We are now the children of the Eternal by the indwelling of his spirit. Once we have believed in Jesus' sacrifice to pay for our sins (breaking the law), repented (keeping the commandments), and are baptized, we receive the Holy Spirit. How does one grow in favor with any boss? He keeps his directives or commands! The other reason we receive favor is that it solves the grace versus works argument. Those who do not believe that man is in the image of his Creator cannot even understand why we receive charis or grace to justification. The offspring of any being looks like the father in kind (Acts 17:26, 28 - 29, 1John 3:1). God favored man because we are in his image. Our heavenly Father did not favor with salvation the angels who sinned nor is he offering them the ability to become sons (Hebrews 1:5, 2:6 - 10). The question is why man receives this awesome favor in the first place. Christians can do nothing about their sins except accept this sacrifice. A Christian is justified (past sins paid for) by Christ's death. The clearing of the death penalty over us is the first part of the salvation process. Most all of Christendom would agree that this is the grace of God in action (see John 3:16). First, Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). Man receives favor for two different reasons. However, many believers know that it does matter what Christians do! We are told we must keep the commandments (Acts 5:32). It does imply that it does not matter what you do once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. It is not clear why some do not like this translation. The KJV has translated charis as "favor" here, as opposed to grace, as in other places (Acts 25:3, Luke 1:30, Acts 7:46). In Acts 2:46 - 47 we find the disciples "having charis with all the people." In Acts 7:10 we find it given to Joseph in the sight of Pharaoh. In Luke 4:22 it states people were amazed at Jesus' words of charis or favor to men that proceeded out of his mouth. It is easy to understand how Christ grew in favor with his Father and man. If charis means unmerited pardon in Luke 2, then how could Jesus, who never sinned, grow in unmerited pardon? The translation here of "favor" is obviously the correct one.
The scriptures say Jesus grew in charis (Luke 2:52), which is translated as "favor" in the KJV.
0 kommentar(er)
