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IS GRACE ENOUGH?

    To the surprise of most Christians, no, it isn't.  Grace is a character of God.  Without it, there could be no salvation, but with it, we still only have the opportunity to receive salvation.  Salvation comes from one's attitude, not from one's desire for it and the belief that God has paid the price for us.

GRACE REIGNS THROUGH RIGHTEOUSNESS, IT DOES NOT STAND ALONE
    Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through                                                righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

The righteous
    Mt 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Who is righteous?
    Mt 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed [thee]?
or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink?
    Mt 25:40 the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto
one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.
    Lk 1:5-6 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course
of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless
    This doesn’t say perfectly, but blameless; however they are walking in them even if they stumble.  It is a condition of the heart.
    Rom 6:16 his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness (righteousness comes from obedience)
    Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness
    1Jn 3:7 let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous

Righteousness by faith

    Eph 2:8 by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God
    Grace is not a gift, it is a characteristic of God.  Faith and being saved are the gifts.  The gift of salvation, however, is dependant upon faith.  Without faith, there is nothing for grace to work through to bring salvation.
    Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand
    Rom 5:15 much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace
        Gal 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted  to him for righteousness
    How did Abraham’s belief count for righteousness?  To have the seed, he had to believe that he would have a child.  Sarah’s womb was dead but Abraham did not stagger at what God had said.  I ask you: could Abraham’s works, to have a child, have succeeded if he had no faith in what God said?  On the other hand, could his faith have produced a child if he had not done the work?
    Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
    What if he believed God but didn’t do the work?  What if the work wasn’t according to God’s design but of his own because it would have been easier?  What if he had chosen not to do the work of bringing in the animals?  His disobedience would have been counted for unrighteousness even though he believed God and would not have saved himself or his family.

Those who continue in good works receive eternal life
    Rom 2:6-7 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:   To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, (he renders) eternal life:  

HOW IMPORTANT IS FAITH

FAITH IS NOT ONLY MENTAL WITHOUT ACTION
    Faith alone is enough for salvation, but works are the evidence of that faith.  Works are not the cause of salvation but the result of it; so one cannot be truly saved and not do works of some kind.  Even the thief on the cross did works when he proclaimed Christ to the other thief.  James chapter two is speaking of this very thing, not rewards.  Why did James say “can faith save” if he was speaking of rewards
    Ja 2:12 speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
    They that are judged by the law of liberty are doing, not just believing.
    Ja 2:13 he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment
    Those who are judged without mercy are not showing mercy, and one can’t show mercy without doing.
    Ja 2:14 can faith save him (not if he isn’t showing mercy)
    Ja 2:20 O vain man, faith without works is dead
    Only something living can do works.  One’s very salvation is a work of faith.  If that faith is dead, then it can’t save.  One can’t SHOW mercy without action, as revealed in verse 14 –17.
    Ja 2:24 by works a man is justified, and not by faith only
    Works deal with justification, not rewards.
    Mt 12:37 One is justified or condemned by their words
    As James said above, “So speak ye and so do”.   One is justified by words AND by works.
    Ja 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also
    There is no life in the body without the spirit and there is no life in faith without works.  There is also no life in works without faith, that’s religion.  Can dead faith save?
    Ja 2:14-17 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
 

    Is he showing mercy?  Is he despising the poor?  Is he having faith with respect of persons?  You say that helping others here is for reward, but what did Jesus say?
    Mt 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me:
OR
    Mt 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not:
    Jesus isn’t saying that the works got them saved, but rather that if they have faith in him, then do what he says.  Why call me lord when you do not the things that I say?  Many will call me lord that shall not enter the kingdom.  Works without faith won’t work and neither will faith without works.  Works are a product of faith.  Fruit is the product of works.  Without fruit, the branch is thrown into the fire. 
    Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith;

EXAMPLES

NOAH
            It didn’t matter how much faith one had in the boat unless they were in it.  Faith had to be put to their feet to get them in it before the door was shut; and it was God who shut the door.

 ABRAHAM
    It didn’t matter how much faith Abraham had in God if he hadn’t left his land and put faith to his feet to follow where God said to go.
    It didn’t matter how much faith Abraham had in what God said unless he planted seed in a dead womb to have the son.
    God said “now I know you love me” after Abraham put his faith to work by willingly sacrificing his only son.  The
sacrifice was made in the heart even though the act never took place.

EXODUS JEWS
            Would having faith in the blood on the door of the house help those who would not enter?  Would being in the house in faith, get them to the Promised Land if they did not leave Egypt and follow the Lord? 

THE CHRISTIAN
            It doesn’t matter how much faith one has in the cross if he doesn’t have enough faith to go where God says to go and do the things He says to do.  The action isn’t what counts, as testified by Abraham, but the faith revealed by the willingness to act.  The word says to trust and put faith in Christ, it doesn’t say put trust in the sacrifice only.  The sacrifice is just one of the things Jesus does, and did, for us.  Jesus stands at the door and knocks.  If we do not let him in, does he still know us because we want his salvation?  Do we truly believe if we trust him as the lamb, but not as the lord? 

THE NON-CHRISTIAN
            If salvation can’t be lost, then are all saved?  The lamb took away the sin of the world.  God reconciled the world to himself.  If one can come to the cross and believe, but then walk away and stop believing, without losing salvation; how are they different than those who never believed in the first place, since the lamb was for all and they both stand in the same place.  All were saved and reconciled while enemies and sinners. 

 THE LOST    
            God didn’t save man so he could escape everlasting punishment, though that is his desire.  That place was prepared for the devil and his angels.  He saved a man to have a relationship with him.  If that man is unwilling to have a relationship, then he is lost; for a relationship is the only way to receive the things necessary to obtain eternal salvation.  It is also the only way for the Lord to know us.  If one is saved at the cross and then walks away from God, God does not take back the gift of being saved.  He is saved forever, but that salvation is from past sins and the damnation brought upon us through Adam.  The problem is that everlasting life and eternal salvation is another point of salvation, another gift that he fails to receive.  Comparing scripture to scripture in light of the law of sacrifices reveals that there are two separate sacrifices and scripturally, two separate gifts of salvation.  This is the only way to see truth without altering the true meaning of any scripture.  See Salvation: Two Parts