Heavens Light 1-26-09 The Gospel – The Message of Jesus Christ – The Lordship of Christ Part 1

January 27, 2009 shaan 15 Comments

The Gospel – The Message of Jesus Christ

The Lordship of Christ – Jesus is Lord

Romans 14:9

For to this end Christ died and lived again,

that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. NASB

The Lordship Controversy

In discussing the Gospel it is important to recognize the recent controversy that has taken place in Evangelical Christianity in the 20^th Century. Certain so called “Evangelicals” sought to uphold the form of the Gospel which emphasizes faith in Christ apart from works, but in so doing redefined the role of works in salvation to a degree which was very unhealthy and led to a corrupted form of the Gospel. This “watered down” version of the Gospel has come to be known as “easy-believism.” It emphasizes the fact that all one must do to be saved is to “believe” upon the person and work of Christ, acknowledging the facts about Him and His Gospel. Although this is a true part of the Gospel, when it is overemphasized to the exclusion of the teaching that true “saving faith” is a faith that repents of sin and pursues love for Christ and God by obedience to their commandments, it corrupts the Gospel and turns it into a kind of “fire insurance” for people wanting the benefits of eternal life, but who are unwilling to turn from sin and obey God’s commandments. This is a serious error, one that has no doubt led thousands of people astray from the true Gospel and saving faith. The teaching of Jesus and the Apostles is crystal clear on this topic. They taught that when one truly believes upon Christ, they have done this by the power and work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, and that the fruit of the Spirit which flows from this true belief produces a life of repentance, faith and ongoing pattern of obedience to Christ for the rest of one’s life. They affirmed that people were deceived if they thought they knew Christ but did not obey Him.

Matt 7:21 – 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. NASB

Titus 1:15-16 – 15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed. NASB

James 1:22 – 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. NASB

This controversy was really well defended by John MacArthur in his book “The Gospel According to Jesus.” In this book He focuses on the Gospel which Jesus proclaimed and evaluated this doctrine in light of clear biblical texts. He was primarily refuting certain Evangelical teachers who were teaching this “watered down” version of the Gospel at Dallas Theological Seminary. The primary teachers he was refuting were Lewis Sperry Chafer, Zane Hodges, and Charles Ryrie (although there were others). These teachers were responsible for training many thousands of Evangelical pastors and church leaders in the 20^th Century. In his book, MacArthur documents these teachings and refutes them with clear biblical teaching. This corrupting of the true biblical Gospel has indeed led to a serious state of affairs in the modern Evangelical Church and needs to be corrected for each successive generation. The true biblical Gospel needs to be proclaimed and upheld in each generation so that we do not lose sight of the fundamental message of Christianity, that is, the person and work of Jesus Christ and how one is saved by repentance and faith in Him. I mention this controversy in order to bring into focus a very important matter in defining the Gospel. This has come to be known as the “Lordship of Christ” and explains the relation of the believer to Jesus as their Master and King. Obedience to Christ is a Gospel mandate and a major theme in the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles.

Luke 6:46 – 46 “And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? NASB

John 3:36 – 6 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” NASB

Jesus is Lord

As the Scriptures speak of Jesus Christ there is no mistaking the clear portrait of His person. He is Lord! Without apology He is lifted up and proclaimed as the Lord of all. (Matt 28:18, Acts 10:36)

Romans 14:9 – 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. NASB

The word “Lord” implies His Deity and authority. Being God very God, Jesus is the supreme authority. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is described as the Creator of everything, the very God of Providence and sustainer of all that is, the reigning King of History, as well as the Judge of the living and the dead. If that were not enough to convince us of His authority to rule us, we are blind at the very least.

Colossians 1:16-17 – 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. NASB

Ephesians 1:19-22 – 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, NASB

Acts 10:42 – 42 “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. NASB

2 Timothy 4:1-2 – 4:1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: NASB

The fact of the matter is, Jesus is Lord whether one recognizes it or not. Just because one has not submitted their life to Him, does not mean that one is not accountable to Him. For He will come to judge every person for the deeds done in the body, as the Gospel declares. And He alone possesses the authority to determine one’s eternal destiny. Ultimately every person that has ever lived will bow their knee before Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as the Lord.

