Post by Mark on Apr 9, 2008 3:36:52 GMT -8
Then how is some one saved if they don't change there ways? when some one gets saved old things pass away. All is new we are reborn, God wants us different from the world!
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
(Matthew 19:26)
It is not "we" who change our ways to become saved. It is God who changes our ways once we have become saved.
Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 5:18-21)
Salvation comes by grace through faith in Messiah, "not according to works of righteousness which we have done; but according to His mercy has He saved us." (Titus 3:5).
After salvation comes the process of "growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior." Starting with faith, then adding to our faith virtue, then knowledge, then temprance, then patience, godliness and brotherly kindness and finally charity. There is this arrogant idea that we can immediately go from newborn faith to godly love at the instant of salvation. No, this is what Peter calls growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior. Or, in Christian seminary terms, continuing sanctification: becoming more and more like our Savior every day in everything that we do.
Where we often run into bumps is where the Spirit of Adonai begins spricking our hearts in areas of sin in our own lives. We become zealous on that issue, whatever it is, and try to change the rest of the world. But that's not necessarily what He is working on in the rest of the world, it is what He is changing in you! This is what Paul describes in Ephesians 4 as "forbearing one another in love." We let God grow us into spiritual maturity instead of hacking away at each other with our spiritual pruning shears.
I agree, faith without works is dead. But, as Mark communicated, it is our salvation and Adonai's Spirit through us that causes us to do these good works (please see Yechezk'el/Ezekiel 36:26-27). God puts His 
in our heart, and we react accordingly.
