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What is a State of Grace?

We are all born into this world in a state of Original Sin. The church teaches that through the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden all his descendants throughout history and up to the present time are born with a sin nature, or an inclination to sin. In the Old Testament mankind's sins were covered by the sacrificial system given to Moses, Hebrews 2:1-4 ESV Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since athe message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and bevery transgression or disobedience received a just cretribution, 3 dhow shall we escape if we eneglect such a great salvation? It was fdeclared at first by the Lord, and it was gattested to us hby those who heard, 4 gwhile God also bore witness iby signs and wonders and various miracles and by jgifts of the Holy Spirit kdistributed according to his will. 

Man was justified or made right with God through faith in keeping with the sacrificial system in the Old Testament, but when Christ came he put an end to the sacrificial system and offered up His body for the sins of mankind, so our sins could be permanently forgiven, not just covered. Hebrews 10:14-18 says; (ESV)  For by a single offering mhe has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16  n“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” 17 then he adds, o“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

The church teaches that we enter a state of grace through baptism, and consequently when we sin afterwards our sins are forgiven through the sacrament of reconciliation or perfect contrition. It is still Christ's sacrifice on the cross that forgives our sins through the church and it's sacraments, but we have to have faith, which comes to us through conversion to remain in Christ's love or a state of Grace. Grace is unmerited favour, but it comes to us through the merit of Jesus Christ. God helps us stay in Grace, if we are truly sorry for our sins and we walk in perfection or maturity. The bible teaches that we all sin, and though we sin, God doesn't remove his Grace from our life. As long as we still have faith, and live out that faith, God will keep us all in a state of Grace.

The reason why we need Grace is because we are saved by Grace, Ephesians 2:4-10 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Christ's sacrifice on the cross guarantees that God's grace will always be available if we ask for it, or receive it through our faith in Jesus. Amen? This is Mike.

 

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