New Life Christian Church

They profess to know God [to recognize, perceive, and be acquainted with Him], but deny and disown and renounce Him by what they do; they are detestable and loathsome, unbelieving and disobedient and disloyal and rebellious, and [they are] unfit and worthless for good work (deed or enterprise) of any kind. Titus 1:16 [Amp] Are we saved by grace? Absolutely! So where does this passage get off talking so strongly about how people deny God by "what they do"? It is really quite simple! When one has repented of their sins and by faith have received Jesus Christ and His death and shed blood as an atonement for their sins, they desire to serve God. They have works that "prove" their love for Jesus and His Father. "If you love Me, keep My commandments" said Jesus in John the 14th chapter. When a person comes face to face with the realization that their "sins have separated them" from their Creator, they should, to some degree, feel a little sorrowful. They realize that I am not "right with God". It should cause a little fear of Him. When this happens, the Holy Spirit has "convicted" them of sin, of judgement to come, and of righteousness that they do not have. These "things" may only be a feeling at first, not having Bible "lingo", but nonetheless, very real spiritual thoughts that the carnal mind cannot understand, and so perhaps, one is not able to express these "feelings" in articulate words. But a person comes to the full knowledge of their wasted life before God because finally the gospel has been fully explained to them. The fact of a wasted life being explained first, right at the top of the sheet, "You are a sinner and God is angry with the wicked everyday" (Psalms 7:11), this fact is essential to one turning to Jesus. How can I see the sense of what Jesus did, how He left heaven in order to die for all mankind, unless I first come to the realization that I am first and foremost a sinner in deep trouble with God. Though God is angry with me at that point on the other side of the cross, the fact remains that God's mercies are also "new every morning." (Lam. 3:22-23). And He extends to you His hand of mercy and salvation through the finished work of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. When one realizes their truly sinful condition and then the goodness of God in offering them the free gift of eternal life through the remission of their sins via the cross of Christ, there automatically follows a "love" for their new found Savior, assuming they exercise their faith in the truth presented to them. The fact that had not been serving and expressing their love toward the Lord Jesus should have been one of the points of repentance. There should be a realization that one must now serve God through Jesus and in love toward God. Not neccessarily a "have to" type of service, but a "want to" expression of our love for the One who loved us even yet while we were sinners and gave Himself for us. Therefore, we set out to express our love by good works. By loving others and giving of ourselves to others because this pleases our Lord and Savior. Our works, the things we do, do not deny that we know Him, but they confirm that we indeed do know Him. Therefore, we need to endeavor to help others see that they are sinners and are separated from their God. And unfortunately, many of those that we need to reach are sitting in churches today who have been given "another gospel", and whose works, what they do, deny that they have any relationship with Jesus Christ and His Father. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. To repentance. Not to salvation first. First things first. Repentance first. An acknoledgement that they are without God and without hope and it is because of their ways that are contrary to the Lord. A convicted heart says, "I turn from mine own ways and turn to God's ways." This is repentance and when one exercises their faith in the Lord Jesus and His death for the removal of all their sins, the Holy Spirit of God comes and lives in that person and then guides them and one of the things He teaches them to do is to show love and appreciation to the Father by doing "good works". If you meet someone who is a Christian, but whose works deny the Lord, then love that person and realize maybe they are not a Christian at all and attempt to show Him the simple message of salvation. See 2 Tim. 2:24-26. Gently "teach" that person the truth about salvation as explanined in the Holy Scriptures. And begin with the fact they are separated from God because of their sins. God bless you.