Grace
OH FOOLISH (fill in the blank), WHO HAS BEWITCHED YOU?”
This comes from Paul’s letter to the Galatians who Paul was trying to awaken from a spell of salvation by works that had been cast over them. After telling the Galatians in ch.1 that whoever would bring them a gospel that was a perversion of the gospel Paul had already preached to them is accursed. And in ch.2 telling them that justification, which is righteousness, only comes “by the faith of Christ” and not by works of the law. Paul asks them in ch.3, “who has bewitched you?… This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?…. Having begun in the spirit are you now made perfect by the flesh?” This is Paul’s message of shaking throughout this letter. The message that justification which is righteousness…
Read MoreHOW TO BE FREE FROM THE SLAVERY OF SIN
Edward O’Hara Fri 3/6/2020 3:47 PM… What do you think of when you read Jesus or Paul teaching about a man being a slave to sin? Do you think this means that because Adam’s sin was imputed to you that you are a slave to it? Or does that mean to you that this person who is a slave to sin must be doing something consistently bad that gives it control over him so that he is made a slave to it? If it is either of these then you have missed the point both Jesus and Paul were making when they spoke of the slavery of sin. In John8 Jesus was speaking to Israelites about believing in Him. He said to those Israelites which believed on him, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye…
Read MoreWHO WINS? THE NATURAL WEAKLING… OR THE SPIRITUAL POWERHOUSE?
Edward O’Hara Sun 2/23/2020 12:33 PM… Have you ever noticed that when Jesus was with the disciples they never really “got” what was happening? Oh, they followed Him because they were sure He was the Messiah. But, they understood that to mean something very different from what Jesus came to do. Because they believed what all Israelites believed about Messiah. That when He came He would conquer their enemies and set up His kingdom right then. But, Jesus did not come for that purpose. At least not when He came the first time. And we who have believed know that He is coming again. This is why His Jewish followers were so despondent after Jesus died. They were so clueless about what Jesus was doing that while living among them and teaching them every day Jesus found Himself asking them things like, “Are…
Read MoreOUR SPIRITUAL HOUSE… A GLORIOUS MANIFESTATION
Edward O’Hara Sat 2/15/2020 1:48 PM… Paul wrote some incredibly inspiring and comforting words. But, none more so than these; “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the…
Read MoreSAVED BY GRACE REALLY MEANS SAVED BY GRACE
Edward O’Hara Tue 2/11/2020 10:39 PM How is my doing works for salvation any different from me trusting in someone else doing the works for me for salvation? I mean, it still works no matter who does them, right? And what is it about salvation by works anyway that is so ingrained in so many people that they just can’t see works not being involved in some way in salvation? Why is it so easy for people to be deceived into salvation by works mentality? It is because most people are taught from day one that if they want something in this life they will need to work for it. So what it comes down to is whether we will have God’s wisdom, or man’ Thinking in terms of earning or working for salvation is not God’s method for righteousness. It…
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