Titus 3:4–5 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Grace arrived in the gift of salvation. On the Cross of Jesus Christ the sins of the world were hung. In Him we are reunited to our Creator. We are created to be His hands and feet in the places that we find ourselves. His grace is sufficient for us.
Ephesians 2:4-10 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 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.
We are secure and loved beyond our human comprehension in the agape love of God. Our Godhead works together for our protection from evil. In them we are changed from a heart of stone into His heart of love for all of His creation. Yet we die we live. Carla
Because of Adam’s sin, the entire human race is spiritually dead. Only God can grant new life and save us from this predicament. Out of His mercy, God gave His Son for us while we were yet His enemies. He loved us long before we loved Him (1 John 4:9, 10). In addition to making us spiritually alive, He determined that we would sit in heavenly places with our Savior, Jesus Christ.
God desires to demonstrate His kindness throughout eternity through Christ Jesus His Son. This has nothing to do with our own merit. It is only because He is merciful and kind that He reaches out to save us. Christians have been saved by grace. The grace of God is the source of salvation; faith is the channel, not the cause. God alone saves. Salvation never originates in the efforts of people; it always arises out of the lovingkindness of God. Truly, “salvation is of the Lord” (Jon. 2:9). The past tense of the verb saved in this passage indicates that the believer’s salvation has already occurred in the past, at the Cross.
Salvation is the gift of God. We cannot do anything to earn our salvation. Some suggest that the gift of God modifies the word faith in this verse. Thus Paul is saying that even our belief in God does not originate in ourselves. This too is a gift. The NKJV Study Bible
God’s abundant mercy, which characterizes Him throughout the Bible (Exodus 34:6–7), is epitomized by His willingness not to punish “children of wrath” but instead to save believers through His grace (Ephesians 2:5). Through union with Christ, believers receive new life that reverses the effects of death (Romans 6:4–11; John 3:16–17).
Those who believe in Christ participate in His death and resurrection. Consequently, believers share in Christ’s resurrected life—life that is indestructible, in union with God, and led by the Spirit. The basis of salvation is grace —God’s undeserved generosity toward people. God demonstrated His grace through Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection.
You are saved In this context, the Greek word used here, sōzō, refers to God delivering people from death and giving them life. Because believers are identified with Christ’s resurrection, they also share in life that is no longer subject to death.
Believers share Christ’s position of authority at the right hand of God by virtue of their union with Christ. In Christ Jesus emphasizes the centrality of Christ.
The Greek word used here, pistis, for faith can refer to belief, trust, faith, or loyalty (faithfulness).
People cannot accomplish salvation through their own effort.
Works in this context, the Greek word used here, ergon, may refer to the Jewish law or to specific components of the law that are related to Jewish ethnic identity (i.e., circumcision, food laws, Sabbath observance). The idea of works also might include any actions motivated by a desire to earn favor or right standing with God.
Good works are different from the works of verse 9. Here Paul is talking about acts of faithfulness and service to God (Colossians 1:10). Faithlife Study Bible
Acts 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
Ephesians 1:20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Colossians 2:8–3:1 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily…
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life
And for Sabbath Moment, here are two invitations to take with us into this week.
"Awake, sleeper, to the beauty around you. Rise up from your dreams to catch the scent of a new day. The Earth opens its arms to you, inviting you into a bright morning of sacred love. Step out into the world with confidence. Walk in certainty. Be fully alert to the messages in every flower, the whisper of every cloud passing overhead. This creation was made for all of us, a gift of discovery beyond description. Walk in beauty, each step a prayer, until the evening comes, the peace of eternity wrapping you in its blanket of stars, dreaming visions of the holy, until the last light lingers, alone in the stillness of the night." (Thank you, The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston)
We Are the Fundamentalists
we are the fundamentalists
not those who claim the name
but those of us
who believe in human rights
for everyone
who believe in fundamentals
of fairness
of equality
of equity
who believe in recognizing injustices
of past of present
and being accountable
for ending them
who believe in caring
for nature
who believe in restoring
in maintaining
the environment
who believe in working toward peace
toward freedom
for all
yes we are the fundamentalists
“SabbathMoments”
When we are scared, frightened, lonely, anxious, or confused, who do we run to? We have an option to turn to the world or turn to the Word of our heavenly Father. Psalm 119:89 tells us, "Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens."
God is our safe Person, and His Word is our safe place.
Specifically, we can put our faith in the Scriptures because they are sacred, authoritative and sufficient for us.
When we say the Scriptures are sacred, we are talking about how they are worthy of respect and honor because God Himself is the divine Author (2 Timothy 3:16). Theologian John Calvin famously comments that the Scriptures "come from heaven, as directly as if God had been heard giving utterance to them." In other words, when we read the Scriptures, it is equivalent to God speaking directly to us!
God's Word is "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). God says, "My word ...shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose" (Isaiah 55:11).
And He has given us the gift of seeing and hearing that sacred Word through the Bible. First5
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