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Grace and Works: They Really Do Go Together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bryan Gibson How could anyone possibly think obedience detracts from or diminishes the grace of God? Nothing could be further from the truth. What obedience actually does is bring the grace of God into clearer light, for all to see (like Barnabas did). As seen in the above passages, the very design of God\u2019s grace is to change our hearts and then change our lives, to make us \u201cobedient in all things\u201d (2 Corinthians 2:9). -2-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mike Johnson 1) Hear<\/strong>\u00a0the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31). Tebeau Street “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB). ——————– Contents: 1) Grace and Works: They Really Do Go Together (Bryan Gibson)2) Trusting God (Psalm 71:1) (Mike Johnson) ——————– -1- […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3153"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3156,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3153\/revisions\/3156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Have YOU seen the grace of God? Barnabas sure did. \u201cWhen he came and had seen the grace of God<\/strong>, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord\u201d (Acts 11:23). What Barnabas saw, of course, was the effect <\/em>of God\u2019s grace\u2014the effect it had on these people in Antioch, which was that \u201ca great number believed and turned to the Lord\u201d (Acts 11:21). What Barnabas actually saw was their service to the Lord, clear proof they had received or accepted God\u2019s grace.
God\u2019s grace is not an end in itself\u2014it has an aim or purpose. Its initial aim, of course, is to provide the means for the forgiveness of our sins, but it goes beyond that. God\u2019s grace is designed to change us in such a way that when people see us, they see the grace of God, just like Barnabas did when he saw the new Christians in Antioch.
Here is a partial list of the changes God\u2019s grace should produce in us. These passages all show a clear connection between grace and works, especially when you look at the larger context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s be sure we don\u2019t \u201creceive the grace of God in vain\u201d (2 Corinthians 6:1). May it change us in every way it was designed to change us, which is ultimately into \u201cthe image of His Son\u201d (Romans 8:29). \u201cIt is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me\u201d (Galatians 2:20)\u2014only the grace of God can make that happen, and that\u2019s exactly what others will \u201csee\u201d when they see Him in us. And they won\u2019t see Him without full and complete submission to the will of God.
— Via Plain Words from God’s Word<\/em>, March 27, 2025
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTrusting God
(Psalm 71:1)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Psalm 71:1 says, \u201cIn You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be put to shame.\u201d\u00a0 <\/strong>This psalm was written by an aged man who had trusted God, not an idol or false deity, throughout his life.\u00a0\u00a0 However, even in his old age, he faced enemies waiting to devour him like vultures.\u00a0 In this prayer, he expresses his appreciation for all that the Lord had done for him in the past.\u00a0 He makes requests of God with complete confidence that He will be with him.\u00a0 He knew that God would continue to be his deliverer as long as he lived, and even in the later stages of his life, he would declare the message of God\u2019s goodness to others. With this verse in mind, we will examine the concept of trusting God.
The Hebrew word found in verse 1, translated as \u201ctrust\u201d (NKJV), is rendered by most translations as \u201ctake refuge.\u201d Sometimes, it is used figuratively of God to take refuge under His wings.\u00a0 Consider Psalm 36:7, \u201cHow precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!\u00a0 Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.\u201d\u00a0 In Ruth 2:12, Boaz told Ruth that the Lord would reward her \u201cunder whose wings you have come for refuge.\u201d\u00a0 Finally, Proverbs 14:32 says, in contrast to the wicked, \u201cthe righteous has a refuge in death.\u201d\u00a0 The psalmist trusted God and could go to Him for protection and refuge, as a baby chick would go to its mother.\u00a0 (Note also verse 5.)
Today, some people are hesitant to trust in God.\u00a0 Perhaps this is because they have not seen Him.\u00a0 Some people may have more difficulty trusting someone they have never seen.\u00a0 Also, many do not know much about God.\u00a0 It is harder to trust someone we do not know.\u00a0 Finally, some may have trust issues due to past experiences.\u00a0 Thus, a person might ask, \u201cWhy should I trust anyone?\u201d
If one person says to another, \u201cTrust me.\u201d He may respond by saying, \u201cWhy should I?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 It can be helpful to have some reasons to trust another.\u00a0 Consider four reasons to trust God.
1. God never lies or fails to keep His promises.<\/strong> People often do not do what they say they will.\u00a0 A person may make a promise and fail to keep it, which is never the case with God.\u00a0 Consider Numbers 23:19, which says, \u201cGod is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent.\u00a0 Has He said, and will He not do?\u00a0 Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?\u201d In Deuteronomy 7:9, we are told, \u201cTherefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.\u201d We can count on God.
2. God cares for His creation.\u00a0 <\/strong>In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus tells His followers not to worry.\u00a0 He speaks of His care for the birds of the air, the beauty of the lilies, and the grass of the field.\u00a0 He points out that if God takes care of these, even more so, He will take care of his people (33).\u00a0 Also, in Matthew 7:7-12, the Lord points out that an earthly father gives good gifts to his children.\u00a0 Then He says (11), \u201cIf you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!\u201d Romans 8:28 tells us, \u201cAnd we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.\u201d\u00a0 Then verse 35 says, \u201cWho shall separate us from the love of Christ?\u00a0 Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?\u201d The fact that God cares for us is another reason to trust Him!
3. God has proven Himself to be trustworthy.<\/strong> Throughout the Scriptures, we can read of the trustworthiness of God as he fulfilled His promises.\u00a0 To Abraham, in Genesis 12:1-3, we read of the land, nation, and seed promise.\u00a0 God would give Abraham\u2019s descendants a land, and they would become a great nation.\u00a0 He also promised that all nations of the earth would be blessed, which was related to Christ\u2019s coming.\u00a0 God fulfilled these promises.\u00a0 In 1 Kings 8:56, Solomon said, \u201cBlessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised.\u00a0 There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.\u201d\u00a0 The Lord has proven Himself in our own lives, the lives of others, and the lives of the people we can read about in the Bible.
4. God is sovereign.\u00a0<\/strong> Holman Bible Dictionary defines God\u2019s sovereignty as \u201cThe biblical teaching that God is the source of all creation and that all things come from and depend upon Him.\u201d God is in control. He is the creator of the universe, and He rules over all.\u00a0 God is omniscient (has all knowledge) and omnipotent (has all power).\u00a0 Psalm 24:1 explains, \u201cThe earth is the Lord\u2019s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.\u201d\u00a0 Psalm 103:19 says, \u201cThe Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.\u201d\u00a0 In Jeremiah\u2019s prayer to God, he said, \u201cAh, Lord God!\u00a0 Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm.\u00a0 There is nothing too hard for You\u201d (Jer. 32:19).\u00a0 In daily life, we may be unable to trust certain people to do a particular task because they lack the knowledge and ability.\u00a0 For example, we would not trust our plumbers to perform brain surgery on us.\u00a0 Likewise, we may be unable to trust our physicians to wire our house.\u00a0 However, we can completely trust God in everything because God is sovereign!
In conclusion, as the psalmist, we should trust the Lord.\u00a0 God is dependable, and He cares for us.\u00a0 Further, the Lord has proven Himself to be trustworthy, and He is sovereign.\u00a0 People may ask us to trust them, which may or may not be a good idea.\u00a0 However, we can always have confidence in God!
— Via Seeking Things Above
<\/em>
——————–<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0
2) Believe<\/strong>\u00a0in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent\u00a0<\/strong>of sins.\u00a0 For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).\u00a0 For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).
4) Confess faith\u00a0<\/strong>in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized\u00a0<\/strong>in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).\u00a0 This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).\u00a0 For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so \u201cthrough faith in the working of God\u201d (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to\u2026
6) Continue in the faith <\/strong>by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
——————–<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA\u00a0 31501
Sunday:<\/strong> 9 a.m<\/strong>. Bible Classes and 10 a.m. <\/strong>Worship Service
Wednesday (all but the first):<\/strong> 7 p.m.<\/strong> Bible Classes\u00a0
\u00a0First Wednesday of the month: 7 p.m. <\/strong>Congregational Song Service (about 45 minutes of singing, followed by a short talk)
evangelist\/editor: <\/strong>Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com<\/a>
https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/go\/all.htm<\/a> (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"