
• God is immortal – Psalm 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17
• God does not lie – Numbers 23:19
• God is Spirit – John 4:24
• God is faithful – 1 Corinthians 10:13
• God is holy – Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:15
• God is merciful and gracious – Exodus 34:6–7
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