Philippians 2:9-11 – 9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. NASB

Jesus is not only Lord, but His Gospel calls us to willing submission to His Lordship. More than this, the Bible clearly teaches that obedience to Christ cannot be separated from “saving faith” and that love for God and repentance from sin are equated with “saving faith.” Jesus is frequently heard asserting His right to rule us and calling people to obedience to Himself.

John 13:13-17 – 13 “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master; neither is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. NASB

Matthew 10:24 – 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25 “It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. NASB

2 Timothy 2:19-21 – 19 Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness.” 20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. 21 Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. NASB

James 2:14 – 14 What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? NASB

When Jesus asserts Himself as Lord, He makes it clear that those who reject His claim on them, are destined to perish because of it!

Matthew 7:21-25 – 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. NASB

Matthew 24:48-51 – 48 “But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and shall begin to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and shall cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; weeping shall be there and the gnashing of teeth. NASB

And so Jesus is Lord and in His Gospel He calls us to willing submission and obedience to His commands. The New Testament speaks of this calling in many ways in order to express the nature of a right response to Him. This response is a major theme in the Gospel because people’s eternal destiny is at stake in it, as it shows the true nature of our faith, whether or not we have been truly called and chosen of God for salvation.

The summons to repentance is a call to obedience

Jesus is often heard calling people to repentance from sin and warning them of the consequences of sin. At the same time His message called people to “believe” or to trust in or rely upon Him in order to be right with God.

Mark 1:14-15 -14 And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” NASB

Luke 13:3-5 – 3 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 5 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” NASB

John 5:14-15 – 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may befall you.” NASB

In this repentance He was calling people to turn away from sin and to obedience to God’s commandments. This is what repentance is. It is to stop sinning and start doing what is right. Repentance is not ONLY feeling sorry for sin, but doing what is right from the heart with positive and active steps as Paul taught us, to “perform deeds appropriate to repentance.” Repentance is proven real when the deeds show it to be real.

Acts 26:20-21 – 20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. NASB

Repentance is not a one time act but life long obedience. The New Testament explains this nature of repentance over and over again.

Luke 3:8-14 – 8 “Therefore bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance, ……. 10 And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” 11 And he would answer and say to them, “Let the man who has two tunics share with him who has none; and let him who has food do likewise.” 12 And some tax-gatherers also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14 And some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.” NASB

Ephesians 4:20-24 – 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. NASB

Titus 2:11-14 – 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. NASB

This lifelong obedience or “perseverance” is spoken of by Jesus and the Apostles as a mark of those who will be saved. Perseverance cannot be separated from true repentance because it proves repentance to be real.

Matthew 24:12-14 – 12 “And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 “But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved. NASB

Hebrews 3:13-15 – 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end; 15 while it is said, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.” NASB

This teaching is a part of a 18 month series called “The Savior, The Cross, and The Gospel” ….

See the Outline here….. http://www.abqhcf.com/lessons/08-09/handouts/abc/Brochure-08-09.pdf

This teaching can be heard on audio here:

http://www.abqhcf.com/sermons/08-09/abc/11-23-2008_SundaySchool.mp3

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how…..

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

If you would like to be added or add someone to this email list, just reply with “sign me up” and the address you want it sent to. May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Shaan Sloan

Heritage Christian Fellowship – ABQ

505-348–5092

The Lord is the Strength of My Life

Heavens Light 1-10-09 The Gospel – The MESSAGE of Jesus Christ – Thy Kingdom Come Part 2

January 10, 2009 shaan Leave a comment

The Gospel – The Message of Jesus Christ

Thy Kingdom Come – More than Personal Salvation

Revelation 1:7

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. NASB

The Second Coming of Christ

An essential element of the Gospel is that we preach Christ Jesus as Lord and King. We warn mankind to come voluntarily under His authority and rule before it is too late and they die in their rebellion against Him and face Him in judgment, or He returns to establish His Kingdom and they are found in their rebellion against Him and then face Him in judgment. We call mankind to repentance from sin and faith in our Lord Jesus in order to flee from the coming wrath. (Eph 5:6, Col 3:6, 1 Thes 1:10, Rev 6:16-17, 11:18) When Christ returns there will be several tasks at hand that He will accomplish. I have put them into (4) categories here for the sake of brevity. The warning that we give in the Gospel embodies these inevitable and unavoidable events to come upon the entire world.

