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Many Klu Klux Klan members claim to be Christians, and yet they refuse to repent. They have no sorrow for their sins. I still have no doubt that we are not saved by our own righteousness. (Titus 3:5) However, you need to show your works and your genuine desire to repent as proof for genuineness of your faith. (Galatians 5:6) The lack of such proof of one’s genuine faith is called cheap grace. (James 2:26) “Cheap grace” is very difficult to define, but we can use an analogy to better understand the concept. Let’s suppose a woman get married, but she has an affair with another man. She does not have any sorrows for her sins and does not turn away from it. Like the woman above, all of us are spiritual fornicators. However, God's grace is 100% efficacious, and it is this grace that compels Christians to go back to Him and say, "Lord, I am a wretch. Please forgive me." Such confession is one of many proofs that we are Christians. (1 John 1:8,9) Cheap grace can not produce the sorrow of a wretched sinner. (Romans 7:15)
So, am I saying that Faith and Works are needed to be saved? Am I also saying that we must live a perfect life in order to be saved? Not at all. Our works is tainted with sin, and nobody lived a perfect life. (Romans 3:23) Mankind is totally depraved. All of our mind, emotion, and will is tainted with sin. If we desire to be good, it is nothing but filthy rags to God. (Isaiah 64:6) Our prayer life and reading of the word is continually tainted with sin. We do not earn any merit when we are being justified and sanctified through our faith. Our faith in Jesus which produced our justification and sanctification is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8-10) Since our sanctification goes together with justification, those who claim to be justified must also show proof of their sanctification. They must show fruits that come from the vine of Jesus’ saving grace and power. So if a person claims to be a Christian by believing he is justified of his sins and yet continues to sin-thus showing no proofs of his sanctification-we should question if he was justified in the first place.
The correct formula in terms of our status is:
A closer analogy to the formula above is a chemistry formula of 2H2O => 2H2 + O2. You should avoid thinking like the 4 = 2 + 2 formula or else you may be accused of supporting the no-Lordship heresy formula of 4 - 2 = 2.
If you want to subscribe CHEMISTRY (CHristian E-mail MIniSTRY), please send me an e-mail at JosephYLee@aol.com or call me at (949) 725-9497 or (423) 483-7580.
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