SOME PEOPLE WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE THAT WE ARE WORSE OFF NOW THAN BEFORE WE GOT BORN AGAIN, BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE WEAKNESSES IN OUR LIVES, OR WE DON'T GO TO A CERTAIN FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY. CAN ANYONE BE WORSE THAN BEING DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS,UNDER BONDAGE, WITHOUT GOD, WITHOUT HOPE, WITHOUT PEACE? AMONG OTHER THINGS, WE DID NOT HAVE HOLY SPIRIT, WE DID NOT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, NOR DID WE HAVE THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST BEFORE WE ACCEPTED JESUS AS LORD!
Romans 10:9.10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
BUT NOW WE HAVE HOLY SPIRIT! WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO OPERATE THE POWER OF GOD! WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE! WE HAVE THE AVAILABILITY AND THE ABILITY TO WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE! SALVATION HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR WORKS AND IT IS CERTAIN THAT OUR FAITH WILL NOT BE MADE PERFECT BY OUR WORKS EITHER.
Galations 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Jesus Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galations 3:2,3,11 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? having begun in the spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? ... But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident:for, The just shall live by faith.
EVEN THOUGH GOD HAS JUSTIFIED YOU IN CHRIST, HAS SIN CONSCIOUSNESS, SELF CONDEMNATION AND FEAR OF WHAT OTHERS THINK OF YOU PUT YOU BACK UNDER THE BONDAGE THAT YOU WERE MADE FREE FROM?IF SO, CONSIDER THIS; YOU WERE MADE RIGHTEOUS SPIRITUALLY BY GOD, THROUGH CHRIST, AND YOU NOW HAVE THE RIGHT TO STAND BEFORE GOD WITHOUT A SENSE OF SIN, GUILT OR CONDEMNATION! DID THE ACCUSATIONS and CRITICISM OF OTHERS HELP YOU GET THE DELIVERANCE YOU NEED? HAVE YOU GOTTEN WEARY OF TRYING TO BE RIGHTEOUS BY YOUR WORKS? BUT THE GOODNESS OF GOD LEAD US TO REPENTANCE! ( SEE ROMANS 2:4 )
WHAT SHALL WE DO THEN, FOR THE WEAK? SHALL WE POINT FINGERS, PICK SPECKS OUT OF EACH OTHERS' EYES, CAST THE FIRST STONE, ABANDON EACH OTHER? NO.
1Thessalonians 5:14,15 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn ( gently admonish ) them that are unruly,comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men.
Luke 13:3 Take heed to yourselves: If your brother trespass against thee, rebuke him: and if he repent, forgive him.And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
(SEE ALSO ISAIAH 58:6-12, Ezekiel 34:2-16, 3 John 8-10, and Galations 4:17,Amplified Bible. THESE RECORDS ARE ENLIGHTENING! And may utterly amaze those that have been put out, without a pastor, to "figure things out" all by themselves)
WHEN WE FORGIVE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST. WE CAN TRY TO IMITATE HOW GOD FORGIVES US. ( HE REMEMBERS OUR SINS NO MORE ). GOD DOES NOT KEEP A SIN RAP SHEET ON US TO USE AGAINST US AT A LATER TIME. HE FORGIVES WHEN WE REPENT.
Psalm 103:10-12 He hath not dealt with us after our sins;nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as heaven is high above earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. AS far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Remember the record about we are not ignorant of Satan's devices? The context is FORGIVING YOUR BROTHER!( 2 Corinthians 2:7,10 LOOK IT UP)
God called you and made you righteous and justified you without your works. You are not made perfect by your works. But what God did for you in Christ, you can remain thankful for and be full of JOY! Then you will want to repent and change your manner of life. Your growth will once again be without compulsion, and motivated not by fear, but by love,(which energizes believing. See Galations 5:6 ).And then, fruit will abound!
OF COURSE, GRACE IS NO EXCUSE TO SIN. BY GRACE WE WERE MADE FREE FROM SIN AND BECAME SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS instead. The GOODNESS of GOD leads us to repentance. Its a tender response to His unconditional LOVE, and MERCY.(SEE ROMANS CHAPTERS 5- 8,Galations 5: 13-16 ).
GOD BLESS YOU.