07-Works or Grace

Galatians 1:6-9,

6)”I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel. 7)Which is not another; but there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8)But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9)As we said before, so say now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Paul says here there is a curse on anyone who tampers with the gospel of grace in Christ Jesus. What does it mean to tamper with it? We are saved from sin by grace through faith, (Ephesians 2:8-9). The only way to Heaven is to believe in your heart and confess that Jesus died on the cross, and He rose again on the third day. You must confess that you are a sinner, and seek forgiveness and cleansing from God through the blood of Jesus.

But in the church world today, there is much tampering with the grace of God. Many have made the grace of God a powerless word. How? By the idea that if you are good, obey the commandments, and help your fellow man, after all that then you will get to Heaven. Listen very carefully! You can work all your life doing good deeds, trying to obey the laws. But if, at the same time, you don´t trust in the substitutionary death of Jesus, Hell is still your destiny. His blood is the only atonement for your sin. Besides, those works of yours are not of the Spirit, but of the flesh, and are as filthy rags before God.

That´s not to say that having good works is meaningless, for faith without works is dead, or nonexistent. But true works of faith are a product of the Holy Spirit working in and through believers. Any other works are imperfect before God. You cannot work you way to Heaven by what you do apart from the work of the Spirit in you. Jesus is the only way.

It is Godly sorrow, repentance and faith in His blood that brings the Holy Spirit into our heart. It is the sorrowful realization of our sinfulness, our inability to save ourselves, that turns us toward the cross to gaze at His death and blood. No one can keep the laws in his own strength. You must have Christ Jesus in your heart. Only then can you begin to truly obey the commandments of God.

The indwelling Holy Spirit is the power behind our desire to obey Jesus. Only the Spirit within us can stand against and overcome Satan´s lies. The real purpose of the law is to expose our sinfulness, that we would then turn to Jesus for help and power.