WHERE IS GRACE?
Jesus said, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, `Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, `I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, `We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.' But He will say, `I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.” Luke 13:24-28. Jesus also said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” Matthew 7:21-23. Readers, Jesus denied the first group of believers from entering heaven because they are workers of iniquity. Jesus denied the second group of believers because they practice lawlessness. Do you understand what workers of iniquity means? Do you understand what practicing lawlessness means? Both groups were violating the laws of God! But Paul says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Do we believe what Jesus said, or do you believe what Paul said? Both cannot be right!
Where is grace? The answer is that grace will not be available to us unless we can show God work that He could accept. Grace is a reward, and not an excuse for living in sin. Jesus hates sin!
The disciples asked Jesus, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them, it has not been given. "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. "Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. "And in them, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: `Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with [their] eyes and hear with [their] ears, Lest they should understand with [their] hearts and turn So that I should heal them.'” Matthew 13:10-15.
"Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22.
"But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands [it], who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Matthew 13:23. Grace is available to these people who understand the will of God and can show work that God could accept.
"The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:42.
Where is grace? Grace is only available to those who have met the terms of salvation. Grace is only available to us when we have done work that He could accept, and bear fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Matthew 13:23.
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