45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort person first needs to get his religious house in order in before he could even begin to hope that his efforts Dig Deeper   Once again, scripture makes it clear the one thing you need in order to have peace with So it's no wonder that all throughout history, every civilization and culture developed some sort of It seems to make sense that if we just try really hard and do our best, the gods will mercifully smile

But in making this point, Paul writes something that catches our attention here today: even though there That work will be "shown for what it is," and half hearted efforts will not last, and although you will But if you make this work your top priority in life, and you make the effort to develop your gifts and become proficient with them, the Bible - here and multiple other places - makes clear that you will last chapter of the Bible is that He's coming soon to make payment!

Baptism doesn't make you a Christian, it's always been a core part of Christianity. In the institution of baptism where he says: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing This passage has been quoted as the rallying cry behind countless outreach and discipleship efforts. While commanding the eleven remaining disciples to go and make more disciples, Jesus teaches them how Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness

God infuses new qualities into the will,  making the dead will alive,  the evil one good, the unwilling Some might say people still have some power in themselves to choose God, but even our best efforts fall We still have a will and the ability to make choices, but since the fall of Adam, our will is broken God doesn’t just make us able to obey; He causes us to actually want to obey.   But what makes this heart “new” is that it truly wants to follow God.

depravity which even infects small infants in their mother’s womb, and the root which produces in man every believers may sleep peacefully in their sin) but so that the awareness of this corruption might often make The answer comes in the very next verse. This sounds like a good thing, so it might be surprising to find out Pelagius' efforts sparked one of therefore, each person was born morally neutral with the ability to live a sinless life by their own efforts

did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39  Through him everyone who believes is set free from every Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes In fact, these visitors boldly claim, everyone who believes this is set free from every sin. Our exhausting efforts to simultaneously seek the things of this world alongside the kingdom of God?

of the Gospel In order that people may be brought to faith,  God mercifully sends messengers of this very One of the criticisms that are put up against these doctrines of grace is that if God controls every content to just sit back and wait for God to miraculously convert those He will without any of our effort This is why you need to make preaching the central activity in your life - both regularly hearing it

Why can’t the good we do make us right with God, or at least help make us right with him? A. Because the righteousness which can pass God’s scrutiny must be entirely perfect and must in every way Even the very best we do in this life is imperfect and stained with sin. who think they're so high and mighty and righteous that they can ride their own awesome law keeping efforts Trying to make yourself right with God on your own is hopeless.

to us the message of reconciliation. 20  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21  God made him who had no sin to be sin for The fact that you've been reconciled to God has nothing to do with your own effort, but rather because Isn't that amazing - God had reconciled you to Himself in Christ before you ever sinned (or even existed LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would fulfill the simple imperative you've been given in every

That I sincerely acknowledge the only true God, trust him alone, look to him for every good thing humbly Summary Jesus makes three counter-intuitive claims that are really hard to understand in this short passage In that sense, every disciple of Jesus bears the same cross." We all stand convicted of idolatry when we see how far down the priority list this effort actually is It's easy to 'find' yourself in a made up reality.