tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058212.post115652460707202977..comments2023-10-24T10:08:27.446-05:00Comments on Choosing Hallelujah: What I Once WasAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16877189592741668088noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058212.post-1157168164043488242006-09-01T22:36:00.000-05:002006-09-01T22:36:00.000-05:00Excellent!I, too, for many years believed that jus...Excellent!<BR/><BR/>I, too, for many years believed that justification was by faith, but sanctification was by my own effort and works...thankfully I finally "got it"...that just as I couldn't "save" myself, neither can I "keep" myself to any degree that would "measure up" to God's righteousness...I will always fall short... as the Scripture says, our righteousness is as filthy rags...whatever could make us think we could gain santification through anything less than God's grace? <BR/><BR/>"While we were yet sinners"..that is grace; "Christ died for us"...that is love.<BR/><BR/>Along the way I was taught by many a pastor that if I wanted God's favor on my life, I must be obedient...so out of duty, rather than love, I did many a good work trying to earn God's favor...but I could never measure up...I got really frustrated and knew there had to be more to the Christian life.<BR/><BR/>I'm sad that it took me 30 years to "get" it, but thankful I finally did. <BR/><BR/>These defintions helped me:<BR/><BR/>Mercy= not getting what I deserve<BR/>Grace= getting what I do not deserve<BR/><BR/>For many years in our culture it was desirable to exhibit graciousness in our "living"...in other words, extending to others what perhaps they did not deserve, like our hospitality, etc...and this demonstration a manisfestation of our love and faith.<BR/><BR/>Gracious living has gone the way of so many things...<BR/><BR/>As God has extended His grace to me, I try to continually extend grace to others...whether in the grocery store line or behind the wheel of my car.<BR/><BR/>By the way, I love your blog...and am thankful for young people like you who have a genuine earnest love of God...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058212.post-1157039343869115412006-08-31T10:49:00.000-05:002006-08-31T10:49:00.000-05:00once believed that justification was by faith, but...<I> once believed that justification was by faith, but sanctification was by my own effort and works.</I><BR/><BR/>I think this is a common belief in the modern church. It's the part of us that is still trying to incorporate both a Protestant work ethic and a touch of Hinduism into our Christianity.Kat Coblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01989208841608754591noreply@blogger.com