"For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks

[Heidi]

This should be obvious to any Christian. Our deeds come from love, not duty, chore, or obligation. Once Jesus cleans our cup with his love by the Holy Spirit, then we respond from this love. It is as impossible to not respond from the Spirit as it is to not respond from the devil before we had received the Spirit. "A man is a slave to whatever masters him." Therefore good deeds naturally follow. The number of deeds depends on the amount of sins and forgiveness we received for them. Luke 7:47, "Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven for little loves little."

So this focus on works which is what the Jews still do is meaningless. Faith produces works, but works do not produce faith. Therefore, faith is all we need.

 

[Merry Menagerie]

Second nature! Yep!

 

[Heidi]

If more people concentrated on this passage, they would not wonder what gets us to heaven. Once we know we are forgiven, we automatically forgive others. Being forgiven breeds thankfulness, joy, and love. And love is the fulfillment of the law. So if people understood even this one passage, they would not engage in fruitless arguments and controversies over the law as Paul tells us not to do. They would simply love their brother from their hearts which fulfills the whole law. It is finished. Amen.

 

[stovebolts]

Heidi,
Love covers a multitude of Sins. Do you love your brethren?

Faith produces works, but works do not produce faith. Therefore, faith is all we need.

If it were only this simple. Without Grace, we wouldn't have hope. As a result, what would faith be without hope?

God loved us so much, that he sent his only begotten son to die on the cross and thus covered our sins. Through this grace, we find hope in the reality of Christ's resurection, and through that hope, we are obedient unto Baptism for which, we are forgiven our sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So we see that baptism is a work, but it is a work of God through His grace that we would have hope. All now that is required, is that we endure and obey.

 

[Heidi]

Heidi,
Love covers a multitude of Sins. Do you love your brethren?

Faith produces works, but works do not produce faith. Therefore, faith is all we need.

If it were only this simple. Without Grace, we wouldn't have hope. As a result, what would faith be without hope?

God loved us so much, that he sent his only begotten son to die on the cross and thus covered our sins. Through this grace, we find hope in the reality of Christ's resurection, and through that hope, we are obedient unto Baptism for which, we are forgiven our sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So we see that baptism is a work, but it is a work of God through His grace that we would have hope. All now that is required, is that we endure and obey.

It is this simple! All we need is Christ, not our own effort. "For it does not depend on your own effort, but on God'smercy."

If I hate my brother, all I do is ask for forgiveness for it and that forgiveness I give to my brother! Because i've been forgiven, I can forgive others. And that is why Paul said; "For love is the fulfillment of the law." If we love, we automatically obey all the commandments. :D

But if we have not love and try to muster up love from ourselves then we are giving credit to ourselves for our works than to God alone. That is thesin of pride.

All we need is Jesus. :angel: