Grace Roots

Thanks Berni... This is something I need to be rem...

2009-11-08T21:06:26.979-06:00

Thanks Berni... This is something I need to be reminded of often! :)

Chris... I think it's the same with a lot of us. The world is so geared towards performance in order to earn things, and it's hard to get ourselves over the idea of "trying." You're so right... the whole idea is just an illusion! Day by day we need to renew our minds to the truth of the finished work of Jesus.

Awesome! The problem with trying and working to g...

2009-11-07T08:09:05.208-06:00

Awesome! The problem with trying and working to get ourselves "right" first is that it is an illusion. We can't do it. No matter what - it's never good enough. We can exhaust ourselves trying. I know this in my heart and the Lord IS renewing my mind with this truth. But I still find myself "trying" sometimes. I make it a struggle it does'nt have to be. I know - silly huh?

Awesome post. we so need to be reminded that is no...

2009-11-05T15:33:15.363-06:00

Awesome post. we so need to be reminded that is not about us it is all about HIM.

Thanks, friends. Y'all da stuff. :D

2009-11-05T08:21:45.320-06:00

Thanks, friends. Y'all da stuff. :D

Thanks for this post, Joel.

2009-11-05T05:39:49.762-06:00

Thanks for this post, Joel.

Good golly Miss Molly!! What a fantabulous, splend...

2009-11-04T19:56:34.919-06:00

Good golly Miss Molly!! What a fantabulous, splendiferous post! Joel, every word you say is so exactly true. Sooooo true, sooooo correct. Man, I'm loving this post! :)

YES and AMEN!!! Truly it is such GOOD GLAD NEWS!!!...

2009-11-04T18:24:33.775-06:00

YES and AMEN!!! Truly it is such GOOD GLAD NEWS!!!!

(p.s. - totally am gonna link this :)

Thanks iggy... I appreciate your comment and it is...

2009-11-04T07:50:52.736-06:00

Thanks iggy... I appreciate your comment and it is so right on! I love the writings of Major Ian Thomas, and you've really said it well here. The church has made this verse (and surrounding passage) to be about works, when it really is about faith that is already alive and active. Works are the natural result of that, and they're God's works that He prepared beforehand, and that we get the pleasure of walking in.

Thanks again for stopping by!

This is sort of cool and certainly a God thing... ...

2009-11-02T18:51:43.784-06:00

This is sort of cool and certainly a God thing... LOL! I was looking at this verse today, then was reading a bit in Maj Ian Thomas "The Saving Life of Christ" and the verse popped out again... then I run into it here.

I love the Major's thoughts on this verse. James 2: 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

He unpacks it that spirit is the same as breath, so the body that does not breath is dead. So faith without deeds is dead. Faith should be that inner working of the Spirit of God that works in and through us to do the Work's God created us to do through Him.

So not this is not about works, but about Faith being active in those who the Spirit of God dwells in and such a part of our new nature that it is like our own breath. To make it works would mean that we must do the work of breathing to live! That is of course rather silly as breathing is second nature to us... it is an auto pilot as such and what we do as we live...

Anyway glad to find your blog and will have to check it out more soon. = )

blessings,

iggy

;)

2009-10-27T11:56:25.907-05:00

;)

I'll do whatever I have to do to get you to do the...

2009-10-27T11:27:04.918-05:00

I'll do whatever I have to do to get you to do the stuff you're supposed to be doing! Fear works! lol

Ah, but was it done out of slavish fear of the Bru...

2009-10-27T10:22:50.282-05:00

Ah, but was it done out of slavish fear of the Brueseke? ;o)

Phil... Great! Your works have now justified your...

2009-10-27T09:33:18.960-05:00

Phil... Great! Your works have now justified your faith! ;)

I listened, Mr Brueseke ;)

2009-10-27T07:32:33.920-05:00

I listened, Mr Brueseke ;)

(Meant to say "made the program short...").

2009-10-26T12:12:35.994-05:00

(Meant to say "made the program short...").

Becky, we even made the short - 14 minutes - just ...

2009-10-26T12:11:39.070-05:00

Becky, we even made the short - 14 minutes - just for people like you! In the time it took to leave your comment, you could've listened to our program! And so I agree with your sentence, "Not that I am saying I shouldn't or wouldn't." Yes you would and yes you should!!! LOL... just giving you a hard time. :) ;) :) At least you're not one of those people who don't listen, and then criticize us for what we say, when they don't even know what we said (or didn't say)!!!

Phil, I see you're just as pathetic as Becky! hehehe... But seriously, I will say that what you said about what Bertie says is pretty close to what we say. :)

Essentially, the "works" of the Christian life are the fruit of the resurrected life of Christ in us.

Sorry, Joel, me no listened either ;). What do yo...

2009-10-26T05:04:03.915-05:00

Sorry, Joel, me no listened either ;).

What do you think of what Bertie Brits says on justification in his 5min bible school? He says it's the attitude and action of God towards those that have been reckoned righteous in Christ. Like "justfying a margin", is lining it up straight, "justification" is lining up our persons and life with everything that redemption wrought, on account of imputed righteousness.

He says then that James' justification by works as well as faith, just means that fruit is God's consequence of justifying faith (that which lays hold on imputed righteousness for right relationship/perfection). His justice is for us, by his death and resurrection, and demands our transformation into every good thing pertaining to life and godliness

btw - I am just laughing at your comments. I am u...

2009-10-26T01:16:47.333-05:00

btw - I am just laughing at your comments. I am useless at listening to podcasts - i only ever read stuff, very rarely ever listen. Not that I am saying I shouldn't or wouldn't. It's just that it takes so long for me to listen whe I can read so much faster. . . So, I can't bear to listen to anything whilst my kids are so small and loud. But I would listen if I was driving somewhere far by myself. But that never happens these days. Do you think I should explain myself any further? Or should I just stop prattling on and rest assured that you aren't offended that I don't listen:)

a ha ha ha!

2009-10-26T01:09:18.257-05:00

a ha ha ha!

Lol, new stuff to me! Dad was looking stuff up, an...

2009-10-24T04:41:10.104-05:00

Lol, new stuff to me! Dad was looking stuff up, and helping.

It's prob given me some more knowledge in future tho.

Thanks, Joel.

Phil...that's great! And... you NERD!!! DOS! Wow...

2009-10-23T19:54:13.568-05:00

Phil...that's great! And... you NERD!!! DOS! Wow! lol ;) Glad you got your files back, and your 'puter restored.

Up and running on the computer front, Joel :) Betw...

2009-10-23T14:20:57.052-05:00

Up and running on the computer front, Joel :) Between me and Dad, we managed to get important files via DOS, and then I factory-restored! Thankful!

Zack-man! I got to see Larry in concert a decade ...

2009-10-22T07:44:53.174-05:00

Zack-man! I got to see Larry in concert a decade ago or so, and he is quite a character. And his music was loved by many over the years. This post, by the way, was posted just 5 months before he passed away.

Larry is my all-time favourite artist.

2009-10-21T22:35:07.892-05:00

Larry is my all-time favourite artist.

Wow, two comments exactly two years apart! Well, ...

2009-10-21T19:42:52.464-05:00

Wow, two comments exactly two years apart! Well, minus 8 days short of four months. LOL :) Thanks buds, for being my buds.