09 May 2021
Two-Minute Features | 16 May 2021 | 02 May 2021

Not Taking Advantage of God's Grace, Part 1 (TMF:1610)

Friday, May 14, 2021
Peace to Live By: Not Taking Advantage of God's Grace, Part 1 (TMF:1610) - Daniel Litton
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       We cannot, and should not, try to do things from our own fleshly efforts, without God’s enablement and grace. Remember from last week, it is our belief in God’s help, belief that we can win over sin, that actually enables us to win. We have to believe. Trying with our own efforts, trying to follow the law, is not believing. It’s actually disobedience (more on this down the road). Romans 6:15: “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:15-18, ESV).

A Law System Cannot Bring Us Life (TMF:1609)

Thursday, May 13, 2021
Peace to Live By: A Law System Cannot Bring Us Life (TMF:1609) - Daniel Litton
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       It’s also true that we may try to live under a law system of our own creation, passing on living by grace. And we can try to deal with sin in this same way. Have you ever noticed that trying to keep a law, putting a lot of effort into obeying laws we make, that that usually doesn’t give us the result that we want? We can try really hard to be obedient to God, but oftentimes it doesn’t produce the results that we desire. We still find ourselves struggling. And why is this? It is because, again, a law system cannot bring us life. Paul told the Colossian believers: “why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:20-23, ESV).

We Need God's Grace for Our Success (TMF:1608)

Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Peace to Live By: We Need God's Grace for Our Success (TMF:1608) - Daniel Litton
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       It is not what we have accomplished in our lives that matters, but it is what God has accomplished for us. He is our perfection; he gives us our perfection (our legal standing before him of being perfect in his eyes). By our own merits, none of us can be perfect; none of us can perform perfectly in this life. We just can’t do it no matter how hard we try. Not even after we become Christians. That’s why we need grace. Even though we may fail at this or that, we cannot and should not live under a cloud of guilt all the time. We are not meant to be guilty Christians walking around with our heads down all the time. That’s not what Jesus died for, that’s not what he died for us to have. It is Satan who is our accuser, and God is our justifier. You may feel guilty for giving up any guilt you may have, but it is absolutely necessary if we want to live under grace. The law brings guilt, and grace brings freedom.

The Christian Should Act Differently (TMF:1607)

Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Peace to Live By: The Christian Should Act Differently (TMF:1607) - Daniel Litton
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       It means those passions, may I say, evil passions and evil conduct can still be there. And it means that we have to choose to abstain, to not follow any fleshly desires that see arising within us. We have to quickly turn away from those things, and not let them grow and cultivate within us. Our conduct before unbelievers should be different than their own conduct. Again, as we discussed last week; there should be a difference. What does it mean that we are not under law but under grace? We talked about this several weeks ago. We are not under the Jewish law system of the Old Testament, or any other law system for that matter. Rather, we are under grace. It is not what we have accomplished in our lives that matters, but it is what God has accomplished for us. He is our perfection; he gives us our perfection (our legal standing before him of being perfect in his eyes).

Obedience to God Snuffs Out Sin (TMF:1606)

Monday, May 10, 2021
Peace to Live By: Obedience to God Snuffs Out Sin (TMF:1606) - Daniel Litton
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       What is the end result, then, of all this presenting of ourselves in goodness to God? Paul says, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” In giving ourselves to God, and our members to him, there is no place for sin. Obedience to God snuffs out sin in our lives. Peter told us, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11-12, ESV). If we have to “abstain from the passions of the flesh” and “keep [our] conduct among the Gentiles honorable”, this means a couple of things. It means those passions, may I say, evil passions and evil conduct can still be there.