Redeemed Thought

This is just absurd I don’t even have words for this.  I feel sorry for all those who are being deceived.  This man is a convicted sex offender of children!!  He preaches a false gospel, the miracles he does are not real.  This is all just ridiculous.  

As you might have guessed by now, I really like to read, so on to the topic at hand.  Well a good friend of mine let me borrow a book called the Five dilemmas of Calvinism, for those who don’t know what Calvinism is, it is Reformed Theology named after John Calvin.  But thats a different topic for a different day.  While I was reading the book chapter four was interesting so I thought I’d write a blog about it.  Chapter four deals with the misconception that many people have, that being “If I’m a good person and I do good it is enough to get to heaven.”  Other religions other than Christianity and even some misguided Christians think this way.  Lets look at some examples from the book:

• Radical Muslims become suicide bombers because it will please Allah and therefore get them into paradise.
• Young Mormons go door to door for two years to fulfill a “work” requirement.
• Roman Catholics attempt to follow decrees of the church in an effort to earn their position with God.
• Misguided Christians donate to religious groups under the misconception that these gifts will assure blessings on this earth and salvation in the afterlife. 
• Fundamentalist Christians strive to do good deeds and avoid bad deeds so as to earn favor with God.  Their churches often add requirements that are not in the Bible, such as prohibitions against playing cards of bowling or movies, in a legalistic approach to encourage people to live good lives. 

Lets take a look at what the Bible has to say about good works.  Ephesians 2:8-10 says “For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not you own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…”  So there it is not by works, no amount of good deeds will get you into heaven because the redemptive work was already done by Christ alone.  So does that mean that we don’t have to do good works??  Of course not!  The bible tells us to bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), it also tell us that if we are fulfilling the royal law according to scripture then we love our neighbor as we love ourselves (James 2:12).  So even though our salvation is not dependent on our works God still calls us to do good.  But why should I if I don’t have to.  Well why do we do what our parents tell us to do, and if we don’t they give us that mean look and we know we better do it or else.  Well God is also like a father to us so since he has called us to do something we must obey it.  Which brings me to another point.  If we are obeying God then we will bear fruits and we must share the fruits which we bear whether it is food, or knowledge but how can we share what we don’t have.  Proverbs 1:7 says that the beginning of knowledge is the fear of God.  Again this calls us to obey and if we do we will be recompensed with blessings for obedience.  Though I say be careful and do not seek rewards when you serve God but do it humbly for those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who are humble shall be exalted (Matt. 23:12).

Grace and Peace