106. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. He agrees, we are saved in order to do good.

2 February 2021

Saved in Order to Do Good

Titus 3

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 

5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Sharing my reading and reflection 12 October 2017.

"Thieves, greedy, abusive, cheat people. Please stand up.

My Kind Of People By: David H. Roper, Our Daily Bread

“Years ago in a worship service, Pastor Ray Stedman stepped to the pulpit and read the text for the day: “Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that” (1 Cor. 6:9-11 nlt).

Then he looked up, a bemused smile on his face, and said, “I’m curious: How many of you have one or more of these sins in your background? If so, will you stand?”

There was a young man there who had never been in a church before. He had recently been saved at a Billy Graham crusade and came with fear and trembling to church that Sunday, not knowing what he would find. He later told me that when he heard the pastor’s question, he looked around to see if anyone would stand. At first no one did, but then most of the congregation was on their feet. He said to himself, “These are my kind of people!”

We can all find ourselves in Paul’s list in 1 Corinthians. But when we confess our sin and accept the gift of eternal life paid for by the death of Jesus, we become a new creation saved by grace (Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor. 5:17).”

Apostle Paul, a blasphemer, forgiven and reconciled with God his Master, reconciled a slave to his master.

God's kind of people, sinners changed by God to reconcile sinners with God.

Onesimus was a slave who ran away from his master Philemon; Apostle Paul wrote Philemon to reconcile Onesimus.

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

Philemon 1

10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.

16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

"Lord, wayward that I am, reconciled with the Master by His grace, forever grateful that I am, by grace I shall pray, that my kind as I was in the past, be reconciled also with the Master. For "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people (1 Timothy 2:3-6). Lord, with Your grace at work in me, I shall tell other people of Your grace which You have given me freely, for Your love is unconditional and endures forever. Lord, Compassionate God, all praise, glory and honor are Yours, in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.""

From gotquestions.org/good-works-salvation

"We begin to view life from God’s perspective, not our own—as John Newton wrote, “I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”

The sins we once committed without thought now bring conviction. To know God is to see sin the way He sees it: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God” (1 John 3:9). In other words, the believer will see a decreasing pattern of sin in his or her life. Believers may still sin, but they will not continue practicing sin as a way of life. There will be a difference between the old life without Christ and the new life in Christ. The born-again Christian produces “fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). Salvation enables us to live “in the Spirit” and so truly perform good works (Galatians 5:16)."

From theartofgodliness.com/blog/20151017/ephesians-210-saved-unto-good-works

"Good works. Grace-motived, God-entranced, faith-fueled, Spirit-empowered, good works.

Good Works Flow From a Heart of Love

for good works, … so that we would walk in them.

 

First, we must ask, "What are good works?"  

 

Good works are works that are good, done for God's glory. They are good because they honor God and love people.  They are works done for God's glory, by God's strength, because God commands."

One day, my children's children will utter, wala ka sa Lolo ko; he agrees, we are saved in order to do good.

Be blessed.

Maraming salamat.