Ephesians 2:8-9
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift-- 9 not from works, so that no one can boast.
Titus 3:5 He saved us-- not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
I thank you for your many prayers and words of encouragement this week on the behalf of Angelica. After a wonderful start to life, she was diagnosed with pneumonia on Monday and has continued to deteriorate through the week. She currently is on oxygen levels so high that there is a risk for eye and brain damage and she still is not breathing well. I have spent many hours this week praying by her bedside.
For the first time in my Christian walk, I have found myself wanting to remind God of how much I have done for Him like I have some right for a favor in return. I have wanted to bargain with God for the health of my grandbaby.
However, that's not the way God works. We are saved by grace. We can't earn salvation and we can't earn favor with God by our works. If we love God, we will keep His commandments. (John 14:15) His commandments include feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, taking care of the sick, etc. (Mat. 25:34-46) James says we show our faith by our works. (Jas. 2:18) But, our works don't obligate God to do anything on our behalf and we get into a dangerous mindset if we start to think otherwise, because once again, we have deceived ourselves.
Ultimately, God will show mercy to whom He will show mercy, and will have compassion on whom He will have compassion. (Rom. 9:15) I can fervently pray that He has mercy and compassion on us, but that prayer has to be tempered with "Thy will, not mine, be done." It may be more compassionate for God to take Angelica to place of no suffering than for her to live with severe medical problems. My prayer, of course, is for her to live and to have no long term medical problems but I have to be willing to accept that God is in control.
Sincerely,
Deborah
Titus 3:5 He saved us-- not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
I thank you for your many prayers and words of encouragement this week on the behalf of Angelica. After a wonderful start to life, she was diagnosed with pneumonia on Monday and has continued to deteriorate through the week. She currently is on oxygen levels so high that there is a risk for eye and brain damage and she still is not breathing well. I have spent many hours this week praying by her bedside.
For the first time in my Christian walk, I have found myself wanting to remind God of how much I have done for Him like I have some right for a favor in return. I have wanted to bargain with God for the health of my grandbaby.
However, that's not the way God works. We are saved by grace. We can't earn salvation and we can't earn favor with God by our works. If we love God, we will keep His commandments. (John 14:15) His commandments include feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, taking care of the sick, etc. (Mat. 25:34-46) James says we show our faith by our works. (Jas. 2:18) But, our works don't obligate God to do anything on our behalf and we get into a dangerous mindset if we start to think otherwise, because once again, we have deceived ourselves.
Ultimately, God will show mercy to whom He will show mercy, and will have compassion on whom He will have compassion. (Rom. 9:15) I can fervently pray that He has mercy and compassion on us, but that prayer has to be tempered with "Thy will, not mine, be done." It may be more compassionate for God to take Angelica to place of no suffering than for her to live with severe medical problems. My prayer, of course, is for her to live and to have no long term medical problems but I have to be willing to accept that God is in control.
Sincerely,
Deborah
posted by BreadBakers at 12:49 PM
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