· Rescue and Resurrection

· Destruction of Evil Authorities

· Establishment of Earthly Kingdom

· Consummation of the Ages

Below we will briefly describe these events for the reader’s education of general categories of “end time” events of which they are warning people will soon take place.

1. Rescue and Resurrection

In the course of this Gospel age, there will come a time of terrible tribulation on the earth unlike any other time before it. Christ will “cut short” the time of tribulation on the earth in order to rescue His people from the greatest persecution ever to come upon them by the hands of Antichrist (Dan 7:21-27, 12:1-2, Rev 13:4-10).

Matthew 24:21-23 – 21 for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. 22 “And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short. NASB

When this rescue takes place, the dead in Christ shall be raised first, and the Church will be caught up in the air to meet Christ and to stand with Him in glory as He puts all of His enemies under His feet and establish His reign as King. This is the first resurrection (Rev 20:4-6).

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 – 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. NASB

Matthew 24:29-31 – 29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, 30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. NASB

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 – 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. NASB

2. Destruction of Evil Authorities

When Christ returns to rescue and resurrect His people, He will then swiftly destroy the Antichrist and arrest every earthly authority (Rev 19:11-21).

Revelation 19:19-21 – 9 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him[Christ] who sat upon the horse, and against His army. 20 And the beast[antichrist] was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. NASB

Daniel 7:25-27 – 25 ‘And he[antichrist] will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 26 ‘But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. 27 ‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’ NASB

Evil will be brought under control on the face of the earth at the hand of Jesus the King, and be brought under the rule of the Kingdom of God.

Isaiah 2:2-4 – Now it will come about that In the last days, The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. 3 And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways, And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war. NASB

Even Satan himself will be bound and have no influence on the earth for 1000 years.

Revelation 20:1-3 – And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. NASB

3. Establishment of Earthly Kingdom

At this time Christ will establish His rule upon the earth. His long awaited government will be established. His rule will be Sovereign and will never be destroyed. It will be everlasting!

Daniel 2:44 – 44 “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. NASB

Daniel 7:13-14 – 13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. NASB

He and His saints (the church of all time), will rule over the nations, there will be no war, and the world will enjoy a time of great peace (Rev 20:4-6).

Psalm 22:27-28 – 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will worship before Thee. 28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s, And He rules over the nations. NASB

Zechariah 14:16-20 – 16 Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 17 And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the Lord smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. NASB

Daniel 7:27 – 27 ‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’ NASB

Revelation 5:10 – 10 “And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” NASB

This time period of 1000 years is commonly called the Millennium. There is much controversy concerning the nature and circumstances of this time.

Consummation of the Ages

Toward the end of the Millennium, there will be a final rebellion against Christ by the nations of mankind, at which time He will destroy them forever, along with Satan. This will be the final doom of Satan and all the wicked, and the reign of sin and death upon the earth will be brought to a close by God’s power.

Revelation 20:7-10 – 7 And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. NASB

Death will be destroyed, and Satan with it as they are forever cast into the lake of fire. At this time, God will resurrect all the dead from all ages and they will stand before God in judgment. If anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, He is forever cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:11-15 – 11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. NASB

Now after the wicked and Satan and death are destroyed, the Eternal State will be ushered in. In the Eternal State, sin will be banished from the Kingdom of God forever and God will create a “New Heavens and Earth.” In this renewed creation, sin will never destroy again and the creation will perpetually live in peace and utter fulfillment forever and ever, world without end. According to Scripture, there will “no longer be any death, …or mourning, or crying, or pain.”

Revelation 21:1-6 – 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, 4 and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” NASB

In this Eternal State, God’s people will lie down in peace, never again to know any curse or pain. God will dwell among His people forever and ever, and the will forever enjoy the happiness and satisfaction they were created for in its fullest capacity.

Revelation 22:3-5 – 3 And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him; 4 and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 And there shall no longer be any night; and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever. NASB

The coming ages will hold out one glorious revelation of the kindness of God after another, and all our capacities to appreciate and worship God is all of His Glory will be utterly fulfilled. The Gospel promise of eternal life will be fulfilled in a perpetual state of experiencing the lavish blessings of the Eternal God, forever and ever!

Ephesians 2:5-9 – 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. NASB