The Chief End of Man: Glorifying & Enjoying God

[aron]

Originally Posted by Sons to Glory!

OK, let's just retract this whole thread!

Negative - someone brought up a good point:

Originally Posted by byHismercy

1 Peter 3:1 tells wives to be in subjection to your own husbands, that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

This presents to me a hope of a promise by the Lord, and it is precious to me because I have a spouse that not only doesn't obey the word, but refuses to read the word or hear the word.

But how practical....a clear outline for someone like me....a hope to win the husband without the word! This is what I see more and more....our obedience to God via the word.....this is enough 'expression' to win an unbelieving spouse, and, I think, our faith and obedience would probably touch others in the same way.

And I'm with you, UntoHim, it needs to be less 'in the clouds'.

This is the kind of 'practical expression of grace' that I alluded to in my previous post (#6). Paul said that "the grace of God superabounded in me more and more" allowing him to do amazing works. These works were things that he wouldn't have done if he were merely looking out for himself. But because the grace of God re-oriented him towards the Kingdom of God through Christ Jesus the Lord, he (Paul) was able to do the things that he referenced.

In the quote above, the poster is able to have tolerance, meekness, humility and patience when the situation calls for a doubled fist. This is the grace of Christ, working out her own salvation in her, and being a testimony of the resurrection power of God. Jesus led, and now she follows. This is grace. We testify of God, and not of self.

In some sense it's an 'unmerited favour' in that 'it is no longer I but Christ', but it is not passive reception, or mere 'enjoyment' but rather the power of the unconquerable life that first dwelt in Christ and now manifesting outwardly in us through our works in a darkened and rejecting world, a world cut off from God. It's that manifest resurrection power that enables us to work for God, not ourselves, and to suffer temporal loss cheerfully as we see God's kingdom gain something precious and eternal. This is grace.

Again I quote:

Originally Posted by UntoHim

... grace is not merely something that we receive. Grace is something that deeply affects who we are and how we treat and interact with others. The apostle Paul proclaimed that "his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." (1 Cor 15:10) I am afraid that a teaching that merely proclaims that grace "is the enjoyment of Christ", especially to young people and new believers, has great potential for the grace that God gives to become "in vain".

The passive, go-to-meeting-and-absorb-Christ concept isn't grace but is (imho) 'in vain'. Paul's grace in 1 Cor 15 was doing works, ones that he'd never attempt or even contemplated otherwise This "work out your salvation in fear and trembling" is not "dead works" but rather "the grace of God in Christ indwelling me".