Actions & Consequences ....


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

(Cause and Effect & Grace and Works)
    The above game is to encourage people to connect their actions and consequences. Many people today don't connect their actions and the consequence for their actions. A man may abuse his wife and then wonders why she is cold toward him.  An individual disobeys the health laws in Scripture and wonders why he is sick all the time when there are various promises in the word about healing.  A teenager is rebellious and wonders why his parents don't trust him. A student doesn't study and wonders why he failed the test. An employee is slothful at his work and wonders why his boss doesn't give him a raise.  A born again Believer fills his mind with the garbage of the world and wonders why he has mental problems.  Whenever there is a curse, there is always a cause.   "As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come" (Proverbs 26:2).   Wherever there is a CURSE, there is always a CAUSE.  A good part of the time we simply don't connect the two.

    This article is dedicated to looking at the connection between grace and works.

I. Old Testament.

Proverbs 20:11 "Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right."

Job 34:11  "For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways."

Proverbs 24:12  "If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?"

Jeremiah 32:19  "Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:"

II. Understanding God's grace.
A. We are saved by grace. (God's Riches At Christ's Expense).
Ephesians 2:8-10  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:   Not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

Note: We all deserve eternal punishment because of our rebellion toward God (sin); however, we can through a faith commitment in Jesus as our Lord receive God's undeserving gift of Eternal Life.  However, we receive this gift of God's grace THAT we may do good works.

B. We are to live by grace.
II Corinthians 9:8  "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:"

Note: God gives us His divine ability (grace) that we may do good works.

C. We are to grow in grace.
II Peter 3:18  "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."

Note: We grow in grace as we grow in the knowledge of Jesus through the study of the Word and apply his life in our lives.

D. The grace we receive is that we may serve.
Hebrews 12:28-29  "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:   For our God is a consuming fire."

Note: Grace is of no value to us unless we use it properly.  We are to understand that the grace that we have received from God is so that we may serve Him.  If we don't use His grace to serve Him, we can fully expect His discipline in our lives (a true fear of God).

E. We receive grace both to "will" and "do" of God's good pleasure.
 Philippians 2:13  "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Note: We are not to live by our "will" or our "power", but we are to submit our will to "His Will" in us and live by His Power.

F. However, we are not to turn grace into to a license to sin (unbridled sin).  We don't have grace to do evil.
Jude 1:4  "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."

Note: Just because we, as Christians, won't go to hell when we disobey God does not give us a license to sin!

III. We must still connect actions and consequences.
A. We are not free to sin, but to live righteously.
"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.   What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." (Romans 6:11-15)
B. All Believers will stand before judgment seat of Christ (the contest Judge).
"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14:10-12).
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.  Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences."  (II Corinthians 5:10-11)
C. We are to build upon the foundation of Christ in looking forward to the judgment.
"According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."  (I Corinthians 3:10-15).
D. The grace of faith is to produce good works.
"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?    For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:20-26).
E. There is always a consequence for sin!
Galatians 6:7-8  "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.   For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
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