By the mercy of God alone

StriperAddict

Senior Member
Paul insisted that when it comes to himself and those who come along beside him, the truth must be told and lived in open display. Hidden and shameful things are to be renounced. Yet perhaps, above all, the word of God should not be handled deceitful, nor taken lightly!

In reality, he was in the ministry because of the mercy of God alone……that was inspiration enough to keep going and not give up! The truth that you didn’t start ministry, should humble you to understand that you’re not capable of the ministry ... At least not the ministry concerning Jesus Christ! Any ministry that you have the power to start is indication of it being the arm of flesh…….now know this going forward, if the gospel (good news of the finished work Christ Jesus) is hid, it is hid to those who are lost. It is veiled to the perishing ones who can’t believe because they don’t want to believe! They would rather believe a lie. Darkness is the delivery method always used by the god of this world system!

From Corey Jenkins, FB post
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But the good news, of each believer, is that they are "able ministers" of the New Covenant, by the Spirit who lives within. We can rest in the finished work and be available to share the good news as we are led of Him, NOT with the compulsion of our flesh!
- my add (Walter)

#TheMercyOfMinistry #ChristIsLife
 

StriperAddict

Senior Member
A bit of clarification I just found...


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StriperAddict

Senior Member
Further,

Shape up!, fly right!, do more!, BE more! ... the gospel of the flesh

Rest, trust, depend and walk in His confident grace ... the gospel of Christ, which mercy brought and laid hold of - IN each one of us.


Often these grace posts get confused and seem to need much in the way of sidebar notes. I trust the above helps the original op.

Peace
 

StriperAddict

Senior Member
From Mike Q Daniel,
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there’s NOT a lot of “buck up and get it done” in Scripture. Instead, knowing the human condition is often full of striving and perpetually falling short of our desires for ourselves, much less the glory of God. Scripture doesn’t prescribe more hustle, but instead prescribed more hushed attentiveness, more coming-to-Jesus-to-rest moments. Sounds good to me!

God wouldn’t have you be lazy, but He certainly isn’t wanting you to have a “gotta make it happen” attitude about the recent season of which the angels proclaim “peace in earth”. That really was not code for “step up and get more done!”

Right now, God is doing what He does – sharing His love and peace and joy and rest, and if we are available we get to participate. That’ll require a lot of our weakness meeting a whole lot of His strength, but what it won’t require is you pulling yourself up by soulical boot straps and “doing what it takes”.

If nothing else, grace means: If you could do what’s necessary, Christ didn’t have to; if He has done what’s necessary, then you don’t have to. The very real alternative to walking according to a “get ‘er done” fleshiness is a walk with God as your enoughness in restfulness. That is the life by grace. His life made yours, by grace. And it means rest for weary souls. Yours. Mine.

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Selah, amen.
 

StriperAddict

Senior Member
Israel, I think I see you. And that is a good thing of the grace brought to Paul, and your witness of it. And mine.

Yes, Paul as a former Pharisee must cry for mercy, not to twist the hand of providence,
But ... to receive and later with new vision confess that very mercy was available to him, who was once the chief of sinners now made whole in the completeness of Christ.
To some, such boasting rends garments, yet Paul would say, let him who boasts, boast in the Lord, the making men holy and complete is HIS work not mine. Not I but Christ!
(And to others the response is to take up stones. Careful, Paul!)

Paul knew stones and shipwreck. He knew that those weaknesses of his life would still point to the grace offered in the gospel, for him, for the stoners and for you and I.

Such "service in grace" yes, a sweet aroma of Christ.
From Christ to Paul.
From Christ thru Paul to us.
From Christ in us, bearing His life and bearing His fruit, love, joy, peace, to the world.

Great mercy indeed. (Thanks Paul), and thanks brother.
 

StriperAddict

Senior Member
Mercy and the Simplicity of the gospel go hand in hand, enjoy ...
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“How does the thief on the cross fit into your theology? No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteerism, and no church clothes. He couldn’t even bend his knees to pray. He didn’t say the sinner's prayer and among other things, he was a thief. Jesus didn’t take away his pain, heal his body, or smite the scoffers. Yet it was a thief who walked into heaven the same hour as Jesus simply by believing. He had nothing more to offer other than his belief that Jesus was who he said he was. No spin from brilliant theologians. No ego or arrogance. No Shiny lights, skinny jeans, or crafty words. No haze machine, donuts, or coffee in the entrance. Just a naked dying man on a cross unable to even fold his hands to pray.”

For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son so that whosoever believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

I read this today and was reminded of the simplicity of the Gospel.

#grace #Jesus #TheLoveOfGod
 

StriperAddict

Senior Member
The Religious message would have us believe that we can have new covenant life through old covenant practices. They would have us believe that a set of religious written rules, a religious theology, a set of religious principles, or religious morals is the way to Godly living.

The truth is that the only way to Godly living is for God to baptize us into the death and burial of Christ and to resurrect us with Christ and then join us together with Christ. New covenant life is the Spirit of God coming to live inside of us and motivating from our union with Christ from within. God gives us a new motive by replacing our old heart with a new heart that has been perfected in love, our old spirit with a new spirit that is infused with Christ and our old mind with the mind of Christ.

Life is never ever going to be found in the slavery and bondage to elemental forces of this world that are found in trying to follow religious rules, theology, principles or morals. The more we try to find life in living a religious life, the more chaotic, confused, weakened, unfulfilled and fearful we will be.

Simply put we can't find Life by placing our belief into the works of a dead religion which is the pride of the flesh. Life can only be found by believing in and fully trusting in Jesus Christ alone! The Christian life is not about changing our behavior from bad to good, it’s not about us following a behavior modification or sin management program, the Christian life is about us dying and being born again into a living hope of Jesus Christ joining Himself to us in a perfect eternal union and making us alive together with Him forever. Our only responsibility is for us to trust Him to allow Him to express Himself in us and through us for the rest of eternity.

From JimBob Custer, FB post.
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“that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:2-4, 8‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:4-5‬ ‭NASB

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:4-6‬ ‭NASB‬‬
 